Light reading

MrJack96:

So if 20amps would flow for a normal load in the system would the same flow in a broken PEN conductor? 

The broken part of the PEN conductor can't carry any current at all of course, because it's broken. Bits upstream or downstream of the break might carry some current - e.g. flowing to or from the ground or extraneous-conductive-parts - but the extra resistance will often limit the current to something less than normal - it all depends on the fortuitous parallel paths (if any). On one extreme where you had say premises both up-stream and down-stream of the break both bonded to the same extraneous-conductive-part (say and old iron water main) then there would be hardly any extra resistance and current flows might be close to normal. On the other extreme with say no extraneous-conductive-parts at all (say all plastic water/gas pipes) you might not have any parallel paths at all, and a break in the PEN would result in no current flow whatsoever - all the appliances in the installation would appear to be dead, but have 230V (above Earth) on both L and N ... likewise all exposed-conductive-parts.


   - Andy.

MrJack96:

So if 20amps would flow for a normal load in the system would the same flow in a broken PEN conductor? 

The broken part of the PEN conductor can't carry any current at all of course, because it's broken. Bits upstream or downstream of the break might carry some current - e.g. flowing to or from the ground or extraneous-conductive-parts - but the extra resistance will often limit the current to something less than normal - it all depends on the fortuitous parallel paths (if any). On one extreme where you had say premises both up-stream and down-stream of the break both bonded to the same extraneous-conductive-part (say and old iron water main) then there would be hardly any extra resistance and current flows might be close to normal. On the other extreme with say no extraneous-conductive-parts at all (say all plastic water/gas pipes) you might not have any parallel paths at all, and a break in the PEN would result in no current flow whatsoever - all the appliances in the installation would appear to be dead, but have 230V (above Earth) on both L and N ... likewise all exposed-conductive-parts.


   - Andy.