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Incorrect Repairs That Create Home Electrical Hazards
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Make Sure to Avoid Creating This Dangerous Electrical Shock Hazard in Your Home – The ground wire is intended to be a non-current carrying conductor for the purpose of providing a bonded path to ground to help prevent damage to electrical equipment and to work with ground fault devices to aid in preventing electrical shock in the event of an electrical short or current to ground condition. |
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Avoid Creating This Electrical Shock Hazard in Your Home
Electrical Question: I have and outlet with a broken neutral somewhere in the ceiling.
- I wired the ground wire to the neutral side of the outlet and it works.
- I get 120 volts.
- What are the dangers of this.
Background: John, a Homeowner from Nampa, Idaho
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question John.
Make Sure to Avoid Creating This Dangerous Electrical Shock Hazard in Your Home
You should NEVER connect a ground wire in place of a neutral.
This is an extremely dangerous alteration of your home electrical wiring, here is why:
- The ground wire is intended to be a non-current carrying conductor for the purpose of providing a bonded path to ground to help prevent damage to electrical equipment and to work with ground fault devices to aid in preventing electrical shock in the event of an electrical short or current to ground condition.
- By incorrectly using the ground wire as a neutral wire you are placing voltage onto the entire ground system thereby energizing all the normally grounded components of any electrical device which is connected to the bonded ground system of the entire home.
- Therefore, when any electrical device is plugged into this outlet which you have incorrectly wired, and return path voltage is produced back into the ground conductor, you are then creating a lethal electrical shock hazard throughout the entire home ground system.
- Lethal electrical shock hazards will then be created in areas such as the bathroom bathtub or shower, any sink and anywhere that a person comes into contact with the energized ground system and a less resistant path to ground.
- This condition also has the potential to harm any electronic device or equipment that is connected anywhere in the home.
To summarize, by altering your electrical wiring in this manner you have created an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION!
My advise is to immediately disconnect the incorrect wiring hazard that you have created and correctly proceed with whatever method that is necessary to repair the fault with the neutral wire.
More about Wiring Outlets and Grounding Electrical Circuits
Electrical Outlet Wiring
Wiring Electrical Outlets for the Home
Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done.
Electrical Grounding Methods and Requirements
Listing of electrical codes for grounding with examples of electrical grounding codes for home electrical wiring.
Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all projects.
