Why is a false ground unsafe at a three-wire (grounded) receptacle outlet?
The grounding prong of a grounded receptacle outlet should be connected to a separate grounding conductor or grounded raceway system. Explanation: Sometimes this situation is found when a grounded receptacle is installed in an ungrounded two-wire system. When a false ground (a jumper from the neutral to the ground terminal at an outlet) is made, the grounding prong becomes a parallel path with the neutral. The grounding conductor of the appliance cord is connected to the metal frame of the appliance, which lays out the path from the grounded prong through the cord to the frame. The metal frame becomes a parallel path with the neutral. Any contact between the frame of the appliance and a grounded object can result in current flow. If the contact point is a person, then there is potential for fatal shock. Q. Why is it dangerous to use a Nonmetallic-Sheathed cable (NM) grounding conductor as a neutral? Answer: Using the grounding conductor as the neutral creates an ungrounded circuit. The
