grounding conductor used as grounded conductor

[spearxspark]

Hello all.I'm looking for some technical reasons for not using the bare conductor in nmc as the grounded/neutral conductor,in a residential circuit where the ground/neutral bar are one in the panel.Now before you start lickin your chops and trying to eat me alive, I know this is a code violation and the obvious reasons. I recently came across this situation while troubleshooting some receptacles.The old switched recept. dilemma,they want the lights switched but the alarm clock on.No problem if the feeds at the recept.just split the yoke and pigtail the hot.Well here's what I found.(by the way this area of the house was an addition,so who knows who wired it.)The 14/2 feed was at the switch,the hot went to one side of a single pole switch,the neutral was bonded to the metal box along with the bare ground.The 14/2 going to the recept. had the neutral being used as a constant hot to the recept.,the black as a switch leg to the recept. and the bare ground used as the neutral to the recept.,They were trying to get a split yoke, (switched/non switched receptacle) out of a two wire nmc with the feed at the switch.So here's the thing, it was working,it turns out that they just had the lamp plugged in to the constant yoke and the alarm clock into the switched yoke.Well I took everything apart and did the only thing I could without tearing apart the wall and adding a 14/3.(I did suggest this) I made the receptacle strictly a switched receptacle and stopped the bare conductor from being used as a neutral.What I'm looking for here is a good theory based explanation of the potential hazards that can be encountered when allowing this type of installation to go unnoticed.I beleive just knowing something is wrong, without completely understanding all the reasons why, is worthless.
Thanks for your time, hope to here some thoughts soon.

 

[charlie]

Re: grounding conductor used as grounded conductor

I don't see anything wrong with it except for setting up a trap for someone in the future and getting them electrocuted. Of course the uninsulated neutral is another problem. I think the receptacle should be painted olive drab and a pull ring attached just like a grenade.

 

[spearxspark]

Re: grounding conductor used as grounded conductor

I think in order for something to be a trap it must at least look somewhat correct....this stood out like a viagra addict. blck on bronze split yoke, white on bronze, bare on chrome. yikes!

 

[charlie b]

Re: grounding conductor used as grounded conductor

The basic problem is that the uninformed will see the neutral and ground connected at the panel, and conclude that they are essentially the same. They will conclude, very incorrectly, that the neutral and ground can be connected anywhere, so who cares?

The difference, and it is hard to explain to homeowners, is that it is OK, even required, to connect N to G at the main panel, for the simple reason that that is the source of electricity (as far as their home is concerned). But if you make an N-G connection anywhere else, then the current that should travel only on the neutral (i.e., back to the source) will also travel along the ground (again, back to the source). That will cause every metal object in the house to become energized. Not good! Or as George Orwell might have put it (in his book ?1984?): ?double plus ungood!?

 

[spearxspark]

Re: grounding conductor used as grounded conductor

Yeah, well you know homeowners, if it works it must be right. I was just curious if there was more to it than just objectionable current, even though thats bad enough.

thanks guys.