[Amps] Question about safety ground connection

[Will Matney]

Mike,

Although it's not mandatory, it a real good thing to do. When I worked as an industrial electrician, a lot of times we had to work on live circuits as the main just could not be shut off over shutting the plant down, or a whole operation. I burnt up a few pairs of dikes over someone using a white as a hot, then I cut into them. Also, it would be easy for someone to be leaning against a grounded enclosure, and tip a white wire that's hot, thinking it's a neutral thus getting electrocuted. Really dangerous! I always carried a wiggy and checked the wires, but somethimes I have forgot too.

Best,

Will

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 11/15/05 at 9:02 PM Mike McCarthy, W1NR wrote:

>And many electricians will mark those "hot" white wires with a couple of
>black stripes with a magic marker.
>
>Mike, W1NR
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: amps-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com] On
>Behalf Of Gudguyham at aol.com
>Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 8:25 PM
>To: craxd1 at verizon.net; amps at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [Amps] Question about safety ground connection
>
> 
>In a message dated 11/15/2005 1:20:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>craxd1 at verizon.net writes:
>
>I always  want to know a neutral isn't hot unless it's going to a switch
>leg
>which I  think is the only NEC exception to the  rule.
>
>Best,
>
>Will
>
>
>
>If a "white" wire is hot, it is not a neutral.  So a neutral is never  hot
>unless there is a fault.
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