Also in the garage you need a GFI.


"Chantecleer" wrote in
message
news:emV0YW4=.3013f1f3b671a81a020274e8938daf46@107 2909957.cotse.net...

Have a question on Electrical outlet grounding. Hope you guys can
help me out.

I'm pretty new to Home repairs but learning fast. I had ran into a
small
item that I cannot seem to accept. Namely, grounding an outlet.

I had replaced an old two prong outlet with a 3 prong in the
garage. The
original was not grounded, obviously. I was told by the "Guy" at
Home Depot
that the only thing I had needed to do to ground the outlet was to
connect
the GREEN screw to the metal casing I had got to install the plug
in. The
old casing was thrown away. I got one of them industrial metal
casings and
screwed it to the Drywall in the garage.

For the life of me, I don't see how the outlet is grounded. The
"Guy" says,
as long as it is to 'metal' I'm grounded. The House is grounded with
an 8
foot copper bar to the Main breaker box. But the metal box, is just
to the
drywall. Also am worried about arcing. The Hot lead and the Neutral
are in
this box, and both screws are about 1/4 inch away from the casing.
Is this a
cause for alarm? Should it be insulated away somehow?

On the outlet, I had connected a #8 piece of copper wire to the
metal
casing, and the green screw.

Am I grounded on this outlet?

Many thanks,

Chantecleer