[AT] : Ice Storm

[hank at millerfarm.com]

Quoting charlie hill <chill8 at suddenlink.net>:

> Bob if you are running a drill with a 3 prong plug (old type, metal frame
> drill) and you are running it from an ungrounded generator set I can't see
> where you even have a neutral.  Wouldn't it be the same as if you cut the
> ground lug off the plug?  Therefore the 5 milliamps could not bleed off.
> OHH!  I think I see the point now.  You guys are saying that if 5 milliamps
> go to ground through ME it will trip the breaker regardless of the ground or
> neutral circuit?  Now it's starting to make sense.

Don't worry about the 5ma not having anyplace to bleed off to.  It  
doesn't need to bleed off.   However if you have a ground connection  
(we specified ungrounded generator, but their might be an internal  
fault that we don't know about), it can bleed off through you - not  
good.   In this case connecting the 3rd prong to the frame of the  
generator means it won't bleed off through you as there is a better  
path to bleed off.

Of better yet, use a GFCI which can save your life even if the third  
prong appears connected but a wire is broken internally someplace.    
5ma will never trip a breaker, but it will trip a GFCI.