In article , "Bill" wrote:

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...
In article , "Bill"
wrote:

"Josepi" wrote in message
...
Top of what?

I apologize for not wording my question more effectively. Here's another
try:


A few months ago, the idea of a "quad in a box" as a go-anywhere power
source
was brought up.

Can one power this configuration by plugging it into a wall outlet without
violating the NEC?

Yes, of course. The NEC is concerned with services, feeders, and branch
circuits -- basically, everything between the service drop and the outlet.
What's on *your* side of the outlet is of no concern to the NEC.

Josephi - You read my mind. A pair of duplex outlets was what I had in mind
by "quad in a box". I honestly did not intend to be vague.

Doug -- Wouldn't this be considered an extension of the branch
circuit/outlet since it is an outlet itself?

No -- because it's *not* an outlet. It's an extension cord.

Maybe it's gets omitted for
being temporary.

It's not covered by the Code because it's not part of the premises wiring
system.

This same mechanism seems like the best way to add
outlets underneath the table of a workbench. Do you think that this is this
just as permissable?

Certainly. As I said before, it's just an extension cord.

I had a question concerning the ground wires in wiring a quad box in a
branch circuit (both outlets to be run in series from the same hot).

Parallel, actually, not series.

Resources I have found have been vague. My understanding includes that a
wire attached to the ground terminal of the first duplex outlet would be
pigtailed with the upstream ground wire and a wire which is screwed to the
box, and that the wire attached to the ground terminal of the second duplex
outlet would be pigtailed with the downstream ground wire and a wire which
is screwed to the (metal) box.

That's one way to do it, but certainly not the only way. The Code requires
that both grounding wires, and the grounding terminals of each outlet, and the
metal box, are all electrically connected. How you achieve that is up to you.
A more common installation would be to wire-nut together pigtails from each
outlet, both grounding conductors, and a pigtail fastened to the box.

So the box would contain exactly 2
connectors and two wires would be screwed to the box,

Yes

possibly at the same place.

NO. At different places. One wire per screw terminal.

Does this seem like the best way to you? I can think of equivalent
configurations, but this one seems good. Another possibility seems to be to
use a 3rd pigtail connecting the first two pigtail connections and connect
them to the box that way instead. Which way seems preferable to you?

Not the second one you mention here. Why use an extra pigtail if you don't
need to?

BTW, using 12-3 cable for my run, every wire I mentioned connecting in the
paragraph above would be bare (right?).

Every wire you mentioned *must* be bare, regardless of what type of cable
you're using -- but why are you using 12-3 cable? (12-3 has *four* conductors:
black, red, white, and bare.)

The NEC mandates that the grounding conductor be either:
a) uninsulated, or
b) covered with insulation which is green, or green with a yellow stripe.
NM cable is manufactured *only* with bare grounding conductors.