# Clean neutral vs dirty neutrals



## besc (May 16, 2010)

I was having a conversation with one person while overhearing another one next to me so I wasn't able to brain-pick the person later; here's the jist. A local contractor had a crew of ten modify a sawdust transport system that filled boats out in the bay: Motor controls, instrumantation, PLCs, the works. On start up things didn't work right and boss is mad when he found out they didn't know the difference between dirty neutrals and clean neutrals. He also mentioned dirty grounds and clean grounds. I may know it using different terminology but don't recall hearing these terms. Not much info I know but maybe someone knows what he meant? Thanks. Mike.


----------



## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

it means "dedicated". doesn't always do jack, but sometimes I guess it's good for somethin.


----------



## besc (May 16, 2010)

It seemed to warrant a meeting in a room with the crew because it caused things to not work right. At least in this case, anyway.


----------



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

The boss was being a blowhard because he couldn't actually explain how his crew screwed up.


----------



## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

besc said:


> It seemed to warrant a meeting in a room with the crew because it caused things to not work right. At least in this case, anyway.


It does not mean it caused things not to work right it only means that what was blamed for things not working right.

In my work clean is used to describe circuits from a clean source such as panelboard supplied from its own transformer and the panel will only supply electronic loads such as computers. 

Dirty would describe circuits that come from panelboard supplying any combination of loads. 

Typically check out lanes in stores will have a clean circuit for the register and scanner etc and a dirty circuit for the lights, conveyor belt etc.

Don't take that as me saying it is needed, just what is commonly done. 

Now back to the ship, if they mixed neutrals from different sources that is wrong and stupid but should still work fine as they are all bonded together anyway at some point.


----------

