Grounding of garden lights.

[greg1]

I'm replacing few old garden, pagoda style light fixtures with new ones. There is no ground wire supplied in this circuit. Old and new pagodas are made out of cast aluminum (conductive).
Can I consider this fixtures to be pole lights and use exception to 410-15(3)-less then 8ft high- to avoid running ground wire?
Pagodas are mounted a foot above ground on 3" in diameter PVC post. I don't think there is a minimum limit on post hight, so I should be fine.
Anything else I should know?
Greg.

 

[bphgravity]

Re: Grounding of garden lights.

My first question would be, is it possible that this is a low voltage system? Meaning, are these lights supplied by a transformer or are they connected to the branch circuit supply?

If a low voltage system, the secondary circuits to the lights from the transformer shall not be grounded. (411.5(A))

If these are 120/240-volt lights, an equipment ground must be supplied with the circuit conductors with no exceptions. Section 410.15(B) and the exception you describe is for luminaires supported by metal poles, not is on PVC. Also, the exception doesn't eliminate the requirment for an EGC, it just permits not having a grounding terminal in a pole less than 8' in height.

 

[greg1]

Re: Grounding of garden lights.

Thank you for replay.
It is 110volts ac system.EGC is not supply with branch circuits for area lights. As far as I can see ridgid conduit is run pfrom panel board to Bell boxes which are used as mounts for fixtures.Fixtures EGC's are terminated in Bell box with grounding screw. All conductive parts are mechanicaly bonded so is OK codewise. There is patch of low resistance to open breaker in foult condition.
On few of this installations ridgit conduits get rotten and broke off at ground level. Someone slided pvc tube/post over broken conduits and mounted fixture on it. Fixtures EGC was happily dangling inside the post.
Can I use fixture made out of insulated materialas described in 410-18(b)to mount it on this pvc post or there is something else I'm mising?
You correct about light poles. To avoid need for EGC I would have to use fixtures per 410-18(b)?
I'm troubleshooting elecrical machinery for living that's why I ask this basic qustions.
Greg.