"Brian Running" wrote in message
m...
Still, if the neutral is broken at the transformer, you still don't have
a return path.

You have a lot of confidence in your position, so I think an experiment is
in order, to verify the conclusion. First, go up the power pole and snip
the neutral at the transformer. Then, go down in your basement, open up
the main panel, put a finger on either one of the hot buses, and then grab
a nearby copper or steel water pipe with your other hand. If we don't
hear from you again, then we'll conclude that there can indeed be current
without the neutral at the transformer. Otherwise, please report your
findings.

Ha ha.


All seriousness aside, if there's power on either of the hot legs, then
you don't need a "return path."

Kirchoff would be intrigued by that.

Even when it's connected properly, the neutral is grounded, anyway, so
the "return path" is from hot to ground -- any old ground will work, and
that's why it's a potentially dangerous situation.

If what you are trying to say is that the neutral wire was broken, but the
neutral to ground connection was still good, then I can get your point.
However, saying the neutral is broken is ambiguous.

I just don't get how that happens on the line. If the break is internal, as
it sounds, then there cannot be a properly grounded transformer.