I had an electrician ask me this yesterday and I was could not ansewer the question, I work mostly with commerical installations so was not familiar with this type of installation, in a residential installation there are plastic back boxes? with what porcelian style incandescent lamp holders however they are plastic when they reached the last fixture they connected the switch leg and neutral to the screws on the fixture but had no where to connect the ground without knowing they were plastic boxes my response was connect it to the box ground but with a plastic box what would you do? he indicated he capped the ground with a wire nut, but I was not sure this was the poper thing to do, but could not find anything like this in my code book.
Ground Dead End
- Thread starter Mike01
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
There is absolutely nothing to do. Just roll it up out of the way-- why bother with a cap on it esp. if it is bare.
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
I disagree. I like the wirenut. I've been in countless keyless that the ground ends up settling down against the ungrounded terminal and tripping the breaker when the lights turn on.
And I have seen keyless's with a place to land a ground, and a thin bar to each screw to ground the screws. Good idea. But they're hard to find
M4gery
Senior Member
If you are concerned about that, I would imagine you should tape the entire EGC up. The wirenut will only protect the very end of the wire from touching a terminal, the rest of the conductor is fully exposed and can contact the terminal at any time.
Me, I just tuck it in the back behind the other wires deep enough that no part of it will ever have a chance to touch the keyless.
- Location
- Massachusetts
I think you are nuts, its a bare EGC how is a wire nut helping?
Just take .5 seconds and push the EGC to the back of the box.
brian john
Senior Member
- Location
- Leesburg, VA
Seems a waste of a wirenut.
masterinbama
Senior Member
- Location
- Huntsville Alabama
I want to know where you live that copper wire can migrate on it's own.
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
I actually have never had a problem with any I have installed. EVER.
I, however, have been in countless that have shorted out. The wirenut is not a bad idea. Me personally, I clip out about 2" long so it can't touch anything. I was just agreeing with the wirenut idea, even though I don't do it
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
This is quite possibly one of the dumbest things I've ever read. All wire moves a little
brian john
Senior Member
- Location
- Leesburg, VA
I thought it was DURN funny!
M4gery
Senior Member
I hate finding that, especially when replacing the keyless with a fixture that requires a bond or running another light out of that box.
Why not leave it the proper length and fold it in the back of the box?
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
Same thing with smoke detectors no where for the ground just roll it up
mcclary's electrical
Senior Member
- Location
- VA
Because that's long enough to stick a pigtail wirenut on it if you need a ground
brian john
Senior Member
- Location
- Leesburg, VA
And that's why there is chocolate milk and white milk, because everybody likes (does) different things.
M4gery
Senior Member
Everyone knows that chocolate milk is better.
mjf
Senior Member
I nut it
I nut it
Especially if its a feed through situation, because after I push my wirenutted ground wire into the box, I can push my wirenutted grounded conductors and wirenutted ungrounded conductors into the box without a second thought. I know 100% for sure the end of that bare ground wire will never find its way into one of my other wirenuts. The cost of a wirenut compared to the time to really watch how the wires and other wirenuts end up sitting in that box is worth it to me. Love my peace of mind.
I nut it
Especially if its a feed through situation, because after I push my wirenutted ground wire into the box, I can push my wirenutted grounded conductors and wirenutted ungrounded conductors into the box without a second thought. I know 100% for sure the end of that bare ground wire will never find its way into one of my other wirenuts. The cost of a wirenut compared to the time to really watch how the wires and other wirenuts end up sitting in that box is worth it to me. Love my peace of mind.
donaldelectrician
Senior Member
I nut it
I nut it
Ask not what your wire nut can do for you....But what you can do with your wire nut !
The answer to the age old question.
I nut it
Ask not what your wire nut can do for you....But what you can do with your wire nut !
The answer to the age old question.
M4gery
Senior Member
If it's a feed thru situation you would have to use a wirenut.
Since we are talking about a dead end, the grounded and ungrounded conductors would be landed on the keyless and not wirenutted, so you could still have your 100% surety that the bare ground will never find it's way into one of the other wirenuts (since there are none).
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I have cursed many electricians who have cut their ground wire 2 ". I want something I can work with. I have installed thousands of keyless with the grounds tucked back and never had a problem. My tails are at least 6"-8" long. You can wirenut all you want but it seems absurd to me.
Wire will not migrate from the back of a box to where the keyless terminals are unless you don't push the wire back on the install.
Wire will not migrate from the back of a box to where the keyless terminals are unless you don't push the wire back on the install.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Just a bit of info here. The op was asking about code. I stated there was nothing he needed to do but push the wire back. You can disagree with my technique but can you disagree with what is code compliant. I think I answered the op's question- you are free, of course, to do it your way but that is not answering the question.
- Status