Translations:Grounding system/12/en

A ground fault occurs when a current carrying conductor of an electrical system has an insulation failure or comes loose from a connection and makes contact with something that has a connection to ground. Ground faults can be very dangerous because they can lead to electrocutions and fires, therefore it is important to identify them as quickly as possible and disable them. When there is a ground fault, current escapes the wires of a circuit and seeks other paths to be able to complete the circuit. A person who grabs something that has been energized by a fault to ground can become a path to complete the circuit and be electrocuted. In a properly grounded system, the most common ground fault scenario is a ground fault between an ungrounded current-carrying conductor (black wire) and a grounded piece of equipment. A ground fault can occur with a grounded conductor but it will not typically be apparent until there is a second ground fault involving the ungrounded conductor (black wire).