NEC 250-148
 

Inspection failed....... Some simple things easy to fix, but one
thing the inspector noted has me confused. He said ALL grounds in a
gang box must be connected. I understand grounding is important, and
maybe I misunderstood what he meant by ALL. Example..... I have a
four gang box that controls four sets of lights, on 2 different
circuits. So far we have 6 gounds in the box. There is also one
receptacle that is wired from this box too. So now we have 7 gounds,
add the four pigtails for the four switches and now we have 11!!! How
in the world do you connect 11 grounds in a wire nut??? Not possible
is it??? Currently there are three of the switches on one circuit,
and the other switch and the receptacle on the other. First circuit,
three switches plus the hot leg and pigtails is 7 which is really
pushing it in a wirenut anyway, the second circuit has the other
switch, the receptacle, the hot leg and the pigrail for said switch,
there's our other four. I know all grounds in a circuit must be
connected, but are you supposed to ground 2 different circuits
together???? Please help! It's cold as you know what and this is
holding up my insulation!!

Thanks in advance!!!

NEC 250-148
 

If each circuit has its own ground, you can have two groups of connected
grounds. You don't have to use wire nuts, you could use crimps and just
leave one long tail, which you bounce from switch to switch in the box



wrote in message
ups.com...
Inspection failed....... Some simple things easy to fix, but one
thing the inspector noted has me confused. He said ALL grounds in a
gang box must be connected. I understand grounding is important, and
maybe I misunderstood what he meant by ALL. Example..... I have a
four gang box that controls four sets of lights, on 2 different
circuits. So far we have 6 gounds in the box. There is also one
receptacle that is wired from this box too. So now we have 7 gounds,
add the four pigtails for the four switches and now we have 11!!! How
in the world do you connect 11 grounds in a wire nut??? Not possible
is it??? Currently there are three of the switches on one circuit,
and the other switch and the receptacle on the other. First circuit,
three switches plus the hot leg and pigtails is 7 which is really
pushing it in a wirenut anyway, the second circuit has the other
switch, the receptacle, the hot leg and the pigrail for said switch,
there's our other four. I know all grounds in a circuit must be
connected, but are you supposed to ground 2 different circuits
together???? Please help! It's cold as you know what and this is
holding up my insulation!!

Thanks in advance!!!

NEC 250-148
 

On Jan 30, 10:52 pm, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote:
If each circuit has its own ground, you can have two groups of connected
grounds. You don't have to use wire nuts, you could use crimps and just
leave one long tail, which you bounce from switch to switch in the box

2 things
so you don't need to connect ALL grounds in a box, just the ones that
will be on the same circuit ( yes each circuit has it's own ground
terminated at the main panel )
and NEC does not require a separate pigtail for each equipment ground?

Thanks again!!

NEC 250-148
 

No, as long as all the circuit grounds are spliced or crimped together, one
tail sticking out, connecting all the switches, outlets, etc in that box, on
that circuit is fine. That's assuming your using plastic boxes, if they're
steel, you only need to connect the tail to the box



wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jan 30, 10:52 pm, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote:
If each circuit has its own ground, you can have two groups of connected
grounds. You don't have to use wire nuts, you could use crimps and just
leave one long tail, which you bounce from switch to switch in the box

2 things
so you don't need to connect ALL grounds in a box, just the ones that
will be on the same circuit ( yes each circuit has it's own ground
terminated at the main panel )
and NEC does not require a separate pigtail for each equipment ground?

Thanks again!!

NEC 250-148
 

Plastic boxes. Another example, two gang box with two mid run 4 way
switches, each again on a separate circuit
plastic box, connect only the grounds from each circuit separately
correct??

I guess my real question would be, won't mixing grounds from separate
circuits cause more problems than it would
solve?

Thanks again

NEC 250-148
 

Probably wouldn't make any difference at all, but the code reads that
essentially all the grounds associated with a circuit must be connected
together


wrote in message
ups.com...
Plastic boxes. Another example, two gang box with two mid run 4 way
switches, each again on a separate circuit
plastic box, connect only the grounds from each circuit separately
correct??

I guess my real question would be, won't mixing grounds from separate
circuits cause more problems than it would
solve?

Thanks again

NEC 250-148
 

That's the concept i was working off of. I think the inspector may
have looked in a box that i hadn't put the final switch in yet.
They do rough in inspections a little different in ohio than in
kansas, both use NEC, but the Columbus inspectors are wanting
to see all the connections made before they'll sign off on the rough.
Just more work for me as usual.

Thanks for the help. For a minute i thought i was going crazy!

NEC 250-148
 

On Jan 30, 8:21 pm, wrote:
That's the concept i was working off of. I think the inspector may
have looked in a box that i hadn't put the final switch in yet.
They do rough in inspections a little different in ohio than in
kansas, both use NEC, but the Columbus inspectors are wanting
to see all the connections made before they'll sign off on the rough.
Just more work for me as usual.

Thanks for the help. For a minute i thought i was going crazy!

All grounds MUST be connected together unless you have an isolated
ground receptacle in which case it would be isolated from the rest
until it gets back to the main service panel. Four switches and a
feed to a receptacle would involve seven ground wires tied together,
not sure where the eleven came into play, unless I misunderstood. As
a previous poster stated, you do not need to use wirenuts, crimps or
listed ground clamps work as well.

NEC 250-148
 

I have used grounding bars inside boxes. They do come in different
sizes. Just bolt one to the box and then it's real easy to put all
your wires to the bar. They do make them in different sizes, and I
have used ones as small as 4 position. Makes for amuch neater
install.

Like this one
http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/p...9_front200.jpg

NEC 250-148
 

RBM wrote:
If each circuit has its own ground, you can have two groups of connected
grounds. You don't have to use wire nuts, you could use crimps and just
leave one long tail, which you bounce from switch to switch in the box

Or you can use multiple wirenuts with extra wires connecting the wirenut
groups together.

--
bud--

NEC 250-148
 

On 30 Jan 2007 20:07:57 -0800, wrote:

Plastic boxes. Another example, two gang box with two mid run 4 way
switches, each again on a separate circuit
plastic box, connect only the grounds from each circuit separately
correct??

I guess my real question would be, won't mixing grounds from separate
circuits cause more problems than it would
solve?

If there's any current on the ground, you've already
got problems. The ground wire is only there to keep
that problem from killing you before you fix it.

NEC 250-148
 

On 30 Jan 2007 19:45:54 -0800, wrote:

Inspection failed....... Some simple things easy to fix, but one
thing the inspector noted has me confused. He said ALL grounds in a
gang box must be connected. I understand grounding is important, and
maybe I misunderstood what he meant by ALL. Example..... I have a
four gang box that controls four sets of lights, on 2 different
circuits. So far we have 6 gounds in the box. There is also one
receptacle that is wired from this box too. So now we have 7 gounds,
add the four pigtails for the four switches and now we have 11!!! How
in the world do you connect 11 grounds in a wire nut??? Not possible
is it??? Currently there are three of the switches on one circuit,
and the other switch and the receptacle on the other. First circuit,
three switches plus the hot leg and pigtails is 7 which is really
pushing it in a wirenut anyway, the second circuit has the other
switch, the receptacle, the hot leg and the pigrail for said switch,
there's our other four. I know all grounds in a circuit must be
connected, but are you supposed to ground 2 different circuits
together???? Please help! It's cold as you know what and this is
holding up my insulation!!

Thanks in advance!!!


If you didn't cut your grounds short, you can crimp them all under a
large enough barrel, and then trim them back leaving 4 free ends to
attach to your devices.

Just a guess.....


tom @ www.BlankHelp.com

NEC 250-148
 

On 30 Jan 2007 20:21:39 -0800, wrote:

That's the concept i was working off of. I think the inspector may
have looked in a box that i hadn't put the final switch in yet.
They do rough in inspections a little different in ohio than in
kansas, both use NEC, but the Columbus inspectors are wanting
to see all the connections made before they'll sign off on the rough.
Just more work for me as usual.

Thanks for the help. For a minute i thought i was going crazy!





For the sake of not having to guess what he means, just connect them
all together. I just remembered, Ideal sells push in connectors,
In-Sure Push-In Wire Connectors. They have an 8 port one, to get all
7 of your grounds in, and one long tail to connect all your devices
to.

Once again just a guess.

tom @ www.Consolidated-Loans.info