Sorry, I just thought this was too important and posed such a hazard and safety risk, especially at this time of year when kids or grandkids may be visiting, I JUST HAD TO SAY SOMETHING.
Some lay or untrained gents or electrically challenged Billy Bob and Bubba types (Hopefully not trained professional electricians or engineers) may take an old two wire convenience outlet receptacle circuit (Hot and Neutral) and install a new 3 wire receptacle which has the safety Equipment Ground, Hot and Neutral...............
AND IN SO DOING THEY JUMP THE NEUTRAL TO THE GROUND ON THE RECEPTACLE (bootleg ground)
ITS MY TRAINED PROFESSIONAL (albeit old n rusty maybe wrong) OPINION THATS HAZARDOUS AND VIOLATES THE NEC
Why you ask?? Okay there are numerous reasons and explanations, but its impossible to list all here or what it takes books to explain in a few sentences and what a non electrical trained person may or my not understand, I just try my best.
HOWEVER consider this for a starter why you should NOT bootleg a ground.
If your little barefooted granddaughter were there would you open a receptacle and strip off the white insulation on the Neutral wire and tell her to touch it (its a live current carrying current conductor, its insulated for a reason you know) ????????????????????? PROBABLY NOT RIGHT????
Okay, the outer conductive metal case/shell on many household or shop tools and kitchen appliances or blenders or refrigerators etc. HAS THE SAFETY EQUIPMENMT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR BONDED TO THAT outer metal CASE/FRAME.
If you bond the Neutral to the Safety equipment Ground (like on the bootleg grounded 3 wire receptacle on a 2 wire circuit) YOU ARE DOING THE SAME THING TO YOUR LITTLE BAREFOOT GRANDDAUGHTER I ASKED ABOUT ABOVE. If she touches that kitchen tool or appliance its the same as if you stuck her finger on the white wire you stripped the insulation off and that's a live current carrying conductor.
If you place your body (especially from hand down to feet) in parallel with another live current carrying path, its possible for some current to flow through your ticker and as little as 30 milliamps can cause your heart to fibrillate and you wake up dead !!!!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOO if you wouldn't strip the insulation off the live current carrying white Neutral wire and tell you little barefooted granddaughter to touch it YOU MAY WANT TO THINK TWICE ABOUT WIRING A 3 WIRE RECEPTACLE TO AN OLD 2 WIRE CIRCUIT AND LETTING YOUR LITTLE BAREFOOT GRANDDAUGHTER TOUCH THAT TOOL OR KITCHEN APPLIANCE OT BLENDER OR TOASTER OR FRIDGE ETC.
NOTICE wire as yall please, its not my or my grandkids lives that are at risk, Im long retired and may be wrong as rain, Ive been wrong before. HOWEVER see what other more current in the trade professional electricians or engineers have to say maybe!!!! See if they don't agree the Neutral is a live current carrying insulated conductor intended for normal return current while the safety equipment grounding conductor (bare wire attached to appliances case) IS ONLY FOR FAULT CURRENT RETURN. See if they would strip the insulation off and let their kids touch the live wire????
Im NOT going to do that but yall feel free to do so or wire as you please.
YES Billy Bob, Im well aware in the old days some appliances like stoves or washers or dryers etc used the safety equipment ground for return 120 VAC current, but Im also aware many NEC changes or updates came about in order to save a life or prevent a fire. So again, Im not here to fight or tell you how to do things, Im here to help, take or leave it at your own risk or peril...If you think its safe to bootleg a ground or let the case/frame of an appliance you touch be bonded to the Neutral that's fine, do as you please if you thinks its safe and proper, I just happen to RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
Nuff said, I try my best
John T
Some lay or untrained gents or electrically challenged Billy Bob and Bubba types (Hopefully not trained professional electricians or engineers) may take an old two wire convenience outlet receptacle circuit (Hot and Neutral) and install a new 3 wire receptacle which has the safety Equipment Ground, Hot and Neutral...............
AND IN SO DOING THEY JUMP THE NEUTRAL TO THE GROUND ON THE RECEPTACLE (bootleg ground)
ITS MY TRAINED PROFESSIONAL (albeit old n rusty maybe wrong) OPINION THATS HAZARDOUS AND VIOLATES THE NEC
Why you ask?? Okay there are numerous reasons and explanations, but its impossible to list all here or what it takes books to explain in a few sentences and what a non electrical trained person may or my not understand, I just try my best.
HOWEVER consider this for a starter why you should NOT bootleg a ground.
If your little barefooted granddaughter were there would you open a receptacle and strip off the white insulation on the Neutral wire and tell her to touch it (its a live current carrying current conductor, its insulated for a reason you know) ????????????????????? PROBABLY NOT RIGHT????
Okay, the outer conductive metal case/shell on many household or shop tools and kitchen appliances or blenders or refrigerators etc. HAS THE SAFETY EQUIPMENMT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR BONDED TO THAT outer metal CASE/FRAME.
If you bond the Neutral to the Safety equipment Ground (like on the bootleg grounded 3 wire receptacle on a 2 wire circuit) YOU ARE DOING THE SAME THING TO YOUR LITTLE BAREFOOT GRANDDAUGHTER I ASKED ABOUT ABOVE. If she touches that kitchen tool or appliance its the same as if you stuck her finger on the white wire you stripped the insulation off and that's a live current carrying conductor.
If you place your body (especially from hand down to feet) in parallel with another live current carrying path, its possible for some current to flow through your ticker and as little as 30 milliamps can cause your heart to fibrillate and you wake up dead !!!!!!
SOOOOOOOOOOO if you wouldn't strip the insulation off the live current carrying white Neutral wire and tell you little barefooted granddaughter to touch it YOU MAY WANT TO THINK TWICE ABOUT WIRING A 3 WIRE RECEPTACLE TO AN OLD 2 WIRE CIRCUIT AND LETTING YOUR LITTLE BAREFOOT GRANDDAUGHTER TOUCH THAT TOOL OR KITCHEN APPLIANCE OT BLENDER OR TOASTER OR FRIDGE ETC.
NOTICE wire as yall please, its not my or my grandkids lives that are at risk, Im long retired and may be wrong as rain, Ive been wrong before. HOWEVER see what other more current in the trade professional electricians or engineers have to say maybe!!!! See if they don't agree the Neutral is a live current carrying insulated conductor intended for normal return current while the safety equipment grounding conductor (bare wire attached to appliances case) IS ONLY FOR FAULT CURRENT RETURN. See if they would strip the insulation off and let their kids touch the live wire????
Im NOT going to do that but yall feel free to do so or wire as you please.
YES Billy Bob, Im well aware in the old days some appliances like stoves or washers or dryers etc used the safety equipment ground for return 120 VAC current, but Im also aware many NEC changes or updates came about in order to save a life or prevent a fire. So again, Im not here to fight or tell you how to do things, Im here to help, take or leave it at your own risk or peril...If you think its safe to bootleg a ground or let the case/frame of an appliance you touch be bonded to the Neutral that's fine, do as you please if you thinks its safe and proper, I just happen to RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
Nuff said, I try my best
John T