Had a look at a Whirlpool Ice M/C today, the type that makes a block of ice that then slides onto a hot-wire cutting grid. The grid is powered at 20 volts from a step-down transformer. Now I think I've got a reasonable understanding of things electrical & even electronic -but what does the earth tapping part of the transformer do There was a live @ 230vac going in & the (I guess) 20vac live & neutral going to the cutting grid, but no neutral supply on the 230v side, just a cable going to earth from the windings