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Grounding multiple devices in metal boxes BobK207 12-15-2006
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Posted by BobK207 on December 15, 2006, 11:17 am




New devices come with a green grounding screw.....(not tlike the old
days)

I'm using metal boxes (metal conduit as well; either flex or emt)
but I also use a seperate ground wire that I screw to the box.

In a situation where I have multiple devices in a box (two switches & a
GFI outlet)......

Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device

OR

can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?

Room for the wires is no problem since I'm using DEEP "old work" boxes.

Thanks for the help.

cheers
Bob


Posted by bill allemann on December 15, 2006, 12:36 pm


pigtail them.
The fasteners holding the straps on to the box don't count as ground, so the
straps aren't grounded
until you connect to the green screw on each one.


>
>
> New devices come with a green grounding screw.....(not tlike the old
> days)
>
> I'm using metal boxes (metal conduit as well; either flex or emt)
> but I also use a seperate ground wire that I screw to the box.
>
> In a situation where I have multiple devices in a box (two switches & a
> GFI outlet)......
>
> Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device
>
> OR
>
> can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?
>
> Room for the wires is no problem since I'm using DEEP "old work" boxes.
>
> Thanks for the help.
>
> cheers
> Bob
>



Posted by Wayne Whitney on December 15, 2006, 12:40 pm



> Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device
>
> OR
>
> can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?

Some devices come with a spring clip around one of the screws in the
strap that is meant to provide a grounding path when mounted in a
metallic box. With such devices I believe it is NEC compliant to omit
any additional grounding. However, I would consider a pigtail to the
grounding screw to be a more secure grounding path.

Yours, Wayne


Posted by BobK207 on December 15, 2006, 7:19 pm



Wayne Whitney wrote:
>
> > Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device
> >
> > OR
> >
> > can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?
>
> Some devices come with a spring clip around one of the screws in the
> strap that is meant to provide a grounding path when mounted in a
> metallic box. With such devices I believe it is NEC compliant to omit
> any additional grounding. However, I would consider a pigtail to the
> grounding screw to be a more secure grounding path.
>
> Yours, Wayne


....."a pigtail to the grounding screw to be a more secure grounding
path. "

yeah, I knew that.....I was hoping that you guys would say "it's ok to
use the device mouting screws as the ground path"

I was being lazy, not wanting make up the pigtails so checked.

cheers
Bob


Posted by Tom The Great on December 15, 2006, 12:57 pm



>
>
>New devices come with a green grounding screw.....(not tlike the old
>days)
>
>I'm using metal boxes (metal conduit as well; either flex or emt)
>but I also use a seperate ground wire that I screw to the box.
>
>In a situation where I have multiple devices in a box (two switches & a
>GFI outlet)......
>
>Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device
>
>OR
>
>can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?
>
>Room for the wires is no problem since I'm using DEEP "old work" boxes.
>
>Thanks for the help.
>
>cheers
>Bob


Can't see your specific issue, but in the past I did this:

Pig tail a ground wire to the ground screw, wire nut all the grounds
togehter. If I had devices, I would also add a pigtail for each
device's ground screw. So this could be a lot of wires, but many wire
nuts are designed for many wires. Also I think Ideal now makes push
in connecters that handle up to 10 wires.

Just saying what worked for me, your case cannot be 'guessed' on.

tom @ www.WorkAtHomePlans.com



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