knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
I have been reading on all sort of issues and remedies that people
have been suggesting for adding a 3rd ground wire to the outlets. since the ductwork is steel, as long as you run downstairs and ground the ductwork to the panel ground, can't you just connect the 3rd wire of the outlets to the nearest duct outlet using a metal screw? if this is against the code, is there any reason why? I'm assuming the ducting is as good a conductor as a 14 wire. |
knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
wrote in message oups.com... I have been reading on all sort of issues and remedies that people have been suggesting for adding a 3rd ground wire to the outlets. since the ductwork is steel, as long as you run downstairs and ground the ductwork to the panel ground, can't you just connect the 3rd wire of the outlets to the nearest duct outlet using a metal screw? if this is against the code, is there any reason why? I'm assuming the ducting is as good a conductor as a 14 wire. On the off chance this isn't a troll- Bad Assumption. There are many, many joints in the ductwork, not all metal to metal in all cases, but all rusting away for many years, and all flexing year round with air pressure, temp, and humidity changes. Even if it tests out fine at 4 pm, at 2 am after the system cools down, it may or may not have a reliable connection. Better to have a known ungrounded system, than a system with an erratic ground. Rewire it properly, or live with it as is. Not to mention all the usual cautions about code violations, inability to sell the house like that, and the insurance company laughing at you if there is a fire. aem sends.... |
knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
On Apr 25, 9:30 am, wrote:
I have been reading on all sort of issues and remedies that people have been suggesting for adding a 3rd ground wire to the outlets. since the ductwork is steel, as long as you run downstairs and ground the ductwork to the panel ground, can't you just connect the 3rd wire of the outlets to the nearest duct outlet using a metal screw? if this is against the code, is there any reason why? I'm assuming the ducting is as good a conductor as a 14 wire. I do not think this is a very good idea. If you have a ground fault the metal duct will be energized that that can be hazardous. The correct way it pulling a ground wire through the conduit and connecting it to the ground bar in the panel as well as also bonding the metal conduit to the ground wire. |
knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
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knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
On Apr 26, 3:11 am, Rookie_Remodeler wrote:
On Apr 25, 9:30 am, wrote: I have been reading on all sort of issues and remedies that people have been suggesting for adding a 3rd ground wire to the outlets. since the ductwork is steel, as long as you run downstairs and ground the ductwork to the panel ground, can't you just connect the 3rd wire of the outlets to the nearest duct outlet using a metal screw? if this is against the code, is there any reason why? I'm assuming the ducting is as good a conductor as a 14 wire. I do not think this is a very good idea. If you have a ground fault the metal duct will be energized that that can be hazardous. The correct way it pulling a ground wire through the conduit and connecting it to the ground bar in the panel as well as also bonding the metal conduit to the ground wire. Pulling the ground wire through what conduit? He has ductwork, not a conduit. Using a duct for a ground is not only a very bad idea, it's also a code violation and will get quickly flagged on any home inspection. |
knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:22:39 -0500 from Chris Hill chill_mapsfree_000
@centurytel.net: Why? It was safe enough in the past without a ground wire. If you want more safety, install a gfci and be done with it; if you mark it "no equipment ground" it might even meet code. Funnily enough, at my home maintenance class tonight the teacher happened to mention that grounding is good but GFCI provides similar protection if grounding is impractical.(*) He said if it's not actually grounded it must be stickered but will then meet code. (*) The class is aimed at people who bought existing homes, especially older homes, so there may be only two-connector wire in the wals and rewiring would be a considerable expnse. -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ |
knob and tube, 3rd ground wire, galvanized ductwork
On Apr 26, 8:41 pm, Stan Brown wrote:
Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:22:39 -0500 from Chris Hill chill_mapsfree_000 @centurytel.net: Why? It was safe enough in the past without a ground wire. If you want more safety, install a gfci and be done with it; if you mark it "no equipment ground" it might even meet code. Funnily enough, at my home maintenance class tonight the teacher happened to mention that grounding is good but GFCI provides similar protection if grounding is impractical.(*) A GFCI doesn't provide similar protection to grounding. With grounding, you could grab a hot wire in one hand, grab the ground with the other and the circuit will not trip unless you exceed the breaker rating, 15 amps, 20, etc.. which is several orders of magnitude more than it takes to kill you. With a GFCI, a few milliamps of current flow, far less than it takes to kill you, from hot to ground will trip it. Grounding basicly makes sure that any metal components of a fixture or 3 pronged appliance will not be at a higher potential than surrounding metal, like a wall plate or water pipe. But the protection of a GFCI is far superior. A hair dryer falling into a sink or bathtub is a classic example of an accident that a GFCI can save you from, but a grounded outlet will not. He said if it's not actually grounded it must be stickered but will then meet code. That's interesting. I'm not aware of any code reqt to go back and label existing old non grounded outlets. And I'm sure you can't put in new ones and pass inspection, with or without a label. (*) The class is aimed at people who bought existing homes, especially older homes, so there may be only two-connector wire in the wals and rewiring would be a considerable expnse. -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ |
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