Took a trouble call to a home with "a breaker that won't reset." Those always worry me because I wonder if the engine company will beat me in to the clients home. The bathroom fan light was wired with 14/2 NM. In order to provide continuous power to the receptacle by the basin the bare EGC had been sleeved at each end and used as a current carrying conductor. In order to ground the receptacle a single bare number sixteen wire had been run from the receptacle to the water pipe supplying the toilet. The receptacle outlet was a GFCI that had the supply wiring connected to the load terminals with the line terminals unused.
Of course the client was unhappy that I couldn't get it "working like before." I just told him that the wiring of that circuit almost arose to the level of attempted murder. If I can devise a way to fish it I will be pulling in new cable for the supply to the light / fan so that they can be individually switched. Wish me luck.
--
Tom H
