Questions tagged [ground]

For questions about stuff physically in or on the ground. Questions about electrical grounding and/or bonding should use [grounding] instead.

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Is it required to connect ground wire to light switch?

I'm installing a new rocker light switch. When I removed the old light switch I noticed that the ground wire was not connected. I also noticed that the other switch for the fan also does not have the ...
ptownbro's user avatar
  • 127
0 votes
1 answer
51 views

Junction box config question (copper wires are braided together and not attached)

Installing a new rocker style switch and the junction box had one two black wires connected to the existing switch (hot and neutral) In the box there’s two copper wires braided together and two white ...
Ebond's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
219 views

How do I figure out why I have current on electrical panel ground line?

I live in Maryland in a house built in 2007. The house has 400A service so I have two main panels of 200A each. There are two electrical service lines, one for each panel and two solid copper ground ...
clairefromperth's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
90 views

Can flexible conduit be used inside PVC conduit?

Can 3/4" Liquid Tight Non Metallic Flexible Conduit be run inside a PVC Sch 40 and buried 18" below ground for extra water tight for electrical wires (3 of 6awg and 1 of 10g bare copper)? ...
wyciwug's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
32 views

Should I ground the housing of an ungrounded well pump motor?

I have a 25 year old deep water well pump with no ground. Two wires run 240v to the motor. Should I ground the body then run that to a ground?
Nathan  Jenkins's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
104 views

How to ground 240v generator

I have a four-pin plug from my generator (240v/30A) that I would like to connect to an outlet, which is only serviced by three wires - two hot wires and a bare copper ground or neutral wire. The ...
Tom's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
0 answers
15 views

Placing drain pipe below pavement [duplicate]

In this picture you can see a paved path separating a flower bed on the near side and a drainage trench on the far side. The pavement sits in a bed of compacted gravel, and is held in place by two ...
Philipp's user avatar
  • 251
4 votes
1 answer
942 views

New installation Shower room has sewer smell. Flushing toilet causes gurgling & vacuum in shower drain

Newly Installed ground floor Shower room has sewer smell.Flushing toilet causes gurgling & vacuum in shower drain
Margaret's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
89 views

Updating old 2 prong outlets to GFCI

I recently purchased an older home in New Jersey and am trying to pass a certificate of occupancy inspection. Part of the requirements is to update all outlets in bathrooms/kitchen/basement to GFCI. ...
farmer jake's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
649 views

Are the NEMA 10-30 to 14-30 adapters with the extra ground wire valid/legal to use and still adhere to code?

I know the correct answer is to always run a separate ground wire to properly upgrade a 10-30 receptacle to a 14-30 receptacle. However I noticed amazon sells many of these adapters which instruct ...
Fred's user avatar
  • 53
0 votes
4 answers
75 views

Provide another example in which a metal appliance can become energized besides the hot wire coming in contact with the metal frame of the appliance

A dangerous situation where no ground path is available is typically cited as the hot wire coming in contact with the metal frame of an appliance and thus energizing it and potentially shocking or ...
Fred's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
98 views

How does lightning get to your ground rods directly without first traveling through your electrical system and then back through neutral/ground?

Let's say there is a lightning strike on a nearby power line and the excessive voltage/current makes it to your house. I often read that grounding rods are there to protect against surges like ...
Fred's user avatar
  • 53
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

Is my understanding of why ground is bonded to neutral (vs not being bonded at all) on a 3 prong dryer connection correct?

I understand the need for a separate ground path back to the panel to trip the breaker on a ground fault when possible. For dryers that connect to a NEMA 10-30R, the manufacturer always indicates to ...
Fred's user avatar
  • 53
0 votes
1 answer
29 views

solar installation, going from enphase combiner box to the disconnect switch do I need to run a ground,

The enphase inverters output is 240v ac to the combiner box, 2wire. I am running 3 wire, 2 hot and one neutral from the combiner to the safety shut off switch, I need 120v at the combiner box. ...
carl's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
74 views

Kenmore double oven door has 120v at the handle

Randomly, the other day I was cooking in my double oven. I reached up to open it and the door handle shocked me. I checked and as soon as I hit the button to turn on the oven, the door gets ...
kreg strong's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
100 views

45 Volts between Hot and Metal Pipe : GFCI

I'm measuring the leads on a light switch that's wired behind the load side of GFCI. Somehow I'm getting 45 Volts between Hot and a metal faucet, 120 volts between hot and ground, and zero volts ...
Dong Shi's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Electrical - Ground used a Neutral

Condition: My house is 37 years old and our kitchen remodeler (not an electrician) did the following. He tapped into one of the oven’s 120 volt legs to power a 120 volt duplex receptacle. There is no ...
RelaxTax's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
71 views

Can I upgrade NEMA10 to NEMA14 without replacing the NMC?

As noted previously, my stove is currently on a grandfathered hot-hot-neutral circuit. I really should replace that with one that includes safety ground. Currently (sorry) this is fed by an NMC cable ...
keshlam's user avatar
  • 27.5k
0 votes
2 answers
368 views

Do I need to ground a new metal 240V outlet box?

I’m installing a 240v 50amp outlet directly off my service panel. I used a metal box, with 3/4” PVC conduit, and 6ga THHN wire. Do I need to ground the box in any way, and if I do, can I just run a ...
JAS's user avatar
  • 3
1 vote
3 answers
164 views

Residential power system ground has voltage relative to a reference earth ground

I have a standard US home power system - single-phase, 3-wire, 200 A service. As I increase the load (oven, motors, etc.) on the system, the local house grounding system, including the system ...
Luke's user avatar
  • 61
0 votes
0 answers
49 views

Clothes drier; is it better to re-wire from NEMA 14-30 back to 10-30, or to update a 10-30 outlet by running a new ground and converting it to 14-30? [duplicate]

We moved into a new house that only has an old NEMA 10-30 outlet for the clothes drier. I'm tempted to update it to a 14-30 by running a new ground from the subpanel. We bought a drier and it came ...
r3cgm's user avatar
  • 101
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why is a ground wire wrapped around the bare portion of a neutral wire at this outlet?

Why is a ground wire of this outlet wrapped around the bare portion of a neutral wire at this outlet? This ground wire is a pigtail that is joined with the two other ground wires in the box. This ...
user165559's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
93 views

Lutron occupancy sensor MS-OPS2H - Ground issue (I think)

Trying to install occupancy sensor to turn on low voltage stair lights. Power comes into metal gang box. Ground goes to ground bundle, with pigtail to the box. White goes to neutal bundle. Black is ...
Jeff M.'s user avatar
  • 21
33 votes
4 answers
16k views

Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? [duplicate]

So, weird stuff is afoot and even my electrician is lost. All my HDMIs are hot, as well as my COAX coming from the cable company. Details of what is going on. Internet & cable went out, called ...
user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
57 views

If I plug the ground with neutral on top of the power switch,

If I plug the ground with neutral on top of the power switch, it will affect output when I plug this into the pump hole, where the local loop is "zeroed." The Earth is taken through the coil ...
Shati Abdelaziz's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
59 views

Can you ground outlets to the "water line to breaker box grounding wire"? [duplicate]

My g/f's 1940's/50's house has a grounding clamp attached to her 3/4" cold water line. There's a bare copper wire that runs the length of the basement from it (via grounding clamp) to the 200A ...
JeffW's user avatar
  • 1
2 votes
1 answer
407 views

Why would each leg suddenly read 240 volts power drop in part of my house every 5-10 minutes?

Problem started when I woke up with no power in my bedroom. I checked the box and no breakers were tripped, so I tried to turn on a tv that I have hooked to my security system. The tv went up in ...
Chris G Giles's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
52 views

Problem changing to a new timer with self-installed ground wire in old NYC building

I am trying to change my Lutron timer to a new timer (which needs to be grounded). My home is a NYC condo built in 1950s - so I guess I have AC cables. I did not see any ground wire inside the metal ...
Ken's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
153 views

Chandelier Wiring (Potential Mislabel)

I unboxed a chandelier today and found the pre capped and labeled wiring that in this picture (if you look carefully one on the left has a small white thread on it, one on the right a small green ...
CJR's user avatar
  • 45
1 vote
3 answers
120 views

Does ground faucet need to be covered in winter?

My house has two exterior faucets that come out of the ground rather than out of the side of the house. I live in North Texas. When temperatures get significantly below freezing, should these be ...
Grant's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
0 answers
52 views

junction box with no voltage between conductors but 120 V between conductors and ground

Two 12 gauge cables meet at a junction box. The black wires are connected. The red wires are connected. One red wire has a black electrical tape tag. There is no voltage between the red and black ...
Dartmouth Dan's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
55 views

Wiring connections for lights in commercial building producing strange results [closed]

I am having a rough time. Exit sign black and white connect to exit sign . It doesn't come on. But when the ground wire is connected to to the neutral wire the lights come on. Other end pole that has ...
Sean Russell's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
101 views

Wilo Star S 21 FX pump for outside wood burner using only a 2 wire power supply (hot and neutral)

I have a Wilo Star S 21 FX pump (water circulation) on an outside wood burner that needs to be installed. The wire that fed the original pump (an off brand) has a black and a white wire. The 2 wire ...
Shamus Shafer's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
524 views

How to attach multiple grounds for smart switches in crowded 3-gang switch box

I’ve recently upgraded a three-gang light switch box with three Kasa smart lights (a dimmer, three way light, and single pole switch). I’ve been able to successfully install all three and they’re ...
Joseph's user avatar
  • 13
0 votes
1 answer
99 views

How to ground a fixture on a conduit?

I am replacing a line-voltage path light that screws onto the top of a 1/2" metal conduit. I am pulling new wire through the conduit. Since the conduit is metal, I expect to use it as a ground ...
bmargulies's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
686 views

Why is my outlet failing shortly after being rewired? [closed]

I was working in the gas station and had a scorched outlet. I removed the outlet. The white wire was jumped over to the bare copper wire. I have never seen this before, so I called an electrician. He ...
Paul's user avatar
  • 41
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to make posts level across the top, with precut posts max length

I see other people asking similar questions, but it seems most have some wood to cut off the top of the post - I didn't plan for that when I cut it, so I want to get it level on the tops, and bottom ...
I like to code's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

why does a ground rod wire have to be continuous?

my main panel (installed in 1976) has the grounding wire connected to a ¾" water pipe that runs at least 30' underground - no ground rod... I would like to add a ground rod to bring it up to code ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 19
0 votes
3 answers
282 views

240v only subpanel, no ground?

I'm running a subpanel (new) back to my main area (main is full) so running it off another subpanel that was already there (old). I really only need this to feed my welder which is 240v only (plug is ...
Azulith's user avatar
  • 49
2 votes
1 answer
89 views

How to retrofit this circuit to be able to run a bare ground splice to another appliance?

I'm adding a #8AWG bare ground in order to retrofit a 3-wire range socket into a 4-wire one. I will be splicing into an existing water heater circuit to get the "at least #10" ground that is ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 193
0 votes
2 answers
634 views

How many posts do I need for flat ground level deck

I want to build a flat ground level deck approx 25x26ft. I have very limited space between the ground and the door, so it needs to be streamlined. I plan to use 3 26’ 2x10 as primary frame supports ...
Andrew's user avatar
  • 257
3 votes
2 answers
4k views

How to I add new light switch with ground wire/screw if old switch had no ground screw?

I have an old light switch that I want to upgrade. The old switch does not have a ground screw (see second image) so the bare copper ground wire is just tied to the metal box with a screw (see "B&...
orr's user avatar
  • 33
1 vote
2 answers
12k views

Outlet reads open ground even with the ground connected

I bought a house built in 1986. The entire kitchen was open ground. I’ve never messed with electric outlets, and it took some time but I got them all grounded and installed GFCI outlets for my kitchen ...
YamiiNo's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
75 views

How to ground circuits when using a receptacle as a junction box for another circuit

I'm renovating my basement. Part of the renovation requires rerouting some wires. I have en electrical box that is going to act as: a duplex outlet for circuit 1 a junction box for circuit 2 Circuit ...
bgood's user avatar
  • 3
0 votes
4 answers
619 views

Eliminate Neutral To Ground Fault Indicator With Resistor For Inverter

I bought a brand new tiny house last year (RVIA certified) and I've been slowly getting a solar inverter and battery system installed. In the process my drill caught some household electrical wiring ...
Jordan McBain's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
3k views

Plastic shed base - How to level soil?

I am going to get a new shed but first I need the base. I have purchased a plastic grid base system, I have measured out the area and have cleared the turf on top. Now, I am coming a bit stuck on the ...
physicsboy's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
1k views

How Can I Properly Ground this Light, What's the Risk if Ungrounded?

I'm installing a wall lamp purchased recently that has a ground wire that should be connected. It has two modes of installation, 1) either wired directly into the wall to a switch, i guess, or 2) by ...
aalat's user avatar
  • 13
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can removing one outlet in a room affect the power in the whole room?

I'm in the process of replacing a few of the 2 prong outlets in my home with GCFI outlets. My house is old and does not have a ground wire through it so from what I've read it is unsafe to install ...
Apple Green's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

My 5 years old Samsung Washer Keeps Tripping my gfci (Reason is Ground Fault)

I moved into a new house several months ago, and this house uses Eaton 20A GFCI breaker. My 5 years old Samsung Washer keeps tripping the breaker, and this breaker's diagnosis says that it's because ...
Joseph L's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
886 views

can I run a new water line above ground to where it connect by my hot water heater

I my have a water leak in the line below the concrete in my garage near my water heater. Is it possible to run a new water line above ground from the shut off value over to the line near my water ...
Susan Lumpkin's user avatar