"Franc Zabkar" wrote in message
...

| AFAICS, the OP is not stupid, only ignorant of this particular
| subject. IMO the question was a fair one that deserved an explanation
| a little less condescending than "don't do it because it's not safe".
| In fact, I'm betting that the majority of electricians don't
| understand why they do things a certain way, they just blindly follow
| rules.

Fortunately that works well. At one time during training they did understand
the reasons, and most do now, but as long as they follow the rules all will
work out well. In really unusual cases, the local inspector is the best
resource to ask for any needed variation, or an electrical engineer can be
hired.

I do understand the reasons to this day, but it's a long winded step by step
explanation and the previously given PDF goes into it in detail.

That rule is just one of many, MANY rules. Each has it's purpose and, while
I consider myself to be as smart as any electrician, I have no problem doing
the work to code.

BTW, I recall a case in which a bunch of farmers, a VERY long way away from
an electrical service, got permission to run electricity to their farms
using a single strand of fencing wire (carrying 11 KV) on the top of a
series of poles, and using the earth itself as the return wire. Believe me
there were some very careful considerations made before allowing this, but
it did work out OK in the end.

N