I have a source for an overhead light with a Pos. and Neg. lead, but I don't see a ground - just a 1/4" adjustable metal finger for canopy. I would have to tear out the ceiling to see any further into the wiring arrangement.
2006-10-25 01:32:18 · 5 answers · asked by zim 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
omg... per code you dontneccesarily need a 3rd wire at the device for a GROUNDING conductor... YOUR GROUNDED wire is actually the white or nuetral... the metal box should be grounded either with a 3rd wire or with ac metallic cable... which uses the metal cable outer covering as a grounding source...
TO VERIFY this take an volt meter... put it on 110 volts ac, with one lead going to the hot or black wire feed,,,, and the OTHER meter lead put on the metalbox.... if it reads 100 volts then the box is a grounding conductor
2006-10-25 11:02:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Grounded has many meanings, but for electrical it means the device has a physical wire connecting it to the metal case of the fuse/power panel, where the circuit breakers are.
On a typical wall electrical outlet there are 3 holes or connections. One is the hot one, usually the smaller of the two vertical slit. The other vertical slit is suppose to be ground, but this is for power, not safty. The near round hole is the safty ground. Most TVs do not have this safty ground for their enclosures are made of plastic, non condutctive, and great care was made to insure you do not come in contact with any electical wiring or components so a safty ground is not needed. Not so in your computer, toaster, refrig, stove, etc so they have the 3rd electrical prong for safty.
If your divice has this 3rd near round prong (pin) then it was manufactured with the safty ground and is grounded when plugged in.
There are a few items to be concerned with. Was the wall outlet wired correctly??? This is one reason for inspections and permits when installing the wiring. To make sure you can get at Radio Shack an outlet tester, $7, which tells if the outlet was wired correctly, all 3 of the right wires were connected to the right terminals on the outlet. Has LEDs for indicators. Inspectors use a similar one.
To check if a piece of equipment is really grounded you need a Ohm meter which measures the resistance between 2 points. These can be had for $10 and also includes a volt and amp meter. The volt meter is useful for checking wall outlets and if you are getting the proper voltage, 120 V, from the power company.
The method for checking the ground is to place one lead of the Ohm meter on an exposed metal part of the device and the other lead onto the 3rd prong of the power plug that mates to the wall outlet.
Keep in mind the electrical outlet does not offer a lot in the way of lightning. The 3rd prong is to help prevent you being shocked in the event the equipment develops an internal power short. The 3rd prong is good for some lighting protection and is used by lightning protectors/surge protectors and do work well.
ron in Tampa Bay, FL
2006-10-25 01:58:11 · answer #2 · answered by lt_wright_flg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at the incoming power line to the light. You say you have a Pos. and Neg. lead-in ----- no bare copper wire also?? You may not have a ground with-out this bare ground wire being connected to the light frame . One quick way to find out(don"t do this-if you are not "sure" of yourself) is to turn off power first -- then take the wirenut off the white wire inside the light fixture --put this wirenut on the white feed-in wire just for a little safety--take the white wire from the light fixture itself and with power turned back on --carefully touch the bare end to the light frame. If you have a "ground" then the light bulb will come on as you touch the white wire to the frame. This is a quick way to find out and you don"t need a test meter or any other tools perhaps, except a step-ladder.Like I said--- don"t do this unless you are "familiar" working with electricity-- it scares many people--even to watch.
2006-10-25 03:13:27 · answer #3 · answered by Spock 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If there is no third wire or steel jacketing around the wires, it is NOT grounded.
2006-10-25 01:37:21 · answer #4 · answered by Ralph 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try to measure the current between you phases and the supposed ground... if you have discharge means it's grounded...
2006-10-25 01:35:20 · answer #5 · answered by ╠╬╣ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