Ungrounded conductor with continuity to ground

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charlie b

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Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
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Retired Electrical Engineer
How did you come to the conclusion that you had continuity (i.e., how and where did you measure)? Also, what do you mean by saying it is functioning fine? For example, the fact that nothing is burning up and no flashes are visible does not imply that the system is fine. This may not be what you think it is, so please provide us with a bit more information.

Welcome to the forum.
 

Twoskinsoneman

Senior Member
Location
West Virginia, USA NEC: 2020
Occupation
Facility Senior Electrician
Has anyone come across a single phase 120/240 system with ungrounded conductors having continuity to ground and functioning fine?

I remember when I was a youngster in school my teacher told me to check for "shorts" on a circuit that he had turned. I was astonished to find only a few Ohms when I check hot-to-ground on a receptacle. Of course I did not find a short and he used that to teach me about reading continuity through a load. (he had something plugged into another receptacle on that circuit)

real basic stuff but he was good helping me see the bigger picture as I learned.
 

kingpb

Senior Member
Location
SE USA as far as you can go
Occupation
Engineer, Registered
An electrical system designed as an ungrounded system could certainly have a current carrying conductor go to ground without it tripping. This was done so you could find the short before it shut something down.

However, to say everything would be operating fine, would be a stretch since the grounded current carrying conductor itself would be non-normal and therefore deemed not operating fine.
 

infinity

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Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Has anyone come across a single phase 120/240 system with ungrounded conductors having continuity to ground and functioning fine?

Could you be more specific on how you determined this? As SS pointed out a load could give you a false reading.
 
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