Gfci Plug Line to Ground Reads 120 Volts and Neutral to Line Reads 0

Eugene is a qualified control/instrumentation engineer Bsc (Eng) and has worked as a developer of electronics & software for SCADA systems.

What Is a Ground Wire?

The hot and neutral cores in a ability cable are used to supply electric current to the appliances in your home. So what about the green wire? Why is it needed? This is known every bit the "basis" and is an boosted wire that is included for the safety of you and your dwelling.

Note: This commodity was written for a The states audition, so I refer to the protective conductor every bit "ground". Withal, information technology is also called "earth" in other countries. Another difference is that the term "hot" is used, which is as well known as "live". The third divergence is that a 2d hot line is often provided to homes in the United states of america, resulting in a 240-volt supply (betwixt the two hots) in addition to the 120-volt supply.

What is the ground wire for?

© Eugene Brennan

What Are the Wires in a Power Cable?

Hot

This wire is at a potential of 120 volts nominal in the U.s. relative to ground. Current flows out through the hot wire to an appliance. Hot is also referred to as "alive" in other countries and voltage can be either 110 or 230 volts Air conditioning nominal.

Neutral

The neutral wire is at a voltage close to or equal to ground. The current which flows to an appliance via the hot wire returns via the neutral core in a cablevision. (Run across note below).

Ground

This is a protective conductor, included to prevent shock and/or burn. Ground is also known as "world" in some countries.

The supply from the transformer feeding your abode is split-phase and in the U.S., 2 hots in addition to a neutral are provided. Lower power appliances are connected between either of the hots and neutral and this gives a 120 volt supply. The voltage betwixt the two hots is 240 volt for supplying higher power appliances.

Note: The electricity supply in our homes is alternating current (AC). So while we tend to think of electric current flowing out through the hot wire to an appliance and returning via the neutral wire, current actually flows both ways. So for 1-one-half of what is known equally a "bicycle", current flows out through hot and returns via the neutral wire. During the second half wheel, the process is reversed and current flows to the appliance via neutral and returns via hot.

Ac and DC voltage waveforms. DC voltage is constant over time. AC voltage and electric current alter direction at a rate given by the frequency. This is 60 times per 2d or threescore Hertz (Hz) in the US. Each repetition of the waveform is called a cycle.

© Eugene Brennan

Ground: The Protective Conductor

The flex or fixed wiring supplying metal cased appliances includes a footing usher (colored green in the US or light-green/yellow in the EU) in addition to hot and neutral. Inside an appliance, the ground core of the cablevision is connected to the outer casing of the appliance. The connection may be made either using a screw terminal or a ring crimp and self-borer screw/bolt. Spade crimps are more often than not non used to forestall a basis from being inadvertently removed instead of hot or neutral and not replaced. Fixed (e.chiliad. storage heater, kitchen range) and portable i.east corded appliances with inapplicable metallic which can exist touched in normal use must exist grounded. Ground acts as a "bypass" for currents in the event of a fault.

The error could exist due to:

• Conductors (due east.g. wires, terminals, components) at hot or virtually total mains potential breaking, bending or detaching and touching the casing of an appliance
• Breakup of insulation. For instance, insulation on cores of the power flex could become damaged inside an appliance or insulating spacers could go dislodged. Also, metal parts such as screws or nuts which take come undone could bridge the gap between hot and the metal casing
• Making contact with a power cable when drilling through a wall

Within a microwave oven, the footing cadre of the ability flex is connected to the casing using a ring crimp and screw. Notation the symbol for ground

© Eugene Brennan

What Happens During a Mistake If an Appliance Isn't Grounded?

If a fault occurs, the external metal of an apparatus will get alive and the voltage with respect to ground a person is continuing ane will be anything up to 120 volts, depending on which part of the internal circuit touches the casing. If the metal isn't grounded and someone touches the apparatus, current will travel through their body to footing.

Read More than From Dengarden

If they are lucky and have rubber-soled shoes and are continuing on a dry flooring, they may just experience a tingling sensation. Nevertheless, if conditions are damp, they have moisture easily and are continuing outdoors, they are more than likely to experience a astringent shock. If one mitt touches the appliance and the other touches a grounded object (e.g pipework, poles, radiators or whatever), current will travel across their center, a more dangerous scenario. If the person is unlucky or has a center condition, this tin can kill.

Why Does Current Menses to Ground?

The reason why current flows to footing is that the neutral bespeak in the supply transformer is connected via a footing conductor to a ground electrode. This raises the potential of the hot conductor to about 120 volts with respect to the basis surface. During a fault, or if someone touches a live conductor, current flows through ground conductors and the majority of the physical basis (i.e the soil) dorsum to the transformer. Isolating safety transformers, which are sometimes used for powering tools on construction sites, isolate the neutral from ground so that current cannot flow (or at least very footling) if a fault occurs. These transformers additionally catechumen voltage to 110 volts in countries where 230 volts is the standard supply voltage. This reduces the current to a safer level if someone experiences a shock between hot and neutral.

For more than data on volts and amps, run into my guide:

Agreement Electricity? What Are Volts, Amps, Watts, Ohms, Air-conditioning and DC?

Why Is the Supply Transformer Grounded?

Grounding the neutral of the supply transformer is a safety measure taken to eliminate dangerous rises in potential (greater than the hot voltage) on the hot or neutral conductors inbound a domicile. This could occur for example if a very high voltage electric line (peradventure hundreds of kilovolts) breaks and lands on a "low" voltage (120 volt) line. Another scenario is the insulation between the master and secondary of the transformer being breached. This could allow the master voltage (>10kv) to appear on the secondary. Withal some other possibility is a lightning strike on the lines. Static charge can also cause a buildup of voltage on lines.

Basically, grounding the neutral pulls down the voltage of the line then that neutral is close to the potential of the world which we are standing on and the voltage on either of the hot lines doesn't greatly exceed 120 volts.

The path of fault electric current when someone touches a non-grounded faulty appliance (2nd hot in U.Southward. wiring systems not shown)

© Eugene Brennan

How Does Grounding Solve the Problem?

Grounding provides a featherbed, shunt or shortcut through which electricity tin can flow, instead of passing to world through the person who touches an apparatus. Wires called equipment grounding conductors (EGC) are run from the electric console through the fixed wiring to all socket outlets, fixed appliances such as ranges or h2o heaters, light switches and ceiling roses in your home. In the instance of a portable appliance, this grounding path continues from the pin in the plug through the flex, to the metallic body of the appliance. At the electrical panel, all of these conductors are joined at the main grounding terminal. A grounding electrode usher (GEC) runs outside the premises to a grounding electrode embedded in the soil.

When a fault occurs, electric current flows via the grounding conductor back to the electrical panel. If a TNC or TNCS earthing system is in use, all neutrals are joined to ground at the panel (or the neutral and ground may be joined at the output of the supply meter see earthing systems schematic below), and and so the hot to ground fault at the appliance effectively becomes a hot to neutral fault, practically a brusque excursion. A big over-electric current flows and this trips the MCB (miniature excursion breaker) and possibly also the GFCI (whichever acts commencement) for the excursion, cutting power and making everything safe.

Grounding, however, also has some other important part. Even if the electric current is insufficient to trip a breaker (in the case of a TT grounding system), the neutral conductor breaks exterior the dwelling house, or stray currents in the neutral crusade a unsafe rise in potential, it reduces the touch on voltage between the casing of the appliance and the area on the ground on which the person is standing to a safe level. Both EGCs and the ground rod and the bulk impedance from the ground rod to the supply transformer effectively behave as a potential divider. Since the impedance of an EGC and basis rod are a lot less than the equivalent impedance of the soil between the premises and the supply transformer, and since the two impedances are in series, a much smaller voltage is dropped across the EGC than the total supply voltage and and so the chance is reduced.

The low impedance ground usher shunts current away from the person touching the appliance, reducing the touch voltage to a safe level. (In reality the conductor passes via the plug and flex of the apparatus and electrical console to the footing rod)

© Eugene Brennan

Naming Convention in the USA and Britain

Equipment grounding conductors (EGC) = Protective earths (PE) in the UK.

Main grounding terminal = Main earthing concluding in the UK.

Grounding electrode = Earthing electrode in the U.k..

