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ground neutral tester

I recently acquired an Instrutek GN-3 ground neutral tester. It appears to work, but I don't know what its operating principle is. Inside is a pc board, about 3 inches square, with one ic and various components. An analogue meter on the front, with a reference adjust pot, a ground or neutral select toggle and a push button. It doesn't use probes, apparently getting all information from its power plug.

Does anyone know how it operates? Any information gratefully received. Instrutek did not reply.

thanks, gink

Reply to
gink
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The neutral is at ground potential but normally carries current. The ground only carries current in the case of a fault. Perhaps it senses the voltage difference between the two or the impedance difference?

Reply to
Charles Schuler

it measures the current in the live and neutral and trips if they are not equal and opposite. fault currents that don't flow in the protective ground conductor are much more dangerous than those that do.

Bye. Jasen

Reply to
Jasen Betts

That's a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). You could be right in that that was what the OP was describing.

Reply to
Charles Schuler

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