Bootleg ground

In mining, "bootleg ground" may refer to overburden that contains undetonated explosives.

In building wiring, a bootleg ground is an electrical ground that is wired from the neutral side of a receptacle or light fixture in an older 2-wire home. ^[1] This essentially connects the neutral side of the receptacle to the casing of an appliance or lamp. It can be a hazard because the neutral wire is a current-carrying conductor. In addition, a fault condition to a bootleg ground will not trip a GFCI breaker or a receptacle that is wired from the load side of a GFCI receptacle. Bootleg grounding is illegal and against code in many places. A safer and legal alternative to bootleg grounding (where a local electrical code allows it) is to install a GFCI and leave the ground screw unconnected, then place a label that says "No Equipment Ground" on the GFCI and all downstream receptacles.

240 volt circuits

Before 1996, in the United States it was common to ground 240 volt appliances (such as a clothes dryer or oven) to neutral. This has been prohibited in new installations since the 1996 National Electrical Code.

References

1. ↑ Steven Bliss Troubleshooting Guide to Residential Construction Craftsman Book Company, 1997 ISBN 1-928580-23-8, page 287