Double-Insulated and Not-Grounded Appliances

Appliances such as hair driers, TVs, handheld kitchen appliances, etc. by and large take plastic casings. If a error occurs inside the appliance (e.one thousand. a wire or component touches the inside of the casing), there is no danger since the plastic body is an insulator. These appliances don't have a ground wire in the flex. Some appliances such as power tools are not grounded and instead are "doubly insulated". This means that although the external casing of the tool or appliance may be metal, sufficient separation and isolation of the external metal from internal loftier voltages is effected to forbid electrical daze. These devices don't take a ground wire in the cord either.

Double insulated appliances tin be extremely dangerous if they become wet. This is because the casing is not grounded and can become alive if water breaches the separation betwixt live parts and casing. Also, the MCB is unlikely to trip and the GFI may not operate either.

Double insulated symbol

© Eugene Brennan

GFCI

A safe device called a Ground Mistake Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) besides known as a Ground Error Interrupter or Residual Current Device (RCD) is probable to be fitted in well-nigh modern installations. This device monitors the current flowing out through the hot usher and back via neutral. Usually these currents are equal. If electric current leaks to footing, not all the current returns through the GFCI. Electronics in the device detects this imbalance, and it trips out, shutting off the power. The trip current for a GFCI is commonly 30mA but can exist higher or lower depending on weather.

A GFCI handles situations such every bit someone touching a live conductor, such as a damaged power cord with exposed cores, or the connector of a kettle left in a pool of water on a sink. (It may also even trip if damp bread gets stuck in a toaster and touches the element!)

A GFCI likewise responds to faults as described above where hot makes contact with the grounded body of an appliance. The device cuts the power if the MCB doesn't "get at that place get-go".

Another function of the GFCI is to preclude fire. Consider the state of affairs where a damaged and exposed conductor makes contact with damp timber or grounded material, east.g. conduit or piping. This could produce sparks and starting time a fire if there is any combustible material nearby, due east.thou. sawdust, wood shavings or insulation. The current may not exist sufficient to trip a breaker, however, the small leakage current to ground is more than probable to be detected past the GFCI, making information technology trip and shut off the power.

GFCIs can be installed at the electrical panel, they are bachelor in the form of a GFCI socket outlet, and you can besides buy a GFCI adapter that plugs into a socket. An appliance is then plugged into the adapter. This is a worthwhile safe accompaniment for an extension pb if yous use power tools in the garden.

Three Types of Grounding Systems

TNCS or PME (Protective Multiple Earthing)

This arrangement uses a combined basis/neutral back to the supply transformer. This is then split into separate ground and neutral conductors after the meter. A hot to ground fault effectively becomes a hot to neutral error, and since the impedance back to the transformer is depression, the large, short circuit current ensures that an MCB for the circuit volition trip. The problem with this type of arrangement is that total mains potential could appear on extraneous metalwork of an apparatus if the neutral breaks outside the premises. This is why the ground electrode is then of import. The bulk of the world between the ground electrode at the premises and the point where the supply transformer is grounded acts like a potential divider.

If someone touches a grounded appliance, the bear on voltage between their hand and feet is equal to the voltage betwixt the signal at which the electrode enters the ground and their feet. Since this altitude is likely to be a fraction of the altitude to the supply transformer, the voltage is reduced proportionately. The electricity supply company may install multiple earthing or ground points from the neutral line between transformer and premises to reduce the consequences and adventure of a broken neutral (especially if they are widely separated)

TNS

The TNS organisation is often used when a basis tin can be provided by the armor of the supply cable. If the armor becomes corroded causing bad basis, this arrangement can be converted to TNCS.

TT

The TT system is used when the power comes in overhead. The system uses the bulk of the earth equally the render path for fault currents. It doesn't take the take chances of a broken neutral. If a abode is distant from the supply transformer, the fault current during a hot to ground fault may be insufficient to trip a breaker because the resistance of the earth is also great. Since the development of GFCIs which tin can observe pocket-sized leakage currents to the ground, this is less of an outcome. TT systems may be converted to TNCS systems where the footing and neutral are neutralized or joined together at the exit point of the meter.

