DIYbanter - View Single Post - Ungrounded GFCI with ground jumpered to neutral

Jeff Wisnia

wrote:
Pop` wrote:

Neutral and Ground are NEVER to meet except back at the breaker panel! I'd
also have to report him to the BBB if it happened to me, and possibly the
licensing board if he got snotty about it. In particular, the inspector
should be alerted to the situation when he comes. You WILL be getting an
inspection, right? From the sound of it, it might be important for you to
have one in case you were trying to skip out of it.

I understand that in a grounded system, having multiple links between
ground and neutral is a big no-no. But in this ungrounded scenario the
right thing is less obvious to me. We do intend to get the inspection.
But calling the city first sounds like a good idea.

-- Dave

Assuming the GFCI's never "wear out" and cease performing as they
should, I can't think of a scenario in which connecting the ground to
neutral would vreate a hazard.

But it could create bothersome tripping of the GFCI because modern ones
will sense nuetral to ground leakage. So, say you have a three wire
corded device plugged into one of those outlets with the metal case of
the device connected to the ground pin of the plug. If a leakage is
created between that device's case and ground, the GFCI will trip, which
wouldn't happen if the guy hadn't wired the ground to neutral.

The only hazard I can envision is if the GFCI were to become inoperative
and also the neutral wire feeding the GFCI were to open. Then, the case
of a three wire corded device could rise to line voltage through the
resistance of whatever load is inside the device, admittedly a long
shot, but overall, I still think your guy shouldn't have connected the
ground to neutral, and installed those "ungrounded" labels.

I can't recall seeing a GFCI receptical without ground pin holes, but
maybe they are made for installations such as yours, so there's no
misleading "ground" pin hole on the receptical.

Please keep us updated as events with "the law" unfold.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.