![]() ![]() In newer homes the grounding conductor could have been mistakenly not connected or has come off the terminal, hence showing open ground on a tester. Basically, the equipment could become energized leading to a dangerous situation for anyone in contact with that equipment.Ī missing grounding conductor, or open ground, often occurs in older homes that previously had ungrounded 2-prong outlets (2 wire system with no ground wire) that were replaced with 3- prong receptacles without the presence of grounding conductors. If, for whatever reason, there is no grounding conductor at the receptacle, there is a danger of possible shock or electrocution and damage to the equipment. Most major appliances, such as stoves, refrigerators, and computers, have three-prong plugs, meaning they must be grounded through the receptacle. The third prong provides a path to ground in which the electric current travels. Modern homes now have three-wire receptacles that accommodate electrical cords with three-prong plugs. Thus plugging in a three-prong cord (which requires a grounding conductor for safety) creates a potentially unsafe condition. ![]() The reason this is unsafe is that although the receptacle appears to be grounded, it is not. This could be because the ground wire disconnected on the receptacle or somewhere in the circuit or series or because there simply isn’t a ground wire (because it is an old 2 wire electrical system). ![]() An open ground receptacle is an electrical receptacle that is not showing a ground wire connected.
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