Reverse polarity

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Dambo

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2009
Messages
473
Reaction score
0
Hi. Just wondering what problems reverse polarity can cause? And if current still flows normally how do you then check for it?

 
It can cause electric shock, burns and even death. When the switch is in the off position the is still 230 volts at the load. Only the live wire should be broken not the neutral. This can be checked that the live incoming supply goes through the main fuse into the (L) terminal on the double pole isolator and that all live wire pass through the circuit breakers. Then all live wires should be connected to (L) on all lights, sockets etc.

 
Thanks Nick. Is there a way of testing to see if there is reverse polarity on any circuits without checking the wiring at the consumer unit, light, socket etc...?

 
Thanks Nick. Is there a way of testing to see if there is reverse polarity on any circuits without checking the wiring at the consumer unit, light, socket etc...?
If you have a mains electric clock it will run backwards. The fridge will get warm and the oven cold. Try it :D

 
If you have a mains electric clock it will run backwards. The fridge will get warm and the oven cold. Try it :D
And the television starts transmitting images of you sitting in your lounge out through the aerial.

The light bulbs absorb light and output darkness.

Mobile phone chargers draw all the power out of your battery!

Blushing:) ]:)

 
Just be nice or GF will have to tell us off again.To OP - reverse polarity is bad and dangerous. If you isolate neutral by mistake then the circuit remains live. You could die. This really isn't a laughing matter.

:|
i didnt do anything wrong last time, it was you!

 
if its a tncs system then everything with an earth will be live!

I used to work for the electricity board and have done overhead service renewals. There was a bloke who used to just whack the fuse in and hope for the best without checking polarity. Once he accidentally connected 2 phases instead of phase/neutral and put 415V across the whole house and blew just about everything - microwave, TV, microwave, bulbs and even the immersion heater!

 
thats wrong polatiry at the incoming cable to service head. anything after that, and the earth wont be live. even if you got wrong polarity at the meter

 
Top