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Is this power supply regarded safe?

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floobydust:
In North America, you are forbidden from putting a fuse or switch in Neutral, in a product. It can only go to the Line or hot side.

I'm not sure about Portugal's electrical codes, but your schematic seems odd to have double fusing and double switches for mains.

magic:
In continental Europe most plugs are reversible and sockets are wired randomly so both conductors are considered equally "hot". If something needs to be earthed for safety it uses PE, which bypasses power switches. Switches are often double pole to completely and certainly cut power from the device.

wraper:

--- Quote from: floobydust on March 22, 2019, 07:07:25 pm ---In North America, you are forbidden from putting a fuse or switch in Neutral, in a product. It can only go to the Line or hot side.

I'm not sure about Portugal's electrical codes, but your schematic seems odd to have double fusing and double switches for mains.

--- End quote ---
Please explain how it works with devices which don't have ground in the plug?

bloguetronica:

--- Quote from: floobydust on March 22, 2019, 07:07:25 pm ---In North America, you are forbidden from putting a fuse or switch in Neutral, in a product. It can only go to the Line or hot side.

I'm not sure about Portugal's electrical codes, but your schematic seems odd to have double fusing and double switches for mains.

--- End quote ---
The electrical code in Portugal is a completely different animal. It is good practice, even recommended, to break both live and neutral. The same with fuses. This is because the Schuko type plugs are reversible. One can never be too safe.

Why breaking neutral is forbidden in US, I don't know. It doesn't make sense for a single phase distribution. In a three phase distribution, yes, you can't cut the neutral, as that would unbalance the phases and damage the load. In a single phase device or distribution, only earth should be unbroken.

Mind that the neutral is not guaranteed to have no voltage. In fact, the main OC breaker at the entry point of my house breaks both live and neutral. The same happens with the main RCD breaker.

Having said that, the US and the Portuguese electrical codes are incompatible, and not comparable in the slightest. For example, we don't have pole pigs, we have different color codes, we only have single 230V~ instead of dual 120V~ for a house. And it doesn't end here.

Kind regards, Samuel Lourenço

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