# Why we are not allowed to measure voltage from the neutral wire to the ground wire in an electrical wiring system?

**URL:** <https://forumautomation.com/t/why-we-are-not-allowed-to-measure-voltage-from-the-neutral-wire-to-the-ground-wire-in-an-electrical-wiring-system/11948>\
**Category:** Electrical\
**Tags:** voltage\
**Created:** [April 9, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://forumautomation.com/t/why-we-are-not-allowed-to-measure-voltage-from-the-neutral-wire-to-the-ground-wire-in-an-electrical-wiring-system/11948 "2024-04-09T11:33:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rabert](https://forumautomation.com/user_avatar/forumautomation.com/rabert/32/6784_2.png) [@Rabert](https://forumautomation.com/u/Rabert)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://forumautomation.com/t/why-we-are-not-allowed-to-measure-voltage-from-the-neutral-wire-to-the-ground-wire-in-an-electrical-wiring-system/11948/1 "2024-04-09T11:33:20Z")

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## Neutral Wire and Ground Wire

Measuring voltage between the neutral and ground wires in an electrical wiring system is normally discouraged for safety reasons.

 ![1](https://cdn.forumautomation.com/original/2X/3/33ef0ff3038acc5cca5966208a9b166d6eff82cf.jpeg)

The neutral wire is intended to transfer return current from the load back to the power supply, whereas the ground wire is meant to provide a secure path for fault currents in the case of insulation failure or equipment malfunction.

## Effect of Voltage Measurement

- Voltage measurements between the neutral and ground wires can occasionally produce a voltage reading, especially in systems with the unbalanced loads (or) neutral-ground connections.
- However, during normal operation, this voltage reading may not precisely reflect the potential difference between the neutral or ground conductors.
- Furthermore, trying to measure the voltage between these conductors may cause unintentional safety risks, such as generating unexpected electrical channels (or) exposing the tester to potential shock hazards.

## Effective way to measure Voltage

- To ensure safety and accuracy, voltage must be measured between the line (hot) and neutral conductors, (or) between the line conductors itself.
- This gives a more accurate representation of the voltage in the circuit and helps to avoid the safety hazards connected with measuring between the neutral & ground conductors.

If you have concerns about the electrical system’s integrity (or) notice any abnormal voltage readings, you should contact a competent electrician (or) electrical engineer for additional inspection and troubleshooting.