On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 12:11:54 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

On Friday, March 3, 2017 at 2:17:46 PM UTC-5, wrote:
I agree it's a violation but the hazard part would require a couple of other faults, wouldn't it?

Just one. An open EGC.


Well, here's my thought process, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you'd need two faults. You'd need an open EGC, I agree. But remember the way he's wiring it, the lamp current goes back to the neutral, only the timer current goes to ground. The timer only carries 5 mA, so it must be inherently high resistance. So in order for the ground to become hazardous, wouldn't the EGC AND the timer internal resistance have to both fail? What am I missing?
Nothing at all. Unless the timer fails there is barely enough
"leakage current" to trip a GFCI device, and in order for the ground
connections in the house to become "live" the bond between the neutral
bus and the ground bus would have to become open. Even a high
resistance fault on the bond would not cause a danger unless it was
high enough that it could not pass that 5ma of current. (it might take
3ma and leave the other 2ma on the line, depending on your resistance
to ground - think "voltage devider".)
Without a timer failure the most you would experience with a total
bonding failure is a solid tickle. I have actualy held the "neutral"
wire from one of those timers in my hand and touched ground without
feelng ANYTHING. (I know, no sense, no feeling).