Un-Grounded and Grounded Socket Outlets: NEC Regulations

In the U.South., both ungrounded and grounded receptacles are used. Ungrounded outlets are prohibited in new buildings but in the state of affairs where an equipment basis usher is not present, NEC code exceptions allow these to exist replaced by either some other non-grounded receptacle, a GFCI receptacle or a grounding type receptacle fed by a GFCI as long equally the receptacle is marked "No equipment ground" and "GFCI protected".

two-pivot in-grounded receptacles can be upgraded to 3-pin grounded receptacles with the addition of new ground wiring.

Bonding

Metal services such every bit h2o and heating pipes and hot water heaters are grounded with a heavy gauge wire routed back to the electric panel. This ensures that if a hot wire makes contact with these services, a large electric current will flow and trip the breaker. The heavy gauge wire is rated so that it can carry the electric current which may catamenia if a hot from a high current circuit makes contact with the service. Also, the heavy gauge keeps the resistance of the cable low. This ensures that every bit current flows through this resistance, the resulting voltage rise is kept below safety limits. This is vitally important in bathrooms where everything is clammy and we may be in our bare feet and making relatively adept electrical contact. Everything such as radiators, water pipes, wall heaters and the bleed in the bath/shower are continued together by a bonding conductor. This "equipotential bonding" keeps everything at the same voltage and there is no divergence in voltage between for case a showerhead and the bleed.

Different types of grounding systems.

© Eugene Brennan

Electrical Wiring Color Codes

This Wikipedia commodity gives lots of info most wiring and color codes used in various countries around the world.

References

Fish RM, Geddes LA. Conduction of electrical current to and through the homo body: a review. Eplasty. 2009;9:e44. Published 2009 October 12.

Kuphaldt,Tony R., Lessons In Electric Circuits -- Volume I - Chapter 3 - Electrical Condom. Copyright (C) 2000-2020, Revised November 06, 2021.

This article is accurate and truthful to the best of the author'due south noesis. Content is for informational or amusement purposes simply and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional person advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: When an atomic number 26 pole is wet, why doesn't the current flow through the water?

Answer: Current will flow through h2o, but simply if it completes a circuit. The amount of current that flows depends on the nature of the water. Deionised or distilled h2o has few ions, so the electric current volition be pocket-size. Ordinary tap water will conduct electricity because of dissolved chlorine, aluminum salts used for deflocculation, etc.

Question: I bought a new dishwasher with stainless steel door. The door shocked me. I hired an electrician, who tested the door as carrying 79 volts. He tightened the ground in my wall which reduced the door'southward voltage to 47. He tightened the footing in the dishwasher'southward junction box. Now information technology doesn't stupor me. I am concerned where the electricity is coming from to get to the dishwasher door. Is making the basis solid hiding a defect in the dishwasher?

Answer: I suggest you get some other electrician who can bargain with this floating ground situation. The ascension in voltage could exist due to any appliance with a alive to footing fault, and if the electrician disconnects appliances one by one, they may be able to identify which i is causing the trouble. The fault could too be acquired by a live to ground fault in side by side premises and this can be communicated to next buildings via connected water pipes. It would be interesting to know how the electrician measured the footing voltage. Did he measure out the voltage between ground and neutral? Or footing and the ground rod? Is in that location even a ground rod? Is information technology working properly? Is it connected? (one of the functions of the rod is to continue the touch voltage downwards to a safe level).

Question: I put together a treadmill, and there is a ground wire with a metal circumvolve on the end that I'one thousand supposed to put a screw through to attach to the frame of the treadmill. The problem is, at that place's no way I can get the screw screwed in. Would it be safe to but tape the ground wire metal part to the metal frame?

Answer: No, you'd demand a better, more reliable connection than that. You could drill a hole, sand off any paint to expose metal and use a self-taping screw with a washer. Alternatively, drill a larger pigsty and use a bolt with a nut and spring washer or lock nut.

Question: What is the symbol of ground wire?

Answer: A vertical line with three horizontal lines under it, successively decreasing in width.

Question: Where exercise I wire the globe on an RCD?

Answer: An RCD doesn't have an earth (basis) connection. It has an incoming alive and neutral pair and an approachable alive and neutral pair. If there'due south a departure betwixt the current flowing out the live and the neutral current returning, it will trip.

Older style ELCBs were voltage sensing devices that tripped when they detected unsafe voltages on earthed metalwork. If this voltage exceeded a set level wrt a remote reference earthed electrode, the device would trip.

RCDs used to exist called current-operated ELCBs which led to defoliation, hence the current name.

Question: Why is the voltage between Neutral and Ground more than 25VAC in the house we rent now?

Answer: The neutral and ground may non exist connected together in the firm. This would exist the instance if a TT grounding system is used. Also if the house is fed by a cable with metallic armor/conduit and there isn't continuity dorsum to the transformer, this could result in a difference in potential.

The safest thing to do is go an electrician to check out the state of affairs.

Question: What are the materials for ground Earth and neutral?

Answer: Various materials are used. Copper for conductors, galvanized steel or copper for rods, brass or nickel plated cable clamps.

Question: What is white wire?

Answer: It depends on the country. In the US and Canada, white or grey are used for neutral, just in Australia, white is used for phase 2 in a multiphase system or for "switched active".

In the U.s., white could likewise be used as a switched wire (e.yard. for lights) and sometimes blackness tape at the ends bespeak this. In any case, before someone attempts to modify wiring, they should ensure ability is switched off at the breaker console, plus double check with a neon tester that power is definitely off for the excursion.

This Wikipedia guide shows the colours used in each state:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring

Question: My footing terminals shows they got voltage, can I get a quick solution?

Answer: The all-time matter to practice is to get an electrician to suss out the situation. Floating grounds can be dangerous if the potential is at a dangerously loftier level compared to other metal appliances or services within touching altitude.

© 2013 Eugene Brennan

Cal Stowe from Houston, TX on August 12, 2019:

In my exterior principal breaker panel, the neutral double-decker is continued to:

1) the ground bus

2) earth electrode

3) conductor back to the transformer

4) 100 kva surge protector

This panel is connected to an inside panel with all the individual breakers.

The plumbing is continued to a separate earth electrode 4 feet abroad. Should the plumbing world electrode be connected to the power world electrode?

If they are dissever:

1) Pipe ground error voltage should exist relatively high, electric current low, and breaker may not trip due to high impedance from pipe earth electrode to transformer earth electrode.

2) A high voltage surge would create high potential between continued devices and plumbing faucets, etc. There would be no potential plumbing to floor.

3) A lightning ground strike would create some potential between the 2 world electrodes, and some potential between plumbing and floor due to voltage gradient.

4) Surge protector dump to globe volition induce little voltage on plumbing.

If the earth electrodes are connected:

1) In the outcome of a ground fault, voltage will be low, and current high through neutral back to transformer. Breaker volition trip.

2) A high voltage surge will non raise neutral and plumbing voltage?

3) A lightning footing strike will induce some voltage and current between the ground electrodes.

4) A surge protector dump to earth will induce some voltage on the plumbing?

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on March xviii, 2019:

Hi Jim, information technology sounds as though there'due south a hot to ground fault somewhere in the appliance. If you ground it by replacing the flex and plug, it would yet trip a GFCI unless the fault is sorted. Some other scenario with a three core grounded cord is that you could have a bootleg ground in one of your receptacles and if hot and neutral have been reversed, this would place live voltage on the casing of the apparatus.

Might be a skillful idea to accept it somewhere and become it checked. I don't give advice online on these matters considering something could be missed and there could be an unfortunate outcome!

Jim Grand on March 18, 2019:

Hello Eugene

I'm hoping that you can advise. I recently came into possession of an quondam flick projector from the 1940's. The projector is primarily made out of metal, has tubes, and a string with no ground prong.

I plugged in the projector and turned it in and success the lights came on. Merely and then I noticed a slight tingle when I touched the projector. Luckily I was wearing rubber soles. I opened up the projector and could not see any obvious wire touching the instance , etc. I got my multi meter and ran a wire to the house ground which is close to my work bench. With my meter connected to the house footing I would read 120v from multiple locations on the projector.

I'm basically at my limit of electric competence. Would replacing the power cord with a grounded cord solve my problem and brand the projector prophylactic to use.

Thank you for your advice.

Jim

Tyrone on September 11, 2017:

I take to say this is the best commodity on grounding I have plant on the net. Congratulations.

Eugene Brennan (writer) from Republic of ireland on September 11, 2017:

It depends on the grounding system Tyrone. If TT grounding/earthing is used, the bulk of the ground may have a large resistance and so current would be lower than that in the neutral in a fault situation (perchance bereft to trip an MCB, but when the installation is protected past a GFCI/RCD, this will trip). In a TN-S organisation, a large short circuit current will flow back via the separate footing to the supply transformer. In a TN-C system which has a common combined neutral/ground back to the transformer and appliance cases connected to neutral, a larger than normal electric current will menstruum on this conductor during a fault. A broken neutral conductor tin can cause a dangerous potential on the metalwork of appliances. A TN-CS organisation provides separate ground and neutral to appliances. If there's a mistake, a large electric current will menses through the equipment basis (protective earth) back to the panel. This volition be larger than the current flowing in the neutral core of the cable feeding the appliance, but will flow in the neutral conductor back to the transformer.

So information technology'due south actually only TT systems where the resistance is high. The actual footing wire from the appliance dorsum to the panel would have a low resistance.

Tyrone on September 11, 2017:

I'm thinking at that place wouldn't be much current travelling along the footing path because of the much college resistance compared to the neutral wire?

Eugene Brennan (author) from Republic of ireland on September 11, 2017:

A circuit is normally completed via neutral, merely if a hot to ground (live to earth) mistake occurs, there'due south also a parallel path for current to menstruum through via ground back to the transformer (and likewise the neutral conductor, if ground is connected to neutral at the console).

Tyrone on September 11, 2017:

In the event of a mistake it seems the circuit is not existence completed via ground but via the neutral wire. Therefore the grounding on both the transformer and residence are stand up lone and are only there to bring the neutral down to 0 volts?

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on August 28, 2017:

Hi Izhaan - This link shows the colours of earth wires in electrical installations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring#Co...

Earthing/grounding conductors may take a coloured sheath or exist bare without a sheath in fixed wiring cables. The earth usher in a flexible power cord supplying an appliance ordinarily has an insulating sheath. In socket and lighting outlets and electrical panels, blank world conductors are provided with a coloured sleeve to insulate them from inadvertent contact with alive/hot parts and also to identify the conductors.

If you lot are considering making whatsoever electrical modifications, I highly recommend you consult a qualified electrician. A elementary mistake tin prove fatal!

Izhaan on August 28, 2017:

Plz tell me

How can i identify earth wire in household excursion.?

Eugene Brennan (writer) from Ireland on May 21, 2017:

....the pilus drier'southward lead/cord/flex that is, not the dog'south. (Mayhap you should supercede the dog also.. LOL!)

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on May 21, 2017:

Hello Denise,

Possibly at that place is invisible damage, i.e. broken wires, in the flex from the dog stretching it. Sometimes if the stranded copper cores in a flex are broken, the wires can exist pulled until they snap and the lead then shortened. However the safest thing would exist to completely replace the lead.

Denise field on May 21, 2017:

Give thanks y'all so much Eugene. Youve actually put my heed at ease. Unfortunately the lead has been shortened and then no exposed wires!! But! It worked for about 1 minute then stopped. There was no smell indicating the motor burnet out no no bang no spark just stopped mayhap the plug is erstwhile what do you lot think obviously without seeing it. Just glad to know I'm non going to be shocked etc.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on May xix, 2017:

How-do-you-do Denise,

If the casing of the pilus drier is plastic, it doesn't need to be earthed. I presume you mean the copper of the wires was visible? If at that place are even so sections of the flex, after the plug was replaced, where the copper wires are exposed , the whole pb needs to exist replaced (or possibly shortened if the bad bit is near the plug end).

Denise field on May 19, 2017:

Okay here goes my hairdryer lead (flex) has been chewed in half then I gave it to my neighbor (yes I'm rubbish!!)

He put on a new plug, the other 1 was fixed on the lead. But said its not earthed it just has two wires which were visible cutesy of the dog!! These visible wires are copper im not going to get electrocuted am I?

Eugene Brennan (writer) from Ireland on April 10, 2017:

Hi Ned,

The globe wire doesn't deport a unsafe voltage (at to the lowest degree it shouldn't assuming the globe rod is working properly and the touch voltage is below safe levels during a error situation).

The covering on an world wire is used for identification but tin as well give the inner core some protection from damage. It too acts as insulation if for example the wire feeds into a socket outlet/light fitting. This prevents live parts/wires inadvertently touching the earth conductor when for instance socket plates are removed/replaced. Usually however live wires are insulated and live parts are shrouded, so this doesn't often happen.

I don't think it'south a major upshot if the cablevision insulation is split, in any case the pipes it connects to are uninsulated. I would be more than worried that the inner core has been damaged and strands broken from the cable being repeatedly bent during installation/maintenance work. It may accept just been chaffed when work was done, but information technology'due south no harm getting the cable checked by a qualified electrician.

Ned Tallyho on April 10, 2017:

The dark-green/yellowish (European union) cable connecting copper pipes nearly my gas combi banality is aptitude over to fit in just the bare wire

can be seen where the cable has split due to being bent. Is this dangerous and should I get it changed?

Eugene Brennan (author) from Republic of ireland on August 03, 2015:

The older fashion NEMA 1 -15 two pole socket was 15 amp rated and un-grounded. It is not permitted in new construction merely at that place are probably lots of these even so out there. If an appliance has a metal casing (e.grand. a metal kettle), it needs to be grounded. The exception is double insulated appliances which accept metal on their exterior merely are not grounded. This is because the metal is separated from the inner workings to the extent that it is highly unlikely to get "live". If a plug isn't moulded onto the flex, you lot can always cheque whether the appliance is grounded or not by opening information technology up to see if a green wire is continued to the ground pivot. Still this isn't a full guarantee, and I have come across appliances which were marked as double insulated and I recall should accept been grounded, but weren't during manufacture. Many appliances are un-grounded present only considering of their plastic construction.

Anyway, while a v -xv adaptor with the pin removed would fit into a 1 - 15 socket, you could finish up forgetting, and plugging an apparatus requiring a ground into it (or someone else not realising the alter could do so!). Also v - fifteen plugs or adaptors with the ground pin removed are unpolarized. And so hot and neutral going to an appliance could exist reversed if the adapter is inserted upside downwardly. This would issue in the switch in the appliance not shutting off power. And so if anyone does any maintenance on an appliance with the plug even so inserted into the wall, (and assumes the switch in the apparatus has cut the power) , they could be electrocuted. Information technology can exist very unsafe if lamps are wired incorrectly with the hot and neutral reversed because non simply does the switch in the cord non cutting the power, the outer screwed shell in the ES lamp holder as well go live and could possibly be inadvertently touched when screwing in a seedling.

Ideally you lot should get your sockets upgraded to iii pin grounded types. I know this can be a real pain considering new wiring with a ground conductor would have to be run dorsum to the fuse box, which isn't always possible and can result in unsightly surface wiring if hiding the wiring isn't possible. The next best alternative is to have the socket replaced past a 3 pin type protected by an integral GFCI.

If anyone's interested, this is the link to the Wikipedia folio with details of connectors:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector

NEC code 406.4(D)(two) covers replacement of ii pivot socket outlets

MG Seltzer from Southward Portland, Maine on August 02, 2015:

This topic was just on my mind as our GCFI outlet in the bathroom isn't working, which means that the 1 near the kitchen door has kicked itself off. I had simply been thinking, "I really need to understand how the current flows through the system." Also, years agone, a constractor told me the grounding plugs on adaptors were "useless," and could be pulled out with pliers to let a iii-prong plug fit a standard outlet. And I remember thinking, "Now is this truthful?" I am bookmarking this Hub because I encounter lots of good particular that I think will reply my questions. Voted thumbs upwards, of course.

Eugene Brennan (author) from Ireland on February 22, 2013:

Thanks for the comments! Yes bad or non existent grounds or missing globe electrodes tin cause all sorts of shocking experiences! Also relying on water pipes for earthing is a bad idea equally water supply authorities tin replace sections of metal pipe with plastic.

Judy Specht from California on February 22, 2013:

And so there is the electrical systems in former houses that tin give you a thrill. Dad was an electrical engineer and married man was an electronics tech in the Navy. This is a well written hub. Nice piece of work.

jonesandla1992.blogspot.com

Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/Waht-is-The-Ground-Wire-For

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