Why is the ground prong always missing?!?!?!

[norton9478]

My stovetop's electric burners do the same thing. I researched it online and found someone asking about the same thing on a forum, and it seems that stovetops were commonly wired that way in years past; with a 3 prong plug rather than a 4 prong, and it wasn't considered to be a big deal at the time (I still don't consider it to be a big deal):



The shock is obviously not lethal, nor even painful. It is just enough to be noticeable, and only happens when you are barefoot on the wooden floor (in the past there was linoleum on the floor which prevented it from happening even when barefoot). Maybe something similar was happening with the arcade machine that had your sign on it.

In that case, can't you just run a wire from the frame to a radiator or something?

 

[MaximRecoil]

The reason UL allows appliances without a ground prong is because they are double insulated construction- big difference between that design and the old stuff designed to utilize a grounding plug.

In fact, the added grounding installations in some old games actually makes them more prone to shocking someone with the grounding prong removed, than if they didn't have it (extra grounding installations). Just look at your typical Williams cab with it's generous flat ground braid running everywhere, nicely connecting the coin doors, control panel, speaker, and marquee hardware together.

If you have a failure or even something as simple as a loose fastener that completes the circuit, and no ground prong there to trip the breaker, then anyone that touches that machine can receive a lethal shock.

That's fine in theory, but in practice there are rarely any issues at all (for example, I've never had or heard of anyone being electrocuted by using an appliance with a defeated 3rd prong), much less lethal issues. Standing barefoot in water while using the machine wouldn't be a good idea obviously.

BTW, Bob Roberts says that the only monitors he has ever gotten a shock from touching the frame (not talking about a shock from the anode, which is a different matter) were the ones that were strapped to earth ground (3rd prong).

 

[MaximRecoil]

In that case, can't you just run a wire from the frame to a radiator or something?

From the electrician's explanation in the posted I quoted above, it sounds like there is more to it than that. Apparently in the current setup, the frame's ground strap is bonded to the neutral lug, and that has to be changed, along with adding the extra wire that a 4 plug setup has.

 

[Spyridon]

Every game I have picked up, the ground prong is missing from the cord and I have to replace with a proper one.

Somewhere out there is a big room filled with ground prongs and back doors.

 

[norton9478]

From the electrician's explanation in the posted I quoted above, it sounds like there is more to it than that. Apparently in the current setup, the frame's ground strap is bonded to the neutral lug, and that has to be changed, along with adding the extra wire that a 4 plug setup has.

Probably.. I don't like messing around with 220v...

My girlfriend's sister's Babydady is a commercial electrician. He deals with all sorts of crazy stuff. 270/320 and up... He tried to get me to take the test... Screw that...

 

[Blades]

My girlfriend's sister's Babydady is a commercial electrician....

LOL, that is a mouthful.



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