While it is true that the white wire does connect to ground at the service entrance, that wire should not be considered a ground because it is a current carrying conductor. Figure the voltage drop in one ohm of wire carrying 15 amps - that will produce 15 volts - and that voltage is what makes the white wire 'not a ground'. Additionally, if the white conductor should open at some point between your connection point and the service panel, it can become 'hot' with full line voltage on it. With the sloppy way I have seen some electrical connections done, the possibility of an open circuit is quite high.
Re-wiring your home may not be practical at this point (but it would be a wise step), but it would be practical to run a wire from critical places such as the ham shack or the workbench area to the service entrance ground as an added safety ground wire. If you use a separate ground for the shack, that ground should also connect back to the utility service entrance (connect your added safety ground wire to the shack ground). Remember that your safety is at stake anytime you plug an appliance with a 3 prong plug into one of your ungrounded sockets. There is no protection if the appliance should develop an internal fault. 73, Don W3FPR > -----Original Message----- > > My house was built in 1978 before my area was annexed 5 years > ago. Bottom > line- No inspectors, no city code, I've got 3-wire plugs and > 2-wire wiring > on every plug I've checked. > > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
