grounding switches

[RustyShackleford]

With multiple switches in a box ... was a consensus ever reached about whether it's necessary to twist together grounds in switch legs to each other before connecting them to the switch ground screws ?

This was discussed here:

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=123420&highlight=switch+ground

... but a variety of opinions and no definitive answer.

 

[jumper]

250.148 Continuity and Attachment of Equipment
Grounding Conductors to Boxes. Where circuit conductors
are spliced within a box, or terminated on equipment
within or supported by a box, any equipment grounding conductor(
s) associated with those circuit conductors shall be connected
within the box or to the box with devices suitable for
the use in accordance with 250.148(A) through (E).

 

[RustyShackleford]

250.148 Continuity and Attachment of Equipment
Grounding Conductors to Boxes. Where circuit conductors
are spliced within a box, or terminated on equipment
within or supported by a box, any equipment grounding conductor(
s) associated with those circuit conductors shall be connected
within the box or to the box with devices suitable for
the use in accordance with 250.148(A) through (E).

That's in the old thread I cited, and it's pretty ambiguous.

 

[RustyShackleford]

250.148 Continuity and Attachment of Equipment
Grounding Conductors to Boxes. Where circuit conductors
are spliced within a box, or terminated on equipment
within or supported by a box, any equipment grounding conductor(
s) associated with those circuit conductors shall be connected
within the box or to the box with devices suitable for
the use in accordance with 250.148(A) through (E).

That's in the old thread I cited, and it's pretty ambiguous.

 

[G._S._Ohm]

Which phrase or combinations of phrases in 250.148, A through E, is/are ambiguous?

 

[Stevareno]

With multiple switches in a box ... was a consensus ever reached about whether it's necessary to twist together grounds in switch legs to each other before connecting them to the switch ground screws ?

This was discussed here:

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=123420&highlight=switch+ground

... but a variety of opinions and no definitive answer.

Assuming this is a commercial installation where you have a switch bank with multiple cables entering the box, and there is no need for ground continuity beyond the switch box, then you only need to bond one of the ground conductors to the box. The others can be attached directly to the switch they are associated with provided they are properly grounded at the other end.

 

[readydave8]

The phrase "twist together grounds" makes me nervous, hope thats pretwisting before installing stacon etc.

 

[kwired]

Assuming this is a commercial installation where you have a switch bank with multiple cables entering the box, and there is no need for ground continuity beyond the switch box, then you only need to bond one of the ground conductors to the box. The others can be attached directly to the switch they are associated with provided they are properly grounded at the other end.

I don't see how that complies with the quoted section in post #2.

All conductors and the box need bonded together, and removal of a device can not interrupt the bonding of anything but the device itself. See subpart (B) of the section quoted in post #2.

 

[weressl]

With multiple switches in a box ... was a consensus ever reached about whether it's necessary to twist together grounds in switch legs to each other before connecting them to the switch ground screws ?

This was discussed here:

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=123420&highlight=switch+ground

... but a variety of opinions and no definitive answer.

It seems to me that you would never want to have the need to disconnect the ground from an active circuit in order to work on a circuit that you have de-energized. That rule is pretty much taken care for grounded conductors where in the panel you terminate each neutral under its own screw, but haven't seen the same for EGC.

I think the argument went this way: it is unlikely that you would have a ground fault while you temporary disconnect the ground, but I say Murphy is well and alive. What is the assurance that the grounding will be re-established right away or wait for the new crcuit to be pulled?

 

[kwired]

It seems to me that you would never want to have the need to disconnect the ground from an active circuit in order to work on a circuit that you have de-energized. That rule is pretty much taken care for grounded conductors where in the panel you terminate each neutral under its own screw, but haven't seen the same for EGC.

I think the argument went this way: it is unlikely that you would have a ground fault while you temporary disconnect the ground, but I say Murphy is well and alive. What is the assurance that the grounding will be re-established right away or wait for the new crcuit to be pulled?

I don't disagree with you but how do you propose to make it happen? Handle ties for every circuit that enters a raceway or enclosure?

Do they make handle ties that work on 42 poles simultaneously?

 

[weressl]

I don't disagree with you but how do you propose to make it happen? Handle ties for every circuit that enters a raceway or enclosure?

Do they make handle ties that work on 42 poles simultaneously?

I know, I only work on the theoretical part, let other figure out how to make it work.........:lol: