# Electrical tricks?!



## Smileyboy (Apr 24, 2007)

So I had a job to ground the outlets in a home. Except they all appeared to be grounded according to my plug tester. I take it apart and noticed a wire going from neutral to ground.....

I didn't know the tester could be tricked that way. What's the safety issue with that. I know it's not right, but that's about it. 

What other illegal tricks like that are there?


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## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

Smileyboy said:


> What's the safety issue with that.


If the conditions are right........death.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Smileyboy said:


> ..........What other illegal tricks like that are there?


I don't think the innernets has enough bandwidth to list them all. :no:


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Have you not been following Clitis?


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

How would a tester know the difference between a ground and a neutral?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

They are bonded so they don't know the difference. .


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

freeagnt54 said:


> How would a tester know the difference between a ground and a neutral?


They don't know the difference and that is why it will get by most inspectors.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

It's called a Boot Leg and there are testers that will show you. I Have an older Sure Test 101 (I think) and it works great. Also tells you a GFI trip level.
Them cheap 3 light testers are useless.

The one on the left looks like mine.


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## french connection!! (Dec 13, 2007)

Wirenuting said:


> It's called a Boot Leg and there are testers that will show you. I Have an older Sure Test 101 (I think) and it works great. Also tells you a GFI trip level.
> Them cheap 3 light testers are useless.
> 
> The one on the left looks like mine.


wire a receptacle neutral to neutral , phase to ground screw and phase to phase screw and then try your testers and let us know which one you trust , thanks .


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

3xdad said:


> If the conditions are right........death.


What would these conditions be??


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> What would these conditions be??


 If your neutral opens, you get line voltage on every grounded part and no way to clear the fault.

-John


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Big John said:


> If your neutral opens, you get line voltage on every grounded part and no way to clear the fault *Providing there is also a fault from the line side to the frame of the device or appliance...*
> 
> -John


Fixed it for you John.:thumbsup:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I bet it was part of a fix up for a home inspection.... or someone started messing in a home that had KandT and didnt know how to fix the problem...


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Big John said:


> If your neutral opens, you get line voltage on every grounded part and* you may well become the path of least resistance for current to flow by plugging in something with a grounding connection in the cord.*
> -John


More better. :thumbsup:


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

^^^^ To what 480 corrected above, I'd like to add one often-forgotten rule:

Electricity _*WILL*_ follow _*ALL*_ paths back to its source, with the voltage and current dividing up according to Ohm's Law.

So even with a good neutral, it is _*possible*_ to get a shock from the potential differences between neutral and ground at any given point in the system, with the potential gradient being higher the further from the neutral/ground bonding point.


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Big John said:


> If your neutral opens, you get line voltage on every grounded part and no way to clear the fault.
> 
> -John


Plus, if you're working in a basement and handling that uninsulated copper water pipe, you will become a parallel path for current returning to it's source. :thumbsup:


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