Timeline for Why does this receptacle have the ground tied to the neutral?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
12 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Sep 15, 2012 at 2:16 | comment | added | bcworkz | Everyone is quick to point how stupid the setup that is shown in the photo is, and rightfully so. Then we go on to explain why it's stupid. Good info. But we haven't really answered the question directly. Jay Bazuzi hit on the answer in the first comment: one should bond neutral to ground at the service entrance. That is the one correct answer to the question. Everything else is supportive information. | |
| Jan 15, 2012 at 17:32 | comment | added | Steven | Do other outlets in your house test the same way? It might be a problem with that one circuit of part thereof, or it might be a larger issue. | |
| Jan 15, 2012 at 17:22 | comment | added | Scott Stafford | I put in a new 3 prong outlet and wired it "normally". I tested it with a cheap plug-in tester and it shows an "open ground". The house is old - I guess this outlet branches off a 2-conductor line and the ground is dangling on the other side? | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 23:00 | comment | added | shirlock homes | I hope Scott let's us know what he finds. Lots of possibilities on this one guys. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 14:40 | comment | added | Steven | My bet is that someone just didn't know what they are doing. Using the push in connector in conjunction with the screw terminal is a bit odd IMO. Either that or the neutral is open. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 11:36 | comment | added | BMitch | I've seen it done when the home was built without a ground line in the electrical system (1950's). It's not right, but it would pass the little plug-in tester. However, the ground wire going back into the wall makes me think this isn't the case and the others are on the right track with the broken ground or neutral suspicion. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 10:49 | comment | added | shirlock homes | Steven's answer is good advise. Check out other outlets for the same condition. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 10:47 | comment | added | shirlock homes | Greg is right, this may be a sign that the neutral is not good all the way back to the panel and the ground was used to complete the circuit. Or maybe the installer just made a mistake. Pull the neutral to ground wire and check for proper voltages. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 6:52 | comment | added | gregmac | Be sure to check that both ground and neutral are okay. I would really want to find the other end of this wire to see how it's connected, as this looks very strange. I can't think of a reason to do this (considering there are no downstream circuits) aside from maybe a broken wire? If this is done this way, there are likely other strange/wrong things and so you should not make any assumptions about anything you're working on. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 4:05 | history | edited | Steven | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
clarified outlet tester limitations
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| Jan 10, 2012 at 4:01 | comment | added | Jay Bazuzi | Those little testers are great, but I don't think they can detect this condition. Note that the testers don't detect neutral & ground reversed. Consider that neutral and ground are bonded at the main panel. | |
| Jan 10, 2012 at 3:52 | history | answered | Steven | CC BY-SA 3.0 |