On 7/29/2019 10:53 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Monday, July 29, 2019 at 11:26:11 AM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 7/29/2019 10:02 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Monday, July 29, 2019 at 10:47:05 AM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 7/29/2019 5:42 AM, trader_4 wrote:
...

AFAIK, there never was a washing machine of that timeframe or any timeframe,
where they told you to run a separate wire between a non-existent
ground terminal in the washing machine and a cold water pipe.
He's telling you the NEC hasn't talked about grounding anything to cold
water pipes for a long time. I've never seen any washing machine that
required anything beyond the cord and plug provided.
...

Au contraire, good buddy!

"Way back when" they all had an external ground connection supplied with
vendor instructions to attach to electrical ground.

That began when there was 2-wire service and continued well past NEC
changes requiring 3-wire as the existing base of existing was the
majority of installed base.

Looks like code required three prong, grounded receptacles starting in 1947
for washing machines and similar wet locations.

Perhaps, but how many do you think actually put in a new circuit with
ground when they brought that pretty new washing machine home vis a vis
those who used the 3:2 adaptor or just put a 3-prong outlet in the box
in place of the two-prong?

Over the last 72 years? The vast majority of them, that's for sure.
And it seems that the lady in question here has a grounded three prong
receptacle based on the questions asked and that it's not supposed to have
an additional ground wire run to a cold water pipe.
....

But, the conversation had morphed to a digression and remberances of
what used to be, no longer really related to the initial question...or
at least that's the part of the conversation I was referring to when
others noted there has been that grounding connection supplied and, I,
like them, am absolutely positive I remember the manufacturer suggestion
to attach to the water pipe. Used to have a little tag on the supplied
lead come with the machine.

By now, most certainly have been but I expect if one could actually go
look, one might be surprised at how many there might still be out there
where the house either hasn't sold or if sold not subject to
re-inspection that would actually require an update to original wiring.

This house is 100 yr old and other than Dad rewired it when they did it
over in late 70s, up until then it still was 2-wire and I know for a
fact the washer and dryer were both grounded that way until then...I
remember the clamp around the cold water pipe very well from my "yute"
in what was then grandparents' basement.

Manufacturers just supplied what they knew would be needed for modicum
of safety irrespective of Code.

I seriously doubt washing machine manufacturers disregarded NEC.
See the example that follows.

Again, you're talking now and relatively recently; them days was
different era...and I'm sure the actual instructions even then
"required" the same thing but the appliance vendor cannot force the end
user to follow those instructions...so at that time they did the next
best thing they could.

Since then, as you note the landscape has changed and the majority have
had to update old installations and more recent are already ok so the
need has pretty much gone away.

But, similar thing is still true for the 3-wire vis a vis 4-wire dryer
connection...Code requires four now, but how many (like here) are still
using the 3-wire and changed the pigtail rather than the outlet when
purchased new dryer?

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