"scott" <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote in message news:48f4a20e@news.povray.org...
>> Some non-electricians will hook up the earth as a common - using it as 
>> the return path for the hot.
>>
>> In this case the potential will vary with the amount of current on the 
>> wire.
>
> But I think that Buildings Standards require that the resistance to ground 
> be low enough that for the Earth voltage to become dangerous, enough 
> current must flow to blow a fuse.  Otherwise this kind of relatively 
> common fault would leave metal cases of everything in the house 
> electrified to dangerous voltages!
>

I've seen similar happen in an old flat I was renting at University. Don't 
know how it happened (not an electrician), but something in the geyser 
shorted and left all of the hot water pipes (and the water) live.
It's times like that when having a friend who's father works for the city 
council as an electricial comes in handy.

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