Thanks for all the comments.
Here we have a totally different system The power line down the street is
usually buried, and has 3 phases and a neutral. The neutral is grounded in
various places, but not necessarily at the house. However, the ground leads and
metalwork in the house can be connected to the neutral - it depends on whether
or not one has what is called 'Protective Multiple Earthing'. This can give
major problems if you've an external ground and one gets a ruptured neutral. In
country areas, one can have a 2 phase line (i.e. 2 of the 3 phases) distributed
around. So we always get neutral and phase, which gives a NOMINAL 240 or
therabouts. NOMINAL means just that and it can vary wildly! The neutral is
theoretically at ground, but when I lived in town, I could get 24 volts at 1/2
amp free from neutral to ground.......
Where I am now, the neutral is grounded on the pole outside the house; the house
has a separate ground rod to provide the ground, and the neutral is usually
within a volt of ground. Fortunately, we don't get the lightning problems you
guys abroad get....
Thanks agn for the info.
73
Peter G3RZP
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