AC cable, 2 wire

Status
Not open for further replies.

twsarch

Member
I?m an architect and just have a cursory knowledge of the NEC. I am planning on branching out into home inspection after some additional training. I do not have my copy of the electric code yet.

My question is this: what dose the code say about three prong grounded receptacles where the wiring is two wire AC cable (with the alum. Bonding strip)? The ground is achieved merely through the armor on the cable and its connection to the box. In a few cases, I see a ?pig tail? screwed to the box and connected to the ground screw of the receptacle fixture. It is usually obvious that he original receptacles where the two prong type. I see this a lot in houses we design additions for, existing electrical items usually are not in the scope of work on our projects.
 
Re: AC cable, 2 wire

AS long as it is true AC cable with the bonding strip then it can be used for grounding. But many will try to use the older BX type cable that is not UL listed for grounding as the outer sheath resistance can be too high to allow for the breaker or fuse to open and will heat up like a heating element that can cause a fire. This is also true for 3/8" FMC or Greenfield as some call it a grounding conductor has to be used and it's not allowed to be over 6' in Length (FMC that is).
Good luck with you new job and get all the training you can as you are going to need it. and when you have a question that pertains to the NEC we will be here to answer.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top