> -----Original Message-----
> From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> Jim Brown
> Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 8:30 PM
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Challenging Grounding/Bonding Situation ?
>
> On Fri,9/12/2014 6:00 PM, Bill Turner wrote:
> > Imagine something like a washing machine where the neutral is
> > connected to the frame and down the line the neutral opens up. Now the
> > frame has the full "hot" voltage on it. The next person to do a load
> > will be lucky if they live.
>
> But that's a false argument, Bill, because, as you noted, it is illegal
> to use the green wire to carry load current, and it's illegal to connect
> neutral to ground at any point but the service entrance. And also
> because all wiring within my buildings, and in the similar system I
> described to Shawn, DOES include both neutral and ground conductors.
> I've been through that in both of my buildings, making sure that there
> are no such improperly connected loads.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
Jim,
Very important as to not mislead someone on this.
If you have only a 3 wire feed system from your house to garage then you
have to have that feed neutral wire bonded to the panel at both the house
and at the garage. If you do not have it bonded to the panel at the garage
then there is no path for a breaker to trip if there should be a fault of
hot to ground on any appliance like Bill described.
Earth is not a good enough conductor to trip a breaker. The ground path
(green wire) must be connected to neutral for a breaker to trip.
With a 4 wire feed system the neutral is left unbonded in the sub panel
(garage) and the path back to neutral for the green wire is thru the 4the
wire (ground wire) in the feed cable which is bonded to neutral in the main
entrance panel at the house.
73
Gary K4FMX
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