exam question?

[journeyman0217]

i am studying for my Philadelphia masters exam and came across a question that may seem easy to many of you but it is alittle confusing to me..."which of the following may be used to insure continuity of the equipment grounding conductor in a branch circuit?" choices are a)connections to lampholders or b)terminals of receptacles. I would say you can use both assuming that the receptacle and lampholder have an equipment grounding conductor terminal. am I correct in my assumption?

 

[infinity]

A receptacle has only one terminal listed for only one conductor so it cannot be used for continuity of the EGC.

 

[journeyman0217]

A receptacle has only one terminal listed for only one conductor so it cannot be used for continuity of the EGC.

I don't quite understand? if you put your test leads on the neutral terminal and the grounding terminal wouldn't you be able to read continuity back at the panel?

 

[JFletcher]

I don't quite understand? if you put your test leads on the neutral terminal and the grounding terminal wouldn't you be able to read continuity back at the panel?

Yes, neutral and ground at a receptacle will show continuity when you put meter leads on them. That said, you cannot use the ground (green) screw terminal of a receptacle to maintain continuity for the grounding pathway. If you have 2 or more cables or ground wires entering a jbox, the grounds must be tied together and a pigtail run the the receptacle. Removing the receptacle cannot break the grounding pathway. If it's pigtailed to, removing that pigtail still keeps the circuit's ground path intact. Code section 250.148:

https://www.jadelearning.com/jadecc/courses/UNIVERSAL/NEC05.php?imDif=3073.0

 

[journeyman0217]

Yes, neutral and ground at a receptacle will show continuity when you put meter leads on them. That said, you cannot use the ground (green) screw terminal of a receptacle to maintain continuity for the grounding pathway. If you have 2 or more cables or ground wires entering a jbox, the grounds must be tied together and a pigtail run the the receptacle. Removing the receptacle cannot break the grounding pathway. If it's pigtailed to, removing that pigtail still keeps the circuit's ground path intact. Code section 250.148:

https://www.jadelearning.com/jadecc/courses/UNIVERSAL/NEC05.php?imDif=3073.0

so as far as the receptacle terminal goes the answer would be no...would that apply to the lampholder as well? the question to me is vague....

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I think the question stinks. I would say both since removing either does not change the continuity of the equipment grounding conductor. Not sure if that is what they are after or not

 

[JFletcher]

so as far as the receptacle terminal goes the answer would be no...would that apply to the lampholder as well? the question to me is vague....

Correct. The answer is no. You cannot use the receptacle terminal to insure continuity of the EGC per 250.148. If there are just the two choices, then by default A is the only answer since we eliminated B.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which of the following may be used to insure continuity of the equipment grounding conductor in a branch circuit?:

A) Connections of lampholders
B) Terminals of receptacles

Lampholders do not typically have a place to land the grounds, if anything they have a wago installed to a small braided wire to the light. I dont believe there is a NEC code that prohibits using a lampholder for EGC continuity like there is for receptacles.

 

[LarryFine]

To me, the correct answer is neither.

 

[infinity]

To me, the correct answer is neither.

I agree, there is nothing wrong with the question except that the correct answer is not on the list.

250.148(B) Grounding Continuity. The arrangement of groundingconnections shall be such that the disconnection or theremoval of a receptacle, luminaire, or other device fed fromthe box does not interfere with or interrupt the groundingcontinuity.

 

[milemaker13]

A & b are the only choices available? Is a lamp holder considered a luminaire, and thereby also prohibited?