Re: [RML] Leaking current
tex1 (tex1 at airmail.net)
Tue, 28 Jan 1997 06:05:26 -0600
At 02:14 AM 1/28/97 GMT, you wrote:
>In The Dawn of the Third Age tex1 <tex1 at airmail.net> woke me from my
>contemplation by writing:
>> Cary, I will have to say I can find no fault in your statement. I based my
>>statement on text material which was used in a technical school for
>>electricians. As for the test you mentioned I would have to agree that a
>>directed short between the grounded and ungrounded conductors would trip the
>>breaker, as well as melt some copper.
>Shouldn't really melt the copper because GFIs trip so fast. That was
>the whole idea in their development. The grounded outlet saved us by
>tripping the breaker (or fuse) when used with a grounded plug. Didn't
>help much when the device was plastic with an ungrounded plug. Besides
>electricians don't really need to know why, just what the codes are
>;`)
When I said (as well as melt some copper) I was refering to the resulting
arc from the direct short. Assuming the circuit is energised at the time and
no load resistance is used.