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I'm working with 120VAC, and I'd like to have an LED indicator light showing that there is a connection to ground (earth). Like the way a receptacle tester does.

I could connect the LED between hot and ground using a resistor or capacitor to drop the voltage, but I'd rather not be using the ground to "complete" the circuit.

Is there a way to do this without using the ground wire for the current?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ why would you require a connection to hot? ... maybe something that detects RF interference on the ground wire \$\endgroup\$
    – jsotola
    Commented Feb 3 at 5:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ What kind of receptacle tester you mean? The simplest ones simply have a LED and a resistor from live to ground. Or any other arrangement that either turns a LED on if ground is present, or shunts current away from LED to earth to turn a LED off if a ground is present. But those kind of testers don't require a very good ground and the wiring may be bad even if your LEDs say it's there. \$\endgroup\$
    – Justme
    Commented Feb 3 at 7:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ Jsolota: I may be missing something, but I don't know how to light an LED without a power source. I don't think I understand your question. Justme: I don't actually know how receptacle testers work. I do know that an LED or neon lamp lights up if a ground connection is present. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mike Gray
    Commented Feb 3 at 19:51

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