Forum Discussion
DrewE
Sep 30, 2020Explorer II
Sounds like a good outcome!
Reverse polarity on an outlet won't harm electronics because it doesn't change the sort of power the device "sees"; it's no different than plugging in an (unpolarized) plug flipped the other way over. Reverse polarity is problematic from a safety standpoint mainly because the hot line is the only one switched by a circuit breaker, so a tripped or shut off breaker doesn't cut off the power if the two are reversed. The normal current path is still broken, of course, so it still protects against a normal overload, but a short circuit to ground would not trip the circuit breaker where the polarity is reversed. If the fault current is sufficient, it would trip the circuit breaker in the house's electric panel where the polarity is correct.
Reverse polarity on an outlet won't harm electronics because it doesn't change the sort of power the device "sees"; it's no different than plugging in an (unpolarized) plug flipped the other way over. Reverse polarity is problematic from a safety standpoint mainly because the hot line is the only one switched by a circuit breaker, so a tripped or shut off breaker doesn't cut off the power if the two are reversed. The normal current path is still broken, of course, so it still protects against a normal overload, but a short circuit to ground would not trip the circuit breaker where the polarity is reversed. If the fault current is sufficient, it would trip the circuit breaker in the house's electric panel where the polarity is correct.
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