5 prevents damage injury and death without a properly

5. Prevents damage, injury and death
Without a properly grounded electrical system, you are risking any appliances you
have connected to your system being fried beyond repair. In the worst-case scenario,
an overload of power can even cause a fire to start, risking not just extensive property
and data loss but physical injury as well.
Types of Grounding
Grounding in the household electrical system is the same with transmission and
distribution lines, thus understanding its type is a must.
1. Ungrounded. Electrical power systems that are operated with no intentional
connection to an earth ground are described as ungrounded. Although these systems
were standard in the '40s and '50s, they're still in use today. The main advantage of
this type of grounding system is that it offers a low value of current flow and reliability
during a fault. The occurrence of a second fault will more likely be decrease than the
grounded system fault[9].
2. Solidly grounded. This type of grounding system is most commonly used in
industrial and commercial power systems, where grounding conductors are connected

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to earth ground with no intentional added impedance in the circuit. A main secondary
circuit breaker is a vital component required in this system, although it has no bearing
in other grounding systems. The neutral of any grounded system will permit the flow
of current through the conductor when the unbalanced load is connected[9].
3.High-resistance grounding. High-resistance grounding (HRG) systems are
commonly used in plants and mills where continued operation of processes is
paramount in the event of a fault. High-resistance grounding is normally accomplished
by connecting the high side of a single-phase distribution transformer between the
system neutral and ground.
How does Grounding Work?
In most homes, the wiring system is permanently grounded to a metal rod driven
into the ground or a metal pipe extending into the house from an underground
watersupply system. A copper conductor connects the pipe or rod to a set of terminals
for ground connections in the service panel. For wiring systems that use electrical
cable covered in metal, the metal usually serves as the ground conductor between
wall outlets and the service panel.
In wiring systems that use plastic-sheathed cable, an extra wire is used for grounding.
Since electricity is always looking for the shortest path back to the earth, if there is a
problem where the neutral wire is broken or interrupted, the grounding wire provides
a direct path to the ground. Through this direct physical connection, the earth acts as
a path of least resistance, preventing a person from becoming the shortest path, and
suffering a serious electric shock.