MC cable or BX codes

[npelectric]

Is a ground wire required in living space or is armor acceptable for grounding in new installations

 

[infinity]

If the cable armor is a listed EGC such as with AC cable or MC-ap then that is all that's required.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Is a ground wire required in living space or is armor acceptable for grounding in new installations

Welcome to the Forum.

This is a pretty basic question that has multiple answers largely determined by the specific materials you bring in to the job site. Grab the Code book and review Article 320 Armored Cable (what I assume you mean by "BX"), Article 320 Metal Clad Cable, 250.118 and 250.120.

With Armored Cable, the sheath is pretty much the Equipment Grounding Conductor. With Metal Clad Cable, whether the sheath is an Equipment Grounding Conductor largely depends upon how the cable is manufactured and what the manufacturer's instructions say.

 

[hbiss]

BX is no more, by the way. It's now AC. With the old actual BX you can't use the armor for equipment grounding (or at least you shouldn't).

But I think you are calling AC cable, which we use today, "BX". A lot of people still do that.

I much prefer the "classic" MC with its separate green insulated ground over AC or the "new and improved" MC All Purpose. Neither has a separate ground and it's the separate ground that makes an installation more reliable.

-Hal