From: arl_123234@hotmail.com   
      
   On 07/14/2015 01:41 PM, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:   
      
   > The other issue that requires the grounding electrode is to insure   
   > that "ground" on the case of your tool is the same potential as the   
   > actual ground you are sitting on when you use it.   
      
   Hello, and the sounds like we're talking about outdoor use.  Is that   
   right?  The only other scenario involving earth-grounding I can come up   
   with is a situation in which, say an appliance with a 3-wire cord and an   
   external metallic enclosure is not properly grounded (e.g. someone has   
   clipped off the ground prong to use a 2-wire extension cord).  Now   
   assume the hot (black) wire in the appliance faults to the case.  In   
   this situation had the ground wire path been intact the circuit   
   breaker/fuse in the residence would open.  Again, that has nothing to do   
   with whether the neutrals/ground wires are in contact with the soil.   
      
   So we now have a "hot" case with the appliance otherwise operating   
   normally.  Assume the user now simultaneously touches the case with one   
   hand and a metallic water pipe or any other conducting path that   
   eventually finds its way back to the soil.  Even if there were no earth   
   ground at the service entrance, the neutral of the nearest MV-to-LV   
   distribution transformer would have its neutral grounded.  So the person   
   would most likely at the very least receive a shock.  Now if said   
   appliance case itself comes into contact with the water pipe then it   
   would be nice to open the applicable residence breaker/fuse.  Having the   
   ground/neutrals contacting the soil at the service entrance would   
   promote that action as the electrical path would be shorter than that   
   going all the way back to the grounded neutral at the distribution   
   transformer.  This scenario, while promoting the opening of a faulty   
   circuit, doesn't afford user protection while everything is "hot".   
      
   An alternate scenario has the neutral (white) wire in the ungrounded   
   appliance faulting to the case.  Most likely the person probably   
   wouldn't receive a shock in the touch circumstances previously   
   described.  Even with the appliance properly grounded one might never be   
   made aware that such a condition exists as the ground and neutral   
   conductors are now in parallel carrying current.  IOW an undetectable   
   fault.  (I haven't been considering scenarios when ground fault   
   detectors such as found in bathrooms are employed.)  Sincerely,   
      
      
      
   Sincerely,   
      
      
   --   
   J. B. Wood	            e-mail: arl_123234@hotmail.com   
      
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