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Is cheater plug safe with grounded monster power?

I recently plugged in a new amplifier into my monster power HTS-2600 and experienced a loud speaker hum. Applying a cheater plug to the amp outlet on the HTS-2600 completely eliminated the hum. My question--and excuse my ignorance--is whether it is safe to use a cheater plug to the amp outlet of a power station that is itself properly grounded? Although the temptation to continue using the cheater plug is high because of improvement in sonics, I am not comfortable because I think the amplifier without a ground to the power station would not be protected even if the power station is grounded. Am I correct in my logic? I thought a cheater plug was only safe when used with old 2-pronged outlets to allow use of 3-pronged plugs and attaching the cheater plug wire to the screw of the grounded outlet?
number1cuban
gregadd
574 posts
 
He starts out with amp grounded to Monster device. Device gounde to wall. Cheater plug breaks grund to device. Amp is now not gounded. Attach amp to its own ground independent of device. In my mind amp has only one path to ground. What's wrong?
rex
245 posts
 
What gets me is a toaster which carries quite a bit of current and is commonly metal on the outside usually only has two prongs. Then in most new homes ground fault outlets are required in kitchens. Who's making this stuff up anyway.

Yeah, who IS making this stuff up? I see a lot of "made up" electrical wisdom on this website. It really scares me to see that people with a total lack of knowledge about electrical safety requirements feel comfortable dispensing advice on electrical safety.

By the way, electric toasters are covered by Underwriters Laboratories. UL 1026, "Standard for Electric Household Cooking and Food Serving Appliances," contain the relevant standards and testing methodologies. It's quite comprehensive, and testing is stringent.

Last but not least - a cavalier attitude about electricity is the best way to have an electrical fire. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are over 40,000 household electrical fires every year, averaging 350 deaths per year, and over 1400 injuries per year. Average annual loss is $688 MILLION.

You could be next.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Rex, you statistic cause alarm, but we would need to know how many of these fires come from electric space heaters. This is all a red herring considering the original question about hum.
rex
245 posts
 
According to a study done by Iowa State University, 2/3rds of household electrical fires begin in the plugs or cords of household appliances and electrical devices.

The point of all this ties back to the original question about hum. The point is: defeating a safety ground is STUPID. STUPID. It's even more stupid if you or a family member is injured or killed, or your house burns, because you took the lazy, ignorant path of solving ground loop problems by using an illegal "cheater" plug or other illegal methods of defeating a safety ground.

Ultimately, if someone chooses to put his family/neighbors at risk out of laziness, there's nothing anyone can do to stop him. However, I think it's the height of irresponsibility to come here and advocate illegal, potentially dangerous practices and call them safe.

Speaking of red herrings: A fire caused by an electric space heater igniting combustible material is NOT considered an electrical fire.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
Ok, I know less than most here. In most cases gfi's are in the kit. bath. Therein the closeness and potential dangers of water/ contact with said faucet / and said appliance/and you as "middle-man". I'm not going to try it but I'm sure your 2 prong toaster/and you---will trip the circuit breaker within the gfi.
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