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#1
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes.
Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? I don't have any solid green wire on hand but I've got a whole spool of 12 Gauge green insulated stranded copper wire. I know a foot or two of solid green wire is not a major expense. I just hate to drive to Lowes' if the stranded wire I already have is acceptable. |
#2
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
"Josh" wrote in message ... I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes. Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? I don't have any solid green wire on hand but I've got a whole spool of 12 Gauge green insulated stranded copper wire. I know a foot or two of solid green wire is not a major expense. I just hate to drive to Lowes' if the stranded wire I already have is acceptable. Stranded is fine |
#3
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
RBM wrote:
"Josh" wrote in message ... I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes. Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? I don't have any solid green wire on hand but I've got a whole spool of 12 Gauge green insulated stranded copper wire. I know a foot or two of solid green wire is not a major expense. I just hate to drive to Lowes' if the stranded wire I already have is acceptable. Stranded is fine Dumb question- why does code now require that little jumper wire? From the time grounded residential wiring became normal (late 50s to early 60s?), to the time I quit hanging around on active construction sites(late 70s), SOP was metal boxes, with the bond wire wrapped around the romex jacket and captured under the metal strain reliefs. Outlet was grounded by virtue of the metal device ears being screwed directly to the metal box ears. When and why did that stop being good enough any more? -- aem sends... |
#4
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
"aemeijers" wrote in message ... RBM wrote: "Josh" wrote in message ... I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes. Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? I don't have any solid green wire on hand but I've got a whole spool of 12 Gauge green insulated stranded copper wire. I know a foot or two of solid green wire is not a major expense. I just hate to drive to Lowes' if the stranded wire I already have is acceptable. Stranded is fine Dumb question- why does code now require that little jumper wire? From the time grounded residential wiring became normal (late 50s to early 60s?), to the time I quit hanging around on active construction sites(late 70s), SOP was metal boxes, with the bond wire wrapped around the romex jacket and captured under the metal strain reliefs. Outlet was grounded by virtue of the metal device ears being screwed directly to the metal box ears. When and why did that stop being good enough any more? -- aem sends... It was around that time that grounding receptacles became the code, and the Nec decided that the undersized copper wire in the romex should become equal sized and have a proper termination to the box. I suppose at the same time, they felt that the attaching screws of receptacles weren't adequate for grounding purposes, and introduced the grounding conductor pigtail. Today, there are a number of acceptable methods including self-grounding receptacles, which have a small spring that contacts the attaching screws for better conduction |
#5
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
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#6
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
In article , Josh wrote:
I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes. Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? No, and it doesn't have to have green insulation either. A solid bare wire is fine. |
#7
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Green Stranded Wire for Outlet Ground?
On Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:48:14 -0400, aemeijers
wrote: RBM wrote: "Josh" wrote in message ... I'm adding a couple of outlets in my kitchen, and using metal boxes. Does the short insulated green wire which grounds the outlet to the box HAVE to be solid to comply with the electrical code? I don't have any solid green wire on hand but I've got a whole spool of 12 Gauge green insulated stranded copper wire. I know a foot or two of solid green wire is not a major expense. I just hate to drive to Lowes' if the stranded wire I already have is acceptable. Stranded is fine Dumb question- why does code now require that little jumper wire? From the time grounded residential wiring became normal (late 50s to early 60s?), to the time I quit hanging around on active construction sites(late 70s), SOP was metal boxes, with the bond wire wrapped around the romex jacket and captured under the metal strain reliefs. Outlet was grounded by virtue of the metal device ears being screwed directly to the metal box ears. When and why did that stop being good enough any more? Long ago they started putting "bonding screws" on the boxes - pinching the ground under the clamp is a very poor quality ground connection. As for the ground, by code it does not need to be insulated, and if uninsulated does not need to be green. If bare wire is used, make sure it stys on the neutral (white wire) side of the outlet. |
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