Just a quick question....

[sdavies21216]

Hi guys,

I am very curious to know this, what is a "PEN Conductor"? I have searched on t'internet but can't find an answer.

Thanks in advance.

Stuart

 

[DaftPunk]

It's all in the DIYnot wiki...

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:abbreviations

 

[JohnW2]

It's all in the DIYnot wiki...
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:abbreviations[/QUOTE]
True, but I suspect that "Protective Earthed Neutral" may not mean much more to the OP than does "PEN"!

Stuart, it refers to a combined neutral and earth conductor - i.e. one conductor ('wire') which serves as both neutral and earth. Such conductors are not allowed within domestic installations, but are, these days, commonly the way that electricity is supplied to a property - i.e. just two conductors - one line/live and the other a combined neutral and earth. The PEN conductor then splits into neutral and earth at the supplier's 'service head', where the supply enters the property.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Spark123]

Another case of PEN conductors which we see is on the railway, such as London underground that has one live rail and the other two normal rails are protective earth and neutral.

You need to have permission to use a single wire for both purposes from the secretary of state.