On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:33:27 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:34:14 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:21:28 -0400, wrote:


You were always allowed to use the tab for grounding if at least one
of the fiber, screw retention, washers was removed and the tab was
made up tight to a metal box. (not hanging out on "drywall ears")
What changed was the product. As Trader points out, newer spec grade
devices have a metal spring in one of the mounting tabs that makes
direct contact with the mounting screw and gives you a better ground.
It is legal but I am still not sure I would trust my life to it with
anything but a GFCI, although an Arc Fault breaker is to some extent a
GFCI. It operates at a 30ma level on a ground fault.

I do not disagree with what you have written. However, I have seen
many older installations with poorly grounded or ungrounded boxes.

My perspective of code is; it is the bare minimum acceptable to pass
inspection. If one makes good, wired ground connections, with a
degree of redundancy, it will not only meet code, but exceed it.

Ungrounded boxes have not been legal since the Eisenhower
administration but I agree there has always been bad workmanship and
sloppy inspection.

Well, he is in Mass with metal boxes so, who knows how old his
electrical system is?