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From: news@rlvd.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Neutral-Ground Shorts
Message-ID: <467@rlvd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Jun-87 04:38:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: rlvd.467
Posted: Fri Jun 12 04:38:58 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jun-87 01:04:29 EDT
References: <820@sdcc12.ucsd.EDU> <583@inuxh.UUCP>
Reply-To: mjl@pyr-a.UUCP (Martin Loach)
Organization: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, United Kingdom
Lines: 27

In article <583@inuxh.UUCP> rmrin@inuxh.UUCP (D Rickert) writes:
>
>Neutral and ground should be tied together.  Look out for the outlets
>in which it isn't.  

Neutral and ground should NEVER be tied together. Ask yourself what is the
point of having seperate lines if you are going to join them
together. The reasons for keeping them separate are to do with the
safety of the earth protection in the event of a Neutral fault. 

The short is liable to cause problems since there will be earth currents
as the result, since Neutral is (almost)never at zero potential.

Disclaimer- My experience relates to UK practice but I cannot imagine
any reason why the US should be different. However if you dont know this
problem in detail then I suggest you should seek expert advice before
altering anything.



Martin Loach                             UK JANET:       mjl@uk.ac.rl.pyr-a
ECF User Support, Informatics Division   Amateur Radio:  G8UDJ
Rutherford Appleton Labs
Chilton                      
Didcot
Oxon                          Why am I here?
OX11 0QX                      I should have stuck to being a lumberjack.