Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite

Inside a metal electrical box, can I use multiple ground clips (one for each conductor), or is it required that all ground conductors be twisted together and pigtailed into the same clip?

share|improve this question
I can't speak for code, but technically, the results would be the same. – DA01 Oct 5 '12 at 20:45
@DA01 yes, I know the results would be the same :D In fact, just wrapping the ground conductors against the box's wire clamps would have the same results... I'm asking about what's correct – Matthew Oct 5 '12 at 20:47
1  
"I'm asking about what's correct" = but that's making the assumption that code is always 'correct'. ;) – DA01 Oct 5 '12 at 20:48
Fair enough! :-) – Matthew Oct 5 '12 at 20:49
@DA01 if your goal is to pass inspection and/or avoid legal problems, then that's a pretty good assumption. – derobert Oct 12 '12 at 18:04
show 1 more comment

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote accepted

If you are carrying ground from one cable to the next, you should pigtail them. The ground clips are there to ground the box, not carry the ground to another cable; if one were to become disconnected, you would lose the ground in the circuit.

I prefer a screw connection in metal boxes over a ground clip.

Oh, and instead of a pigtail, you can use one of the green wire nuts with a hole in the center; that lets you pigtail with a bit less effort.

share|improve this answer
I have been attaching the line ground to the screw and the load ground to the clip. I'll check out green wire nuts – Matthew Oct 6 '12 at 4:45

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.