This ensures that the circuits are not overloaded at any point and get blown as a result of it. The earth can be considered as a common reference point for the voltage sources in any electrical system.
This helps in providing stabilized voltage levels throughout the electric system. Earth Conducts with Least Resistance One of the main reasons why you should ground your electrical appliances is that the earth is a great conductor and it can conduct all the excess electricity with least resistance.
When you ground the electrical system and connect it to the earth, it means that you are giving the excess electricity to go somewhere without resistance rather than going through you or your appliances. Prevents Serious Damage and Death When you do not ground the electrical system, you will put your appliances and even your life at high risk. When high electricity passes through any device, it will be fried and get damaged beyond repair. An excessive amount of electricity may even start a fire, putting your property and the life of your loved ones at risk.
Determining if Current is Grounded or Not You can check if an electrical appliance is designed to be grounded or not. If the appliance is equipped with a three-wire cord and a three-pronged plug, then the third wire and prong will provide the ground link between the metal frame of the appliance and the grounding of the wiring system.
To check if the electrical system is grounded or not by checking your power outlets. If there are three prongs in the outlet, then your system should have three wires, one of which will be a grounding wire. To get assured if the current is getting grounded or not you can do the electrical grounding test as mentioned below. You can follow this 5-step checklist using a receptacle testing device with complete caution for electrical grounding test:.
Step 1 — The first sign of proper electric grounding is your outlet. If it is a three-prong outlet with a U-shaped slot, then you can safely conclude that it is a grounding component.
Step 2 — Insert the red probe of your circuit tester into the smaller slot of the outlet. This outlet is the hot wire that supplies power to your appliances. Step 3 — Insert the black probe into the bigger slot of the outlet which is the neutral slot.
This will complete your circuit. Your multimeter will have red and black leads that connect to the ports on the bottom of the machine. Take a reading while the leads are in the live and neutral ports of an outlet.
Push the pointed end of the red lead into the neutral port on the outlet, which is usually the smaller slot. Then put the end of the black lead into the live port, which is the larger and longer slot on your outlet. Check the voltage reading on the multimeter and write it down. For example, on a type D or M plug, the live port is on the bottom right while the neutral port is on the bottom left. Check the voltage when the leads are inserted to the live and earthing ports.
Take the red lead out from the neutral port and carefully place it inside the earthing port, which is either a circular or U-shaped hole on the top or bottom of the outlet. Check the reading on the multimeter to see how many volts travel between them. Write down the measurement so you can compare your readings.
Test the voltage between the neutral and earthing ports on the outlet. Place the red lead in the neutral slot and the black lead into the earthing port to check the reading. Write the third reading down so you know how much electricity is going between the ports. Calculate the total leakage on your outlet to see if it's less than 2 V.
The leakage is the number of volts that transfer from your earthing port to the outlet. Subtract the first reading you took live to neutral from the second live to earthing. After solving that, add the number of volts from your third reading neutral to earthing.
If the number is greater than 2 V, then your earthing may be faulty. Otherwise, the outlet is safe to use. If you have faulty earthing, contact a licensed electrician to look at your electrical system to find the problem. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Ricardo Mitchell. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Yes No. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3. Not Helpful 5 Helpful 0.
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Outlets that only have 2 ports on them are not earthed. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. Never use an uninsulated wire or multimeter since you could get seriously shocked or electrocuted. Related wikiHows How to. Skip to main content. Your health and safety are our highest priority during this time.
Click here for our precautionary measures. Is Your Home Grounded Properly? Ground it! A punishment when not performed correctly.
0コメント