Dryer plug

[infinity]

It never is safe to use a ground as a return or neutral for anything and i wish people would wake up to neutral and ground are not the same.Them old dryers and ranges had a NEUTRAL and never or ever had a ground.
This is a weakness with many electricians including me for first few years. There is a big differance and perhaps we can get this straight for the unknowing here and now.And Mike has help available for the ones that cant understand.

Is there a big difference? In almost all residential services the EGC's and the neutrals terminate on the same bar within the panel. What we call the conductor is just semantics. It may be more correct to call the conductor a neutral but the reality in this case is, a neutral or an EGC are one in the same.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

Is there a big difference? In almost all residential services the EGC's and the neutrals terminate on the same bar within the panel. What we call the conductor is just semantics. It may be more correct to call the conductor a neutral but the reality in this case is, a neutral or an EGC are one in the same.

That logic is why so many get confused at a sub panel.Just because they land on same bar means nothing.It is why and what they are for that counts.Been trying for years to get it thru my brother in laws head.

 

[LarryFine]

I think there is some confusion between se cable used for services and se cable used for dryers and ranges. The se cable used for services is used as a grounded conductor. The se cable used for dryer and ranges is an equipment ground. This was allowed to carry the neutral from the light bulb,but only with se cable.
Rick

Don't mean to gang up on you, and yes, I read all the posts between then and now, but I just want to add something that may help clarify:

SE was one alternative: the other was NM, as long as the grounded conductor was insulated. If it were the EGC, the insulation wouldn't have been required.

I've seen more than one instance where two runs of 10-3 (sans EGC) were paralleled from 50a fuses to a cooktop/oven junction box, and again, no EGC.

Apparently, SE was allowed for the same reason it's used in services: it surrounds the hots and would make first contact with a conductive damaging object. (my theory)