To ground out means a live electrical conductor has accidentally made contact with a grounded surface, such as a metal junction box, conduit, or the earth itself. This creates a direct, low-resistance path for the current, resulting in a massive spike in amperage that instantly trips the breaker or blows the fuse. It usually happens when wire insulation is nicked during a pull or pinched under a device screw.
Heard on the job
The hot leg managed to ground out against the side of the metal box when I pushed the receptacle in.
Also heard as
- short to ground