All Questions
1,077 questions
1
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3
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176
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Do I need to ground the junction box for a security light/camera?
I used an existing Romex cable that was not connected to anything (it has power bc I tested with a non contact tester). I drilled through my plaster wall and fed the cable to the outside.
I added an ...
- 5,156
3
votes
1
answer
304
views
Stove plug wiring
This guy was installing a stove plug and the only wires inside were size 6 and 2 hots and a ground and he split the ground wires in half and put half on the neutral screw and half on the ground screw ...
- 39
5
votes
2
answers
436
views
Why is my electrical panel buzzing?
I hope you can help me identify where this is coming from. First my electrical is all metallic with 2 wires only, and ground via metal conduit.
After some troubleshooting I've found the following:
On ...
- 89
7
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Should I cut or detach a ground wire for a light fixture to remove it?
I have a chain hung luminaire light fixture in bathroom. I am replacing light fixture and the ground wire is preventing me from removing it. Cut it?
I have heard different things to remedy the ...
- 73
0
votes
2
answers
110
views
How do I safely ground and bond my circuit?
I'm trying to design and install a very simple little off grid power setup for a one room cabin. It would have a main solar power source and a backup generator. I'm trying to design a simple AC ...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
97
views
Can I connect a ground rod to a wire on my backyard
Long story short, my mom's kitchen got a renovation, the house had no ground (old house), the electrician punt the colored wires correctly including a ground that I asked him to, but now that they are ...
- 147
0
votes
0
answers
63
views
Is there an earth bridge missing in my PV installation?
In the DC installation depicted in the following image, is there a bridge missing in the earth distribution in the center? The top right earth wire is coming from the potential distribution rail ...
- 1
0
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0
answers
29
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Static shock on a device on a different circuit causes PC keyboard backlight to blink
When I touch an electric space heater, sometimes there'll be a static discharge. No big deal but what's odd is that every time this happens, the backlights on a USB keyboard plugged into a PC blink ...
- 103
5
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Does every single ground wire in a box have to connect to every other ground wire within the confines of that same box on one branch circuit?
I have a 3-gang plastic box with six conductors that enter the box; three line-side, three load-side, and they pass through the three switches in pairs of two.
The load-side wires are all on the same ...
- 409
1
vote
1
answer
95
views
Will running a wire from a PSU screw to my metal window sill do anything?
I recently moved into an old apartment with no ground in the wiring. An electrician checked, and it needs to be retrofitted for ground. This requires approval. In the meantime, I need my work station ...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
99
views
Proper Connections for a Light Switch
I had an electrician out this weekend and he replaced 3 light switches. I just opened two of them to check and I noticed that none of the wires are wrapped around the two gold screws or the green ...
- 1
3
votes
2
answers
229
views
Grounding for junction box above panel
I'm planning to mount a 12x12x6 junction box above my new panel to extend some wires that do not reach into my new panel and add CT's for energy monitoring. I saw an electrician on Youtube that ...
- 707
12
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does NEC allow a metal box to carry the ground connection between separate conductors?
I found this box:
You can see that most of the conductors have their grounds crimped together in the deep part of the box.
A box extension was added to this at some point, so it is rather deep, but ...
- 409
1
vote
0
answers
130
views
How to properly ground panel box if I'm replacing all copper with PEX?
So I've got a 1950s house and I'm in the planning stages of a project to replace all the copper plumbing with PEX. The copper is in really bad shape, there are ancient gate valves all over the place ...
2
votes
2
answers
268
views
Emergency Disconnect Ground Questions
I want to start by saying I’m not an electrician. I’m building my own home and I’m doing the electrical myself. This is completely legal in my state of Maine. I have a question on how to properly ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
117
views
Neutral Ground Bonding with 2 Main Breakers
My electrical service has a meter outside, followed immediately by a 200A breaker, then feeder wires head into my basement and supply a “main” panel with another 200a main breaker. This main panel has ...
1
vote
1
answer
102
views
Ground rod to exterior disconnect panel routing & panel attachment
I'm getting my shop power reconnected after prior storm damage and the inspector said he'd need to see a ground rod connection to the panel. I've included pictures of the existing ground rod though it ...
- 155
1
vote
0
answers
45
views
Low-voltage Wires Alongside a Grounding Electrode Conductor?
I have a bare copper Grounding Electrode Conductor running from my main panel to my main water supply in a well room (about 60 ft away). It passes through quite a few holes in my joists on its way, ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
792
views
Ground wire not connected to light switch
I'm replacing my 3 way light switch and noticed that there is no ground screw on the existing light switch and the bare ground wire is just tucked in the back of the plastic switch box.
My new switch ...
- 21
1
vote
0
answers
72
views
LED power supply with no ground, on what looks like a GFCI breaker
I am installing 12V LED strip lighting in 5 closets of my home. My intention is to use a single Mean Well HLG-185H-12A power supply in the attic, and then run low voltage wire to each closet through a ...
- 151
1
vote
1
answer
123
views
Junction box from main to subpanel - what to do?
I am doing a DIY 400A service upgrade and I would like to get some vetting on my work before the utility connects it and the city inspects it. The meter/main combo is outside behind this wall of the ...
- 983
0
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1
answer
117
views
Grounding Brass Fixture
The light fixture has no grounding wire attached. Since it’s all brass and going on the porch I think the exterior must be grounded. Do I just affix a wire to the metal somehow? Probably at the ...
- 103
0
votes
1
answer
495
views
replacing my old galvanized pipes with pex, what do i do with the ground wires
so ive got galvanized water lines servicing my house, along with that 6 or 7 wires that are clamped to the pipes,im going to relace everything with pex, im pretty sure i cant just clamp the wires back ...
- 1
2
votes
0
answers
83
views
How do I get my grounding up to code? Subpanel is missing grounding connector
I have a bit of a situation with my interior subpanel not being grounded properly.
The interior subpanel does not receive a ground wire from the main service panel where it is grounded (to the water ...
- 51
1
vote
0
answers
73
views
What's a tidy way to transition a THHN ground wire out of EMT?
For some networking equipment (PoE security cameras, PoE IoT devices, outside point-to-point wireless links to other locations) that will be mounted on the perimeter and roof of my residence, I'm ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
109
views
grounding rigid conduit (RMC)
Does a run of electrical rigid metal conduit (RMC) need to be grounded at both ends, if I am not using it as the circuit ground ?
For context, I am putting a electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) ...
- 2,757
0
votes
1
answer
56
views
any gotchas when adding extra exterior ground
I have an old house with a single external ground: a thick multi strand silver colored wire bonded to rebar. Current electrical code in many jurisdictions ask for two ground rods, not less than 6 ft. ...
0
votes
1
answer
35
views
Safety of direct bonding to exterior ground for CSST
The instructions for my yellow CSST propane line require it to be bonded where the service enters my home. They also specify not to bond at two points, and not to bond at the appliance. The appliance ...
0
votes
0
answers
83
views
Electric wiring for new LED lights when missing ground wire
I am changing basement lights to new LEDs.
The old light fixtures turned on/off via pull string and only two wires (white/black). The new LEDs are the same with the addition of a ground wire.
My ...
3
votes
1
answer
459
views
What to do with ground wire downstream from ungrounded GFCI?
I am replacing an ungrounded receptacle with a GFCI receptacle, and I will be adding two new receptacles downstream from the GFCI receptacle.
In another post, someone had quoted from one of the code ...
- 33
0
votes
1
answer
5k
views
No Ground Wire in Light Fixture Box
I am changing out my dimmer switch that has not worked in years. When I opened it I do not see where I can connect the dimmer box ground wire to anything. The dual switch next to the dimmer does not ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
199
views
What kind of clamps are used to attach a main panel's grounding wire to two grounding rods?
The grounding clamps I've seen online (see pic) don't seem suited to attaching a main panel's grounding wire to two grounding rods; the orientation of the part of the clamp that grips the wire does ...
- 2,032
1
vote
2
answers
164
views
Ground backstabbed into neutral with neutral on ground terminal on a series outlet?
1960s build, electrical redone with a 200 A Siemens panel (where each breaker is labeled with/serves two circuits) about 15ish years ago.
Replacing a receptacle, I came across this series outlet with ...
- 629
0
votes
1
answer
467
views
Wiring grounds from two separate circuits
I am trying to build a rack that has two loads and each load will be powered from a separate circuit. Please see my diagram for reference. Grounding the two enclosure boxes is pretty straightforward.
...
- 15
1
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0
answers
100
views
Grounding question: Honda eu7000is generator connected through PG&E backup power transfer meter
Earlier this year PG&E installed a free backup power transfer meter at our California property (info sheet here). Using the cable supplied with the meter, it connects our Honda eu7000is inverter ...
- 31
6
votes
1
answer
705
views
How can I make sure I have a ground wire connection for my range?
I recently replaced my electric range. While doing so I notice that the previous range had neutral and ground bridged, even though it had a 4-wire cord. I'm now a little bit insecure about what to do, ...
- 63
0
votes
0
answers
31
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No Grounding Screw When Installing Ring Floodlight [duplicate]
**`I’m installing a Ring Floodlight at an existing light fixture, but there is no grounding screw to attach the green grounding wire from the Ring onto.
Is my best option to attach the Ring grounding ...
- 1
4
votes
2
answers
378
views
How to connect ground from smart switch to the metal junction box
how do I connect the ground wires from my Kasa smart switches to the metal junction box? As shown in photos, the four screws at the back of the j box already have copper wires under. Can I just add a ...
- 47
0
votes
0
answers
78
views
Electric water heater grounding wire not connected
While replacing an element in my electric water heater, I noticed this wire, which is attached to the shell of the water heater, is just sitting in the lower element area, without being attached to ...
- 135
19
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Sketchy looking electrical outlet
I am updating older beige outlets to new white ones around my house. I saw this one has the grounding wire stabbed into the back and white wire not connected.
What the heck is going on here? Any ...
- 191
0
votes
1
answer
194
views
What size wire, breaker, and panel do I need for my shed?
My shed is approximately 200ft from my main inside breaker panel in my house. Shed size is 20x20.
I want good lighting, approximately 8-10 120V plugs, and one 240V plug.
What size wire, size of inside ...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
227
views
Can the neutral wire be grounded at a manhole (before the service disconnect)?
Consider the following scenario. A 240/120-V split-phase overhead service. The service conductors from the pole-mounted utility-owned transformer come overhead with a guy wire. They enter a weather ...
- 143
0
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0
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5k
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Does a lighting fixture without a ground wire need one? [duplicate]
I just bought a lighting fixture (a LED light) that has a power and a neutral line, but no ground. Is this typical for newer low power lighting, or is this lighting fixture just trash?
There are no ...
- 45
1
vote
0
answers
487
views
Where should I attach the ground wire in a recessed light?
I have a recessed can light on the 1st floor with e26 light bulb (Below are pictures) and want to upgrade to LED. I have the LED with metal box and have a green grounded wire. I do not see a place to ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
116
views
Proper grounding of old fuse panel now turned J-Box
I am working on my old house from the early 1900s. It has 100A service, a 6x15A FUSE panel that was turned into a sub panel powered by 2x 20A circuits from a small "newer" 100A breaker panel....
3
votes
0
answers
168
views
Does an original service disconnect without neutral bonding violate code?
Single family home built in 1987. Question is regarding the as-built: Is it grandfathered and does not be updated?
There is no neutral-ground bond in the 100A breaker equipped main service disconnect ...
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Do I have to run the #4 bare copper ground wire continuous with out a break in the wire from the new 200amp outside meter/main panel combo to the 2 g
Continued from question, do I have to go from meter/main combo to the 2 ground rods ,then back inside connect to outside part of my copper water line,then back to the existing 100amp main breaker box, ...
- 41
3
votes
2
answers
386
views
Is there a way to check if your breaker box is grounded?
I've got an old home, built in 1945. I assume the electrical box in the basement isn't that old. There's a ground to the main water line entry. There's also this other wire that looks like a ground ...
- 716
0
votes
3
answers
504
views
Connecting a smart switch ground wire to a metal junction box
I try to connect a smart switch with an integral ground wire.
There is no ground wire connected to my old switch.
Can I connect the integral ground wire to the small hole circled in red in my photo. ...
- 47
0
votes
1
answer
450
views
Why Surge Protection Device (SDP) fails and how to deal with that [closed]
The power surge from the electrical line has taken out electrical appliances from many houses not sure if it's a power sub station fault or primary lightning strike on power pole.
But some of the ...
- 127