But what does it really mean? Grounding gives electricity the most effective way to return to the ground via your electrical panel. A grounding wire gives an appliance or electrical device a safe way to discharge excess electricity. An electrical circuit relies on both positive and negative electricity.

What happens if you connect power to ground?

If a circuit breaker or other protection device does not open, things will explode, melt, catch on fire. If you happen to be part of that path to ground, you will receive a dangerous, perhaps lethal, electrical shock.

Is ground wire necessary?

The ground wire is not strictly necessary for the operation of a device, but it is still an important feature. This wire is designed to provide a path for electrical current to travel if the normal paths aren’t available. This could be because the other paths are damaged, or there is too much electricity for them.