680.23F 2(b)

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nizak

Senior Member
When it says the EGC shall be permitted to terminate on grounding terminals in an outlet box used to enclose a snap switch does that mean the green screw can be used in a "bell box" with lets say forked stake- ons? Or does it need to be a individual terminal for each grounding conductor? Trying to come up with the best and easiest way to get the circuit from the panel(approx 100ft) away from the switching device and maintain a continuous ground per 680.23 2. Would running NM cable(12/3) and re- identifying one insulated conductor with green tape be an option? Thanks for any help you can give.
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
NM is not "stated" in your article, Good Luck ... Article 334.12(B)(4) says NO NM in wet locations...

and while not technically referenced per the ariticle you can only use what is stated in the higher part of the Codea, as stated.
 
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Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
When it says the EGC shall be permitted to terminate on grounding terminals in an outlet box used to enclose a snap switch does that mean the green screw can be used in a "bell box" with lets say forked stake- ons? Or does it need to be a individual terminal for each grounding conductor? Trying to come up with the best and easiest way to get the circuit from the panel(approx 100ft) away from the switching device and maintain a continuous ground per 680.23 2. Would running NM cable(12/3) and re- identifying one insulated conductor with green tape be an option? Thanks for any help you can give.
You cannot run nm cable anywhere in the run for an underwater light as Jude was pointing out.

I would say if the JB with the snap switch is the last box between the panel and the pool light then yes the JB may be used to terminate the ground.
 

nizak

Senior Member
I should have said NM cable thru the basement only to the switch point and from there PVC and THHN to the J-box located under the diving board.That goes back to my ?? of whether or not there can be a break in the EGC at the switch enclosure and then carry on to the J-box with THHN.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I should have said NM cable thru the basement only to the switch point and from there PVC and THHN to the J-box located under the diving board.That goes back to my ?? of whether or not there can be a break in the EGC at the switch enclosure and then carry on to the J-box with THHN.

Again you cannot have nm cable anywhere in the circuit. Read art. 680.23(F)(1). NM is not listed. It must be piped to the panel or one of the other methods stated.
 

nizak

Senior Member
Dennis, again I missed the boat on this one. I do see that NM is not a method for this application. Thanks.
 

WinZip

Senior Member
680.23 ( f ) ( 1 ) is a little gray area to me.

Wording reads - branch-circuit wiring on the supply side of enclosures and junction boxes ETC.

For years we have been aloud to run NM cable 12/3 using the insulated red marked green for pool lights and pumps using 12 NM

Now is an electrical panel considered an enclosure or is it an electrical panel , if an electrical panel is considered an enclosure why wasn't it worded that way like this - branch-circuit wiring on the supply side of ELECTRICAL PANELS and junction boxes ETC

The way I read this is NM ( 12/3 red conductor marked as green for a pool light) is OK from the electrical panel to the first junction or switch box location outside then from there the other approved wiring methods apply - conduit - liquid tight ETC

Like I said above , the wording is a gray area to me.

Now I am ready to get beat up.

WinZip
 

curt swartz

Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
Location
San Jose, CA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
The way I read this is NM ( 12/3 red conductor marked as green for a pool light) is OK from the electrical panel to the first junction or switch box location outside then from there the other approved wiring methods apply - conduit - liquid tight ETC

How do you come up with this? The entire branch circuit from the panel to the light must comply with 680.23(F)(1). NM cable can not be used.
 

WinZip

Senior Member
For one - we have been aloud to run NM cable to the first switch location for the past 20 years , the use of 12/3 from the electrical panel with red conductor marked as green has been acceptable to a switch location for a pool light an GFCI receptacle and from the switched location to the pool light junction box in conduit with single conductors , and the pump circuit in 12/2 to the switched location and liquid-tight from there to motors an heaters ETC.

If a sub panel is Installed or control center then it is in conduit the entire way to the electrical panel with 4 insulated conductors and also conduit and liquid-tight to the equipment locations and pool light junction boxes.

Again is an enclosure considered an electrical panel.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Well I will say the paragraph is worded poorly.

680.23(F)(1) Wiring Methods. Branch-circuit wiring on the supply side of enclosures and junction boxes connected to conduits run to wet-niche and no-niche luminaires, and the field wiring compartments of dry-niche luminaires, shall be installed using rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit, rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit, or reinforced thermosetting resin conduit.

I see that as the entire branch circuit. They are talking about the wiring that supplies the enclosures and JB that connect to the lights. The supply side is the entire branch circuit. I think the distinction is made because the wiring to the load side of the JB is different. Read art. 680.23(B)(2)

680.23(B)(2) Wiring Extending Directly to the Forming Shell. Conduit shall be installed from the forming shell to a junction box or other enclosure conforming to the requirements in 680.24. Conduit shall be rigid metal, intermediate metal, liquidtight flexible nonmetallic, or rigid nonmetallic.
It goes on to explain the conduits.... The bold area clearly states the enclosures conforming to req. of 680.24-- basically the pool boxes.

I don't see how you can think NM is allowed. IMO, no way.
 

WinZip

Senior Member
Dennis ,

Are you saying that 12/3 NM with insulated ground conductor would not be aloud from an electrical panel to an outdoor switched location , then conduit from switched location to pool light junction box ( 3 single conductors ) and conduit from same pool light junction box to niche ( with #8 Insulated ground and Light cord ) , if so then for the last 20 years in 6 different cities the Inspectors have have approved this method and passed final Inspections.

I think the verbiage needs to be re-written.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Dennis ,

Are you saying that 12/3 NM with insulated ground conductor would not be aloud from an electrical panel to an outdoor switched location.

I am saying exactly that. NM is not one of the wiring methods allowed. I think that part is pretty clear.

I would like to see this article allow a switch leg in NM if the conduit was continuous from the panel to a JB and then to the light with a switch loop up to an interior switch in NM as long as the egc was unbroken. Hence it could be stripped in the jb with a small split bolt to the nm cable.

As it is written I am not sure that would be allowed but why not????
 

WinZip

Senior Member
I will put a call into a head Inspector that knows this code book in an out and find out for sure on this article , maybe its aloud by our state wide code in which I don't have that book at the moment.

I hope you don't think I meant running NM in any way to the pool light junction box which is clearly wrong but for years now we have been aloud to run 12/3 with the red conductor taped green from the electrical panel to the outside switched location then conduit from there to pool light junction box with 3 single conductors NOT NM and 12/2 to the pump switching location.

Sub panels and control panels would be in conduit the entire way with 4 insulated conductors.
 

WinZip

Senior Member
the first sentence of that article needs to be dissected - 680.23 (F) (1)

BRANCH-CIRCUIT WIRING ON THE (SUPPLY SIDE OF ENCLOSURES AND JUNCTION BOXES ) CONNECTED TO CONDUITS RUN TO WET-NICHE AND NO NICHE LUMINARIES ----------------------------------------------------
 

curt swartz

Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
Location
San Jose, CA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
All of the branch circuit wiring between the panel and the deck box or transformer is on the supply side.
 
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