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On Wed, 31 May 2006 10:12:28 -0500, Bud--
wrote:
gerry wrote:
[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On Tue, 30 May 2006 11:55:22 -0500, Bud--
wrote:
gerry wrote:
[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On Sun, 28 May 2006 10:14:46 -0500, Bud--
wrote:
gerry wrote:
[original post is likely clipped to save bandwidth]
On 26 May 2006 11:15:09 -0700, "
wrote:
Howdy all.
Since I will be pigtailing in about 20 outlets and I know 12AWG can be
kind of stiff to work with, I thought I would ask if anyone here has
any tips to make the job easier ?
I have already pre-wired the pig-tails to the outlets since it's
something that could easily be done from the comfort of my couch while
watching the basketball game. The pigtails for the hots, neutrals and
grounds are all about 6 inches long and I just made them from some
existing 12AWG NM/B wire I had (si they're pretty straight right now).
I have the red wing-nut style wire-nuts and will have to joint (3)
12AWG wires into each nut.
One thing to watch, you just can't use a regular wire nut to bond the
ground as you would hot and neutral. The ground circuit to other
outlets/fixtures must be configured such that it is not disconnected as
you work with the outlet/fixture. That means you can't remove whatever
is bonding the ground circuit to attach a pigtail from the outlet.
The ground circuit must be crimped or something like the green wire nuts
that allow a grounding pigtail to stick out from the end of the nut.
Code citation?
bud--
NEC 250.148 (B)
(B) Grounding Continuity. The arrangement of grounding connections shall
be such that the disconnection or the removal of a receptacle, lunimaire
(fixture), or other device fed from the box does not interfere with or
interrupt the grounding continuity.
Can be read at
http://nfpa-acs-01.gvpi.net:8080/rrs...NFPASTD/7005SB
As an example, that's why the green wire nuts that let a pigtail stick
trough the end without removing the wire nut exist. Other means are
crimped on jumper which forces the grounding pigtail to be disconnected
from the fixture. Taking a wire nut off the grounds to service a fixture
is prohibited since it interrupts grounding continuity.
gerry
In the case of a receptacle, a receptacle always has only one ground
screw, so the ground is never wired through the receptacle. Detaching
the ground wire from a receptacle will never interrupt the ground
continuity. I see nothing that a green wirenut with a built-in pigtail
adds to the ground continuity over a standard wirenut with a pigtail
wire coming out of it.
Clearly you have never used them and had such work inspected. Certainly
the last outlet in a chain is an exception UNLESS it is something like a
metallic box which needs grounding.
Explain how removing a single wire from a receptacle ground connection
screw will "interfere with or intrerrupt the ground continuity" of
grounds to parts of the circuit downstream from the receptacle.
Clearly I have never used green wire nuts and have had my work inspected.
Pigtailing out a ground wire with a standard wire nut also works for a
fixture. If the fixture has its own ground wire it can be wirenutted to
the pigtail ground wire.
Pigtailing from the ground bundle with a standard wire nut does not meet
code and won't pass inspection where NEC used. (most locations)
It will meet the code anywhere the NEC (not local opinion) is enforced.
Of course, use of proper materials and workmanship is up to local
inspectors. In the three northeast states I have had work inspected in,
all required grounding to be bonded via crimp or approved grounding
devices at rough in inspection. The green nut is formally approved for
such use. Grounding is inspected at rough in prior to adding fixtures.
Maybe they are over strict or maybe they are just wise.
Let's consider the context of this thread. The original poster said he
already had a pigtail wired to his outlets. I felt it worth pointing out
he can not take off the device bonding grounds to attach the pigtail.
All too often one ground does not get connected properly again with that
approach. Everything works till someone is affected by ground fault with
no effective safety ground.
I do not doubt some locals take a more relaxed view. Is it not wise to
alert the original poster that special handling of grounds are required?
It really takes little effort to make it fairly fool proof. Why do less?
gerry
The green wirenuts subract one from the number of wires spliced but have
no other effect. Wiring can easily be done without using crimps.
Chose to ignore the NEC code if you wish. The green nuts have a hole to
extend one of the existing ground wires for use as a fixture ground.
This forces the ground to be disconnected from the fixture, taking the
green wire nut off doesn't help when servicing the fixture since it's
still connected, not a pigtail.
A wire pigtailed out from a standard wirenut can be disconnected from
the fixture in the same way. The code does not mandate that
installations be idiot-proof.
You asked for the code citation, got it.
Thanks for the cite.
bud--
--
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gerry misspelled in my email address to confuse robots