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Bonding with BX cable

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Vaughn75

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If you install a GFCI plug in a box that has conductors that are BX cable and no ground wire. If you use a ground rail from the box to the GFCI and effectively use the metal jacket of the BX as an EGC. Is that code compliant or do you have to put the sticker on the face plate saying “no equipment ground”.
 
infinity

infinity

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Type AC cable manufactured since the 1950's has a metal sheath and bonding strip that is a listed EGC so the metal box is grounded therefore no sticker is required. if you had a self-grounding receptacle you could skip the bonding jumper to the box

Welcome to the forum. :)
 
roger

roger

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Along with Infinity's post I will add that you need to be careful to make sure you are talking about AC and not MC.

AC and some hybrid MC is recognized as an EGC, plane MC is not.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Let's be clear that some bx cable does not have the steel strip inside the jacket and that cable cannot be used as an equipment grounding conductor.
 
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Vaughn75

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I always thought of BX with the strip inside. The old steel outer jacket. I never knew new of it’s official name.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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electrofelon said:
Around here BX is the stuff from the 40's (?) With steel jacket and NO bonding strip. Are y'all saying that was technically AC at the time?
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Bx was just a common name that some say comes from the manufacturer who was in the Bronx. I don't know the origin of Bx but I believe AC cable has been around a long time.....I have no idea if it goes back to the 40's but I don't believe Bx was ever part of the code.
 
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kec

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Dennis Alwon said:
Let's be clear that some bx cable does not have the steel strip inside the jacket and that cable cannot be used as an equipment grounding conductor.
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Not that it's code compliant today but i bet if it's clamped down in a box and you put a meter on it , it will read as a EGC
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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kec said:
Not that it's code compliant today but i bet if it's clamped down in a box and you put a meter on it , it will read as a EGC
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Sure it will read as continuous. The problem is that the numerous turns just increases the resistance and thus, in long runs, can actual make the cable glow during a ground fault.
 
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kec

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Dennis Alwon said:
Sure it will read as continuous. The problem is that the numerous turns just increases the resistance and thus, in long runs, can actual make the cable glow during a ground fault.
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I can honestly say, I have witness the glow.
 
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