If the ground wire blows a fuse when it’s attached then metal box is hot and you could get zapped if you don’t fix it (the guy’s below are right).
Get a voltage detector pen from Home Depot and leave the ground off, but touch it to the metal outlet box - it will tell you it’s hot.
I mean this one -
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/electrical-testers/non-contact-voltage-tester-pen-50-1000-volts If it were me I would solve if it’s the outlet or the wiring in the conduit first - by using the voltage detection pen with the outlet removed (and wires capped), if you don’t have the pen, then touch the ground wire to the metal box... if that blows a fuse you have a short between the hot side has (black wire), and the conduit itself...
If that’s the case fix it - it’s dangerous ...
Depending on if it’s a metal box in a wall, or in the basement the fix is different... let me know and I’ll tell you how to tackle it the way I’ve found best.
So - yep what they said with a way to check it.
Your hot is touching either the box or the ground when you push it into the box. Electrical tape around the receptacle should help. Also make sure the wire insulation isn't damaged or stripped too long.
This is the most likely explanation. A black wire is touching the metal box somehow (probably at the clamp) and the box is hot. You wouldn't notice with a plastic cover on the outlet, but with the ground connected and the outlet screwed to the box, you have a direct short to ground.
Jerry
