[happyrock]

first...this is not my area of expertise...isn't the GFI just connecting the ground wire to the neutral in the GFI unit itself..
I'm not sure ...but then the UPS would "see" the ground and not lite up the fault indicator on the ups...
they both go to the same place in the breaker panel....

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No, the GFI does not connect the neutral to the ground. A GFI detects current coming from the hot wire, but not coming back through the neutral wire (yeah, that is not really how electricity works with AC power, but it is easier to describe it that way).

Ground and neutral do not go to the same place on an electrical panel, at least not a properly wired panel. Ground is earth ground. Neutral is a second power line, which has no potential with respect to ground, but is not the same.

[Kemasa]

No, the GFI does not connect the neutral to the ground. A GFI detects current coming from the hot wire, but not coming back through the neutral wire (yeah, that is not really how electricity works with AC power, but it is easier to describe it that way).

Ground and neutral do not go to the same place on an electrical panel, at least not a properly wired panel. Ground is earth ground. Neutral is a second power line, which has no potential with respect to ground, but is not the same.

[happyrock]

Ground and neutral do not go to the same place on an electrical panel, at least not a properly wired panel

I have install a few circuit breakers...on 3wire setups and they do connect to the same buss in the panel

[superstar]

So if I swap my bedroom outlet witha GFI outlet and plug in an outlet tester to it will I still see the "no ground" results on the tester?

& will I than be able to use my UPS without any problems?

[happyrock]

I don't know...as I said before...this is not my area of expertise...
maybe Kemasa can enlighten us...

[Kemasa]

If there is no ground, you will still have the fault. The GFI will provide more protection again problems.

I would have to check to see if it is valid to have the ground connected to the neutral at the box. It seems quite strange since it is supposed to be different. It might be acceptable in the breaker box, but I doubt that it would be acceptable elsewhere.

If the ground is really connected to the same bus bar in the breaker box, you could connect ground to the neutral line, which would make the fault go away, but I certainly would not do this as it is wrong.

Edited by Kemasa, 19 March 2008 - 05:37 PM.

[happyrock]

It might be acceptable in the breaker box, but I doubt that it would be acceptable elsewhere.

I agree with that..just wondering if the GFI somehow did this internally as it was implied in the article I gave the link to

If the ground is really connected to the same bus bar in the breaker box,

they are....

you could connect ground to the neutral line, which would make the fault go away, but I certainly would not do this as it is wrong.

I agree with that also... not sure what would happen...it could could be disastrous

Edited by happyrck, 19 March 2008 - 05:57 PM.

[Kemasa]

The article mentions that there is still no ground:

On page:

http://homerepair.ab...prong_gfi_6.htm

Replace the cover plate. There should also be a little sticker with the GFI that says "No Ground" or something similar. Place that on the GFI to alert people that this outlet is not grounded.

[superstar]

I'm keeping this until tomorrow night... I'm calling an electrician to see if he can create a ground just for this room. If he can't my UPS is going back. I hate this because I still wanted it for it's battery purposes when the lights go out. You guys are lucky with your grounded outlets. It's me who has to be living in a house older than 1950. The thing is this house looks modern but the inside wiring is olddddd.