BE HONEST!

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lotto said:
does anyone really ground snap switches?...
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Do electrical inspectors ever remove a a 5 gang switch cover to see if the snap switches are grounded? Knowing what a nightmare re-installing such a cover can be?......:happyno:




:lol:
 
Oh I hate grounded switches. Just love them when you are troubleshooting.

Never made a black mark on a wall until that code.
 
Yes, and if the box is metal it's automatically grounded by the two mounting screws.
 
To be honest I never thought about not grounding them but I work mostly residential and everything is plastic boxes so we do ground the switch
 
Dennis Alwon said:
To be honest I never thought about not grounding them but I work mostly residential and everything is plastic boxes so we do ground the switch
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From inspecting I would have to support Dennis' thought. I do remove cover plates (at random) and check (4 gang is admittingly the longest) and I almost never find them ungrounded.

From an insopectors viewpoint, if you routinely fail to do so either you don't know the Code or you try to get away with not following it and our ear perk up and we really start looking. :).
 
Some local inspectors (the good ones) will ask me to remove the cover plates for device bonding inspection.
 
Even with the metal box you are suppose to ground due to removing the switch away from the box the switch yoke is still suppose to be grounded. but yes always when I was in business.
 
ActionDave said:
404.9 does not say that. It says "either" a metal box or EGC not both.
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I'm sure we'll go around on this & maybe never agree but I can interprete 404.9(B) as promoting more than 1 statement;

(B) Grounding. Snap switches, including dimmer and similar control switches, shall be connected to an equipment grounding conductor and shall provide a means to connect metal faceplates to the equipment grounding conductor, whether or not a metal faceplate is installed. Snap switches shall be considered to be part of an effective ground-fault current path if either of the following conditions is met:
1 - Snap switches, including dimmer and similar control switches, shall be connected to an equipment grounding conductor.
2 - shall provide a means to connect metal faceplates to the equipment grounding conductor.
Code Commentary
Sections 404.9(B)(1) and (B)(2) describe conditions under which the switch provides an effective ground fault current path to a metal cover plate. See Exhibit 404.1 for an example of the typical method by which a metal faceplate is grounded.

If you put any value on code commentary then 404.9(B)(1) and (B)(2) are specific for the metal plate cover. They make all sorts of snap switches which include a device which is specially designed to bond to a box thru the 6-32 screw. Why would that be in production if any old mounting screw would work for bonding the yoke? I guess we woild go to the installation instructions on this.
 
I would agree, You need to use the ground screw unless the device has a bond screw and a metal box that is properly grounded.
 
ActionDave said:
Blew the end off of one of my meter leads a couple of years ago trouble shooting a miswired three-way.
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Funny story. That is why I like Greenlee. Years ago I had one of those Greenlee voltage testers that was black and yellow with the red LED's that lit up from 12 to 480 volts I think. Anyway, I was testing a switch when I blew the tip off the hand held lead:ashamed1:. It is hard wired and soldered in but I knew I could replace it if I could find the lead. I called Greenlee and the tech says, "Send it in we warrant them for life as long as they aren't abused." To which I replied, "I kind of think shorting it out against the side of a box is abuse." His response, " You didn't take it outside and drive over it with you truck afterwards, did you?" :lol:
 
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