how to test the ground wire?

[Stubies]

Im wiring up some new kit and....

Im not sure if the ground in my apt is good - so i would like to test it.

Can anyone suggest a simple way - i have a normal multimeter.

Looked online but did not find anything that was a real test.

Thanks!

[Oldpinkman]

Really that's a job for a professional electrician

Alternatively plug the telephone wire into the ethernet socket on your sky box, which creates a fake "local loop" effect. When your wife , responding to your childish strop whilst you try to fix the hum earth loop that caused you not to look where you were plugging the telephone wire, phones BT to report the fault on the line, they will tell her they have tested the line and it IS an external fault and record the conversation. 5 days later, after no phone to use for that time, when the engineer comes out on a free visit to track down the fault, having failed to find it at the indicated 1.7km from your premesis, investigates the thing everybody should have checked first - the faceplate for the incoming connection, and discovers the fault is the sky box connection, you can mention to him that you've never really been sure about the earth in the premesis and he'll test it for you.

Worked for me :lol:

[Stubies]

Well,

In Bulgaria - there is no ground wire in buildings more than 5 years old.

The 'Ground' is in fact the same as the neutral - i.e. if you cross the Line and the Ground you get a short.

Well - for me this was shocking!.... but mostly disappointing!

They have just recently changed their building codes so that they will actually have a real ground in the future.

Im not going to go rewire the building...

[anthonyTD]

hi Stuart,
The neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground, ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
Hope this helps, it might not be applicable to your situation, however, if it closely resembles our mains configuration, then there is usually a very low potential between true earth and Neutral, so in most cases only a very small voltage is present between true Earth and Neutral, for example around 500mv is common here in the uk.
If your circumstances are similar, then an Earth rod in the ground near your system may be used to make a true earth connection, either way, ALWAYS REMEMBER, MAINS VOLTAGE IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL, AND SHOULD ONLY BE WORKED ON BY QUALIFIED ENGINEERS, IF IN DOUBT, ALWAYS CONSULT AN ENGINEER...
Anthony,TD...

[Stubies]

hi Stuart,
The neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground, ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
Hope this helps, it might not be applicable to your situation, however, if it closely resembles our mains configuration, then there is usually a very low potential between true earth and Neutral, so in most cases only a very small voltage is present between true Earth and Neutral, for example around 500mv is common here in the uk.
If your circumstances are similar, then an Earth rod in the ground near your system may be used to make a true earth connection, either way, ALWAYS REMEMBER, MAINS VOLTAGE IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL, AND SHOULD ONLY BE WORKED ON BY QUALIFIED ENGINEERS, IF IN DOUBT, ALWAYS CONSULT AN ENGINEER...
Anthony,TD...

Anthony, yes that is helpful, thank you!

I had a local electrictian come look - he laughed and said 'yep that is normal', but the new buildings are different.

I just didnt know that was sometimes the case. From my earlier limited experience - Ground is 'ground'. (after all!)

In the case of audio equipment - i would think a real ground Ground would be better....

Thanks!

[anthonyTD]

Your Welcome :)
A...