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From: bobo@pecan15.cray.com (Bob Kierski)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Improper ground in house wiring?
Keywords: ground wire
Message-ID: <191028.28875@timbuk.cray.com>
Date: 11 Jan 91 01:33:38 GMT
References: <3667@ntmtv.UUCP>
Reply-To: bobo@pecan15.cray.com (Bob Kierski)
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Lines: 42


In article <3667@ntmtv.UUCP>, adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt) writes:
|> I just got one of those surge protection/EMI/RFI plugs to
|> plug a bunch of home entertainment system stuff into.
|> 
|> This do-hickey turns a standard dual 3-prong household outlet
|> into six surge-protected, EMI/RFI filtered 3-pronged plugs.
|> 
|> The unit has two LEDs on the top of it.  According to the
|> very brief description on the package, the red LED indicates
|> that surge protection is working and the green LED indicates
|> that the unit is properly grounded.
|> 
|> So, I go to plug it in and expect to see the green LED come
|> on and stay on, and the red one to flicker on once in a long
|> while to indicate surge supression.  Instead, as I plugged
|> it in, the red LED came on immediately and the green one
|> doesn't.  It stays this way whether I've got anything plugged
|> into the unit or not.
|> 
|> Now, either the red and green LEDs are reversed (not likely),
|> or the wiring in the apartment doesn't have the ground hooked
|> up properly (likely).  Does this mean I'm not going to get
|> surge protection?  RFI/EMI filtering?  What's a good test
|> to see what's going on with my power?  How do I test whether
|> ground is hooked up properly?  I've got a fairly good digital
|> multimeter...
|> 
|> -- 
|> 
|> Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
|> UUCP: {amdahl|ames|hplabs}!ntmtv!adrian
|> ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov


Radio Shack has a little polarity checker.  It's a three prong thing,
with 3 leds on it.  If everything is wired corectly the two leds on one
side light up.  It costs about $3.
--


Have a day,