Weekend Electrician Question: Is this kosher?

Factual Questions
21

Thanks for the helpful replies QED, Mort Furd, and billy. I need to do some more reading on that ground loop link, but I’ve only had time for the first page.

I can sum up my misunderstanding pretty easily. In fact, it’s in my first post and Mort Furd’s. I stated (and believed) that there was a very negligible resistance in household copper wire. Mort Furd used 1 ohm in his example. Although he stated this to be worst case, I actually believed it to be off by a factor of 100 if not 1000. A quick check on the resistance of the household copper wire proved my belief wrong. So, since there is a very real and applicable amount of resistance in the wire and the rest of my statement was based on negligible resistance… well, can I have some salt to go with this crow? :smack:

I just wish one of the electricians I talked to would have just said, “resistance in the wire”. Oh well.

As far as sailor goes, I’m not sure that I understand the need to insult me where others are educating. However, to combine what you wrote (Ohm’s law):

with what I was using for values (incorrectly as explained above):

You will get:

V = I * 0

or

V = 0

In other words, no voltage just like I also said. If I’m learning from your example, should I now insult your reading skills?

22

RogueRacer, I do apologize if you felt insulted as it was not my intention in the least. My comment was meant to be light hearted.

23

Um, My post. No flames please! (thank’s for the clarification SAILOR)

I have a BA in English. Therefore I don’t believe in (translation: pretend to understand) ohms, resistance, and EMF & EMI; and 3-way light switches still blow my mind (even though I can plan for & wire them).

The issue of stuff going on with the rest of the circuit, on the other hand, makes TONS of sense to me as does the principle of redundency. I hadn’t considered the consequences of an appliance flaw energizing the neutral wire and thereby the rest of the neutrals on the circuit. I suppose the breaker’s gonna trip one way or the other, but I can almost see it happening more efficiently if a line is completely dedicated only to ground (and not carrying even a little current). Facinating subject. Makes me want to go buy a project house and tear out its guts!

Thanks for all the help. I’ll probably stick with B as my solution & make sure I tie it to the breaker box instead of a pipe…unless, of course, I’m knocking down walls. ;j

24

Works for me! On to the next world threatening problem! :slight_smile: