I have a wall outlet wired for a switch that runs a fan. The line coming into the box brings the hot wire from a receptacle outlet. Then a line runs from the receptacle to the fan bringing the neutral, the hot and the ground wire. So in the switch box there is only a hot(black) wire and a ground(the white wire is used to bring the power back to the receptacle from the switch).
I need to hook up a timer switch, which has a red and blck wire to handle the power thru the switch, a neutral(white) wire and a ground. IS IT SAFE TO HOOK THE WHITE NEUTRAL WIRE FROM THE TIMER TO THE GROUND WIRE IN THE BOX?
thank you
Stephen
from Alachua Fl.
Replies
It IS unsafe!
Sorry, but the above advice is very poor.
It is always unsafe to use a ground as a neutral. A ground carrying current, no matter how small, is a hazard.
I believe the advice he gave was a simple "No." You may disagree with the opinion that came after, but you do agree with the actual advice.
That is semantics.
OK, I disagree with the cavalier and unsafe opinon expressed after the correct reply of "no".
How's that?
Can you post a picture or a sketch of the wiring?
And are we talking romex or individual wires in conduit?
It does not matter what sort of wiring method is used- the practice of using the ground wire as a neutral is unsafe, as sets the stage for bad things to happen.
If the ground used is disconnected from all the other grounds, then there is the loss of the safety that the ground wire provides.
If the ground remains connected to all the other grounds, then you are making sure that the grounds are always carrying current. Open up the ground path at any point - say, when replacing a receptacle - and you've created a situation where one side of the ground is 'hot' while the other is not ...
When you use the ground as a neutral, then everything that is grounded becomes 'hot.' Provide a better path to ground - and grounds are not connected with the same effectiveness as neutrals, so making a better path is quite possible - and the 'neutral' current runs through you on the way back to the panel.
Of course, code still allows the ground to be used as neutral in some cases, grandfathered.
Sorry, not right
DanH wrote:
Of course, code still allows the ground to be used as neutral in some cases, grandfathered.
This is incorrect. It's the other way around.
Older dryers, ranges and feeders to detached structures used to be allowed to omit the ground and bond the neutral to the equipment.
And then there's the old bare wire neutral scheme used in commercial construction up until maybe 1970.
DanH wrote:
And then there's the old bare wire neutral scheme used in commercial construction up until maybe 1970.
The only bare neutral I have ever seen or used is in SEU cable, which was OK to use in the installtions I mentioned. SEU was rarely if ever used commercially.
Then you haven't seen everything.
RE: Then you haven't seen
DanH wrote:
Then you haven't seen everything.
Well, I've seen and worked on things from original K&T with Frankenstein switches all the way up to the newest modern wiring, but no, I obviously haven't seen it all.
I guess I need to stick around here so you can teach me since you obviously HAVE see "everything". LOL
Is this what you have?
If so, you just need to wire nut the white lead from the timer switch so there isn't a bare end. You also need to tape, or shrink wrap the white wire at both ends with either red or black, so that everyone knows that it is not the nuetral.
That won't work...
Jigs-n-fixtures wrote:
If so, you just need to wire nut the white lead from the timer switch so there isn't a bare end.
The timer he has requires a neutral.