Electrical Wiring Safety: Grounding Wires

[@leroygreen1877]

Neutral feeds back to the electric pole ground, and true ground is a rod that's 8 ft deep for faults only or lightning strikes. Main panels do combine them this is true but no current should be on the ground circuit except for faults!

[@murraysegrest5148]

All this hullabaloo over ground and neutral is a tempest in a teapot! Years ago, there were only three wires; two "hots" and a neutral. The neutral was referred to as "ground" and is, in fact, today still the grounded element of the system. You can verify this by examining the wiring of a meter base, where you will see a 6 gauge bare copper wire connected directly to the neutral and running straight to the ground rod below. The "third wire" (bare copper), found today in Romex house wire, was added for the sole purpose of providing an alternate path to ground in the event of a hot-to-chassis fault which would energize the chassis of an appliance or the metal case of a hand-held power tool. Such a fault condition would not trip a breaker or blow a fuse, but would result in a shock to the user if the user's body happened to be grounded. With the third wire connected from chassis to ground, a hot-to-chassis fault will now trip a breaker or blow a fuse, thereby protecting the user from possible electrocution. And yes, in that brief instant between the occurance of the fault and the opening of the circuit by a breaker or fuse, the ground wire will carry current. This assumes that everything is wired properly and securely. At the very least, the third wire should conduct the hazardous voltage to ground. In this instance it will likewise carry current. ANY wire of an energized system has the potential to be "hot" under the right (or wrong) circumstances.

[@TheTheo58]

I remember years ago this was the case with major appliances requiring 240V clothes dryers and electric stoves. The three conductors black,red and white it was common the neutral wire was bounded to the cabinet of the appliance, as a ground. However it was still a return point since stoves and dryers used 120V one side of the 240V for the motors, indicators. I am not certain when the codes changed, however I know it is required that a four prong cord get and receptacle be installed or doing an update with a completely separate ground connector.

[@ll1881ll]

“Ground” faults ( the green or bare wire ) return the current to the ground wire in the TRANSFORMER , not the earth. The earth ground rod is for lighting strikes

[@mattywho8485]

Exactly !

[@brianharmeson3144]

The ground is NOT where fault current is trying to go. The ground is actually a horrible conductor of electricity. This video is not accurate at all.

[@johngmc65]

It would become an anode at the least resistance would vary according to the mineral density and moister content. Back in the day a long long time ago they had the one wire and ground rod system which will light a bulb but won't power an electric motor or most devices. ( I know about the light bulb thing because I've seen it work in real life in old barns.

[@TomKaren94]

Brian: True. The way it is normally said is that electricity tries to get back to where it came from.

[@neidigpaul]

Brian Hammerson yes people conflate "the ground wire" with the ground rod. (& who can blame them...) what most people call the "ground wire" is actually a secondary, normaly unused, low resistance wire back to the main breaker panel in the event of a short to (hopfuly) trip the breaker before someone gets a shock. In comparison the GROUND ROD is for "over voltage" equipment protection. (i.e. Lightning strikes)

[@2Truth4Liberty]

Agreed. 0:31 "the ground has infinite capacity for absorbing electricity" = Not True Earth Ground will often not allow high amperage flow which is needed for not only running equipment but for causing breakers to be thrown for safety. Mike Holt does lots of good videos on this subject (grounding/bonding) This is why it is important that the power company provide a neutral wire (a line going back to the source is what provides high capacity for electricity path(absorption). (high amperage flow) The ground is useful in case of equipment shorting to its outer casing so that whoever is holding/touching the casing does not become the path of least resistance. That ground may not be able to allow enough amperage to run the equipment but it is more than enough to electrocute a person. Relying on the ground wire alone in case of an equipment short is not good (though better than having no ground at all). GFCI should always be installed so that the danger can be eliminated (power cut) rather than just rerouted (ground). It because the Earth Ground does not provide infinite capacity for absorption of electricity that makes GFCI more critical because less absorption can make your body look like a good path to flow into.

[@Enlightenment909]

I thank each and everyone of you for these comments, this uncomplicates a lot.

[@dewaynefanchier6302]

You need to learn the difference between the "Ground" & "Grounded" conductors! There should NEVER be current flowing through the ground!! The neutral/grounded conductor is load carrying conductor. The Ground is for safety......

[@concerned_2023]

Copper wire going to earth is not a fault ground but is there in event of system intrusion or failure. Under normal operations there should be no energy on the ground. White (neutral) is to provide a path back to the source. Energy will flow on all paths not just the one with the least resistance. Plenty of engineers on KZbin to explain it all factually.

[@ElaBueLoRocKnRoll]

who wired that service panel? looks awful.

[@cooldog60]

So does this mean you can connect the ground wire to the neutral or ground in the panel?

[@coypatton3160]

cooldog60 that is called bonded or bonding. It is by NEC code for a panel to have grounds and neutrals bonded if it is a main panel vs a sub-panel. However, ground rod(s) should still be installed for the panel.

[@alexmontoya656]

@@coypatton3160 so was tht a yes or no dude simole question you made hard

[@coypatton3160]

@@alexmontoya656 if you can’t handle that response, be sure to leave the covers in the panel!

[@alexmontoya656]

For instance does it matter what sides i connect red and black wires for my double prunged breaker I cant find an answer anywhere

[@coypatton3160]

@@alexmontoya656 and what does this question you pose have to do with bonding or not the neutral or ground? Answer:nothing! Are you talking about running a 240 volt circuit? You need to have a 240 breaker, which means that both hot lines will have the same amperage, and either the switches are bridge so that both sides trip when one does, or it has only 1 switch (either style is acceptable) the 240 volt breaker also forces the breaker to pull from the opposite feeds to the panel so you have 240 volts. Once these are in place it does not matter if the black is on top or bottom nor if the red is on too or bottom. Unfortunately, in electrical work, there are no simple yes or no answers. As to the above bonding issue you only bond in the main panel. In sub-panels ground and neutral must be separated-unbonded! So the typical answer is always it depends. If I said it depends and left it there, how would you have felt? I try to offer an explanation. Again not understanding that you have 2 feeds providing 120 volts and you need to pull from each for 240 volts, means you really need to leave the cover on the panel!

[@bebo5558]

You should not use a grounded drill to illustrate a ungrouded shock hazard. I can see the ground wire and screw in that Milwaukee drill!

[@heroknaderi]

Very informeded

[@jamesipad204]

There is grounding, and then there is bonding.....

[@2Truth4Liberty]

Yep, and both are critical. As is having GFCI protection on every circuit.

[@paulc7973]

You ste wrong. The ground does not have an infinite capacity to absorb power

[@RichardFallstich]

Looks like not too many people like this. What do you want, they sell kitchen cabinets online.

[@thoseradstars]

This video was originally made by Home Depot and sold to RTA Cabinet Store. They didn't actually make these videos. If you have an issue with the information, Home Depot is where the information originated from.

[@lionman5577]

Does not look right. The true neutral goes back to the power source or transformer. Any fault current goes through ground

[@oscaris1ru12]

only half right, the techniques for achieving working grounds is not so easy to understand as presented here.

[@1gumbah]

Better get your story straight before your sued neutral goes back to neutral not ground! Ground is for catastrophic overloads such as logjtninh

[@brentwilliams191]

What a lot of bull.....who checks the video's for correct info. Brent (New Zealand with real 230 Volts AC 50HZ)

[@anthonyhitchings1051]

you misrepresent the current path

[@liberalparty2579]

Ground concept is only a psychological, additional expense and no sense , appliance works without it.

[@gregberban9273]

Older houses buildings , electric installations only had 3-wire systems , only 120v appliances had a ground an neutral , 240v appliances only had ground , things worked great an are still working great for years , now arc-fault , gfci breakers , tamper proof receptacles, weather resistant receptacles .

[@coypatton3160]

You folks reference things from the 60’s and before. If you like things they way they were in the 60’s please enjoy them, but leave all the other modern items here in 2019! I mean really do you use s ringer washer? Drive a car with 3 on the column? Hang your clothes outside to dry? Your wife stays home and you live on one income? If not and you have no plans to do these and hundreds of others, then accept that nothing stays the same and you really do not want them to stay the same!

[@markforrestsr2242]

Were it not there???? Stop preforming and just talk! ( best advice you'll get

[@DavidFRhodes]

this video is so wrong. it should be taken down as unsafe

[@2Truth4Liberty]

It's wrong about how the electricity works but the practical use warnings are still valid. That is, grounded outlets and equipment are going to be safer than non-grounded.

[@coypatton3160]

It also provides a lot of misinformation. It interchangeably uses ground for what the grounded conductor (NEC Term) performs. It states a ground had infinite capacity to conduct electricity-wonder why there are so many different gauges of wire then? Should I continue anyone?

[@AlexC80]

Annoying loud music

[@RingZero]

Sorry..... female voice and electrical topics don't go together

[@thoseradstars]

These videos were made by Home Depot and had a man's voice originally. The video content was made by Home Depot and sold to RTA Cabinet Store. I know because I'm the one who did the voiceovers. I copied exactly what the man in the video said, word for word, and said it myself (as my client did not have the rights to the sound in the video). So when you have an issue with the information presented, you have a problem with information originally presented by a man and made by Home Depot, a hardware store that is highly successful.

[@shofar-man]

@@thoseradstars It's not your fault but it is incorrect. Electricity flows only back to the source which is L1, L2 or the grounded neutral to the center tap of the pole transformer for a home. Home Depot may be successful but that doesn't make it right. Plus electricity takes all paths back to the source not just the easiest. The easiest (lowest resistance) path will of course have the most current.

[@tedlahm5740]

Ed Taylor Most everyone gets volts and amps mixed up. Electricity does not flow back. Electrons (in amps) do flow back in order to balance the ckt. Thank you for the info.

[@lanebostic8715]

You are way wrong. Take mike holts. theory of Electricity. Stop giving people the wrong information.