The Dangers of Shared Neutrals: How To Avoid Being Shocked

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In today’s age of electrical work, shared neutrals are relatively rare. Most of us run an independent neutral with our phase conductors. But can you receive an electrical shock from a shared neutral even if the breaker is in the off position? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explores this topic to bring some light to the subject.

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As discussed in previous videos, electricity travels in loops to function. On a single pole circuit (120v for example) the flow typically leaves out on the hot wire, goes thru the load, and returns to source (usually a breaker) on the neutral conductor. In addition, in most current residential work, a single dedicated cable, comprised of one hot, one neutral, and one grounding conductor, is run for each separate circuit. So, when you shut the breaker off, there isn’t a chance to receive a shock on that circuit (on the load side of the breaker anyhow) since the loop is broken.
However, in past years, shared neutrals were fairly common. A shared neutral is where you have multiple hot conductors sharing the same neutral. This was done to save wires and therefore save money. However, there are dangers present when using shared neutrals. That being, even if you turn off the breaker for the circuit you are physically going to perform work on, that neutral conductor can still have current flowing on it from the other circuit. To combat this issue the NEC now requires us to install a multipole breaker (or place handle ties on the single pole breakers of a multipole shared neutral circuit) so you are made to shut off ALL the breakers involved with a shared neutral circuit. But this provision is a fairly recent change (within the past 15 years or so) and you can still find single pole breakers for a shared neutral circuit all throughout the country.
There are a few scenarios where you could receive a shock on the neutral conductor of a shared neutral circuit. If you left the breaker on but took apart the joint on the neutral drop in the box and touched the white wire headed to the panel and either of the other 2 white wires headed to the actual device, you will just be completing the loop itself! Another way to get an even worse shock would be to leave the breaker on, take apart the neutral joint, and then touch the 2 white wires headed to the devices themselves. By doing this, you are basically completing a 240v loop and will get a wicked shock!
The easiest way to avoid all of this would be to simply turn the circuit off that you are working on. And if you are working on an older shared neutral circuit with single pole breakers, then shut them both off! This eliminates the chance of having any voltage on the neutral. Another prudent thing to do is to test if with your meter. Test your meter on a known live circuit first, then test the circuit you are attempting to work on, then retest again on the live circuit to prove that your meter is operating properly. Another thing to consider regarding receptacles. The loop is NOT complete, so current CANNOT flow, until something is plugged in somewhere in that circuit. The loop is open at the device itself. Lighting on the other hand, is connected via the lightbulb itself (or the filament within the light bulb) so current will flow as soon as you turn the breaker and the switch on! Another thing to consider, is that current does NOT care about the color of the wire! So just because you are touching a white wire, doesn’t mean you won’t get shocked if you are doing something you shouldn’t be doing with it!! Always get your journeyman’s tips or advice before attempting to work on a circuit until you fully understand the exact scenario you are up against.
We hope this has been helpful in understanding a bit how one could get shocked by touching the shared neutral conductor even if the breaker is off. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be