THE IMPORTANCE OF GROUNDING ELECTRICITY
1 Protection against electrical overload
One of the most important reasons for grounded electrical system is that it can protect your appliances, your home and everyone in it from surges from electricity. If lightning was to strike or the power was to surge to your place for whatever reason, this produces dangerously high voltages of electricity in your system. If your electrical installation is grounded, all of that excess electricity will go into the earth — rather than frying everything connected to your system. For more electrical advice contact us.
2 Helps direct electricity
Having your electrical installation grounded means you will be making it easy for power to be directed straight to wherever you need it, allowing electrical currents to safely and efficiently travel throughout your grounded electrical system.
3 Stabilises voltage levels
A grounded electrical system also makes it easier for the right amount of power to be distributed to all the right places, which can play a huge role in helping to ensure circuits aren’t overloaded and blown. The earth provides a common reference point for the many voltage sources in an electrical installation.
4 Earth is the best conductor
One of the reasons why grounding helps to keep electrical installation safe is because the earth is such a great conductor, and because excess electricity will always take the fastest path with the least resistance. By grounded electrical system , you are giving it somewhere to go other than into you – possibly saving your life.
5 Prevents damage, injury and death
Without a properly grounded electrical system, you are risking any appliances you have connected to your electrical installation 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 damage and data loss but physical injury as well.
In most homes, the wiring system is permanently grounded to a copper rod driven into the ground outside.
In wiring systems, 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.
Word of advice