Residential Boxes & Ground Clips

[iwire]

Why would you have a switch plate on a round box?

(Bob hitting his forehead against wall) :grin:

Why does Peters 4" rd plastic box have a means to ground what is screwed to it?

It ain't for a fixtures as fixture have grounding leads. So IMO that leaves metal blanks as the reason. Pete mentioned plastic plates so as a remotely similar example I pointed out 404.9(B).

 

[peter d]

(Bob hitting his forehead against wall) :grin:

Why does Peters 4" rd plastic box have a means to ground what is screwed to it?

I regret that I even mentioned it now.

That box was the only plastic box I could think of that has an EGC attachment. I was trying to bring some clarity to the issue because they first thing I thought of when I read this thread was someone putting a "g clip" on a regular non-metallic nail on device box.

 

[frankft2000]

I heard someplace that in Canada it is code to ground the ceiling boxs. I know Canadian modular homes have ground strips and screws in the plastic device boxs also.

 

[wireguru]

Are these the boxes in question?

If so, I don't understand why they need that little ground clip either, or why they even make them that way. It's certainly not an NEC requirement. That fact that they make them suggests there is a demand for them, so there must be some reason why they are used.

does the ground clip ground the cover screw adