Timeline for Can I connect ground to neutral in a 3 wire outlet?

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Mar 20, 2016 at 21:26	history	edited	Pigrew	CC BY-SA 3.0	added 11 characters in body
Nov 16, 2015 at 18:30	comment	added	ArchonOSX		I think what you are saying is that the breaker can't detect a ground fault at the same level that a GFCI can (4-6ma) and that is true. They do detect ground faults, short circuits, and overloads at their setting level but at that level a human would be dead.
Nov 16, 2015 at 18:07	comment	added	Pigrew		@ArchonOSX, I agree, though it should be noted that normal circuit breakers do NOT detect the ground fault current (in the case that the neutral and chassis are shorted). An AFCI or GFCI circuit breaker is required to detect that sort of fault, but it would never be able to be detected (even with a GFCI/AFCI) in the presence of a bootleg ground.
Nov 16, 2015 at 0:10	comment	added	ArchonOSX		Pigrew is essentially correct with an exception. The reason for the separation of the equipment ground and the neutral is that current flows on the neutral during normal circuit operation and you don't want current flowing on the equipment ground while equipment is plugged in. The ONLY time current should flow in any quantity on the ground is when there is a ground fault in the equipment. And this is intended to cause the circuit breaker to trip or fuse to blow.
Aug 22, 2013 at 4:24	history	answered	Pigrew	CC BY-SA 3.0