Bootleg grounds

[iwire]

Re: Bootleg grounds

Originally posted by tonyi:
I'm talking about THE GEAR THEY SELL. There are LOTS and LOTS of 2-prong devices being sold that VERY CLEARLY fall under this supposed ITE category (using your definition that is)

It is not the supposed category, and again it s not my definition, you can get a White Book at joetedesco.com of your own and see for yourself.

You are correct much of what they sell has two wire cords or power bricks.

But every monitor and desk top PC has a 3 wire cord and is required by 250.114 to be grounded.

 

[iwire]

Re: Bootleg grounds

Originally posted by tonyi:
I suggest you and UL form a new plug Gestapo police to raid houses and remove all the offending installations running off 3-prong adapters out there. Good luck.

Statements like this are why we say you contradict yourself.

You are so concerned with replacing properly installed installations from 1989 at Moms house or painted outlets some where else.

Or showing us a detail in the wording in the code that may allow 15 amp outlets in kitchens and dinning rooms.

That I can not help but find this funny that when the code is clear you want to twist it to fit your idea of ITE.

That my friend is a contradiction.

Going to bed see you later.

Bob

 

[roger]

Re: Bootleg grounds

Tony,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by tonyi:
I suggest you and UL form a new plug Gestapo police to raid houses and remove all the offending installations running off 3-prong adapters out there. Good luck.

I don't really care what people do in their own homes, and unlike yourself and the "sky is falling" paranoria, I don't concern myself with it.

Don't confuse the above with my concern in being code compliant.

Roger

 

[tonyi]

Re: Bootleg grounds

Originally posted by roger:


Don't confuse the above with my concern in being code compliant.

Roger

There is NOTHING non-compliant by fitting GFCI and 3-prongs to an old BX installation. This is undisputed fact.

What someone does later is NOT UNDER MY CONTROL.

Computer gear will function under that installation, where it may not on a 2-wire NM or K&T.

IMO, leaving 2-prong recepts in just invites people to chop ground prongs off and make a relatively safe situation into a very dangerous one because many existing 3-prong cords don't have polarized hot/neutral prongs, and rely only on the gnd prong for proper alignment.

How many ground prongs on cords have you seen that were chopped off? If you're honest about it, the answer will be a lot.

 

[tonyi]

Re: Bootleg grounds

Originally posted by iwire:
But every monitor and desk top PC has a 3 wire cord and is required by 250.114 to be grounded.

I'm NOT disputing this. [I also suspect you'll find the requirement originates more from FCC mandates about frame EMI issues and the necessary frame gnds needed to contain them than any particular safety concerns about NEC style equip gnd]

Unlike some others here, I'm willing to accept the reality that it isn't always going to be that way since we don't have a PC cord Gestapo in this country monitoring how people plug stuff in. Even if such gear were mandated to internally check for the presense of continuity from N/G before functioning, it would still be fooled into thinking the BX was valid (and likely trip a GFCI in the process of the self test).

I'm saying that BX, GFCI and 3-prongs and computer gear WILL in fact function OK (even if the NEC and UL don't like it - which the customer could give a rats a$$ about anyway) because all that the electronics need to work correctly IS IN FACT PRESENT in such a system.

[ November 01, 2003, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: tonyi ]