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I just installed two Lutron Caseta switches in a 2-gang switch box. When I opened the box, I was expecting to find a separate ground wire to each switch. However, what I found was a single ground wire that was looped over the green screw on switch #1 and then connected to the green screw on switch #2. This wire was tied into a bundle of ground wires from the loads and from the source that was tied together with a wire nut.

When I installed the new switches, I tied the green wire from new switch #2 to the end of the ground wire (with a wire nut), and I tied the green wire from new switch #1 into the bundle of ground wires that was pigtailed together.

Was this OK?

UPDATE: The ground wire bundle was actually connected with a butt splice wire nut, and the single wire coming out of the end was the long wire that went to the two switches. After I installed the new switches, I just tied the long wire and the two greens from the switches with a wire nut.

Based on @KH's comment I also realized the wire nut holding all the neutrals was too small, so I added a pigtail using the short yellow 14 AWG wire that came with the Lutron starter kit, moved one of the original neutrals into it, and added the two whites from the switches.

I'm pretty confident all of this was OK but feel free to comment. Here's a photo of the new setup:

enter image description here

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    Can you post a photo of the inside of the box please? It's not clear from your description if the looped ground wire was connected to the bundle of grounds
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 0:46
  • Yes, it is OK. All grounds, feeder wire, box, switch, should be properly connected together. Yo can make pigtail from each and connect them together.
    – user263983
    Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 0:47
  • @ThreePhaseEel I can't post a photo at the moment, but yes, the looped ground wire was connected to the bundle of grounds.
    – LarrySnyder610
    Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 0:48
  • If you can eventually get around to it, adding a picture wouldn't hurt, but it's worth noting you shouldn't overload a wire nut, so check the capacity of the large bundle you added to, and make sure the nut you used for the 2 wire splice is small enough. @user263983 why not write an answer and build up a few points?
    – K H
    Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 1:33
  • @KH Thanks -- actually I'm pretty sure the wire nut is too small for that bundle, so I'm going to have to fix that. It's getting awfully crowded in that box... so I'm going to have to fix that too ...
    – LarrySnyder610
    Commented Apr 16, 2021 at 10:22

2 Answers 2

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All grounds should be connected together. You can make pigtails from box screw, each switch and connect it all together with feeder ground. If you using wire nuts, they have different sizes and capacity usually written on package. Just choose properly size, it is going with number.

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Even though this post is old I'm going to comment anyways for those seeking answers and it's a simple fix for op too. I would recommend an extension ring for 2 reasons #1 give you more room in the box #2 bring the box flush with Sheetrock. Both reasons will help when passing code. Really you should get a deeper "old work" box. Trust your instincts, if it's not sitting well with you, there's probably a good reason for it.

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