I read this on another site:
"In a properly designed circuit, if a fault were to occur on the 120-volt outlet between the hot-wire and the ground, the current will flow through ground wire back to the main panel, where it will move to the neutral wire via the neutral-to-ground bond, up to the utility transformer, back down the hot wire to the circuit breaker, tripping the breaker."
So now I'm thinking why have a ground rod at all if it goes to the neutral wire at the panel and not the ground rod.
This question is not specific to a fault condition. If the neutral and ground are tied together at the panel what prevents current from the neutral wire flowing to earth through the ground rod?
Best Answer
Its for your protection. Imagine that the fault is from hot to ground and the ground is the outside of a metal Kettle. The ground rod ensures that the outside of the kettle is at the same potential as the ground under your feet and hence at the same potential as you. The result is that you are protected against shock until the breaker or GFI trips.