Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!src.honeywell.com!msi.umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!kksys!com50!dayton!jad From: jad@dayton.UUCP (J. Deters) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: ANOTHER house wiring question (this one's basic) Keywords: DANGER! Message-ID: <7645@dayton.UUCP> Date: 16 Jan 91 19:24:38 GMT References: <1948@umriscc.isc.umr.edu> Reply-To: jad@dayton.DHDSC.MN.ORG (J. Deters) Organization: Department Store Division of DHC Lines: 45 [ Uh oh, here we go again! It's my turn, guys, I saw it first! ] DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER. This idea seems to make it around sci.electronics at least once a year or so. +------------------------+ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> | NEUTRAL IS NOT GROUND! | <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< +------------------------+ > Article <1948@umriscc.isc.umr.edu> From: robf@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (Rob Fugina) >In article mrapple@quack.sac.ca.us (Nick Sayer) writes: >>Now ground and neutral clearly are not the same thing. I would >>expect negative side effects were I foolish enough to hook >>a light bulb between hot and ground. [It will work, but you don't want to run it this way] >Ground and neutral are exactly the same thing. If you were to trace the >wires back to your breaker box, you would find bare wires (ground) and white >wires (neutral) both connected to a grounding strip. Neutral exists as a return path for the current. It is an active part of the current flow. Ground, on the other hand, is there for safety. You should never (NEVER) use ground as a designated return path for the current. Ground exists (for among many other reasons) so that if a device's insulation fails, there is a safe path for current to return so that the fuse or circuit breaker can trip. You wouldn't want that return path to be you... >MY QUESTION is, if you don't have 3-wire connections in your house, why >can't you connect the white wire to the ground lug and conuit/boxes, etc??? Have you ever disconnected a piece of conduit that was acting as neutral, or even touched one while standing on a wet concrete floor? It's unpleasant, to say the least, and it surprises the hell out of you! -j -- J. Deters INTERNET: jad@dayton.DHDSC.MN.ORG We've changed our location, and UUCP: ...!bungia!dayton!jad we are now in our new lab. Please ICBM: 44^58'36"N by 93^16'14"W <-- update your target list accordingly.