4ft Flouresent reading light minus ground lead? I bought and wired a 4ft flourescent 1-light fixture for my...
I bought and wired a 4ft flourescent 1-light fixture for my blacklight bulbs but would like to know how unsafe(really what problems could i run into) if i purely cut the ground wire from the cord, or for that situation use a 2 prong cord instead. Currently i have it ungrounded but would close to to set it up where the fixture it self may be touched from time time. should i expect to bring back shocked?
As fluorescent lights tend to be surrounded by a sheet metal enclosure it is advisable to hold them grounded, just surrounded by case a telecommunication should happen to touch the metal., logically if they are in a position where on earth they will never be touched, then it would be OK
You shouldn't be shocked unless something go wrong.
That said:
1. Fluorescents work better when grounded.
2. If something does go wrong you don't want the shock.
Use the 3 line cord & plug. There are adapters for
those old 2 prong outlets that ground to the box.
Get one.
Answers: When an electrical fixture is working correctly, and your house wiring is also working correctly (in a ideal world), there would not be a requirement for the ground wire.
The Equipment Grounding Conductor is here for imperfect situations; such as blemish conditions in the fixture, any of its components, or surrounded by your premises wiring. Then, explicitly the conductor that any fault current would travel on to trip the overcurrent protection and friendly that circuit.
If you live in a fail-safe world, go ahead, and bring a chance by removing the ground prong from the cord; the rest of us would be okay advised to check out of it in place.
Those adaptors that are market to allow use of a 3 prong, grounded cord in a 2-slot, ungrounded receptacle are mostly useless, and insecure. If you do not have a grounded premises electric wiring system, the adaptor, even when attached to the face plate screw, will not provide a ground causeway. It can¡¯t, because no ground path exists surrounded by the wiring system. All this does is bestow you a false sense of security, thinking you are protected when you are not.
The best direction is to never tamper with, or alter any electrical appliances, fixtures or devices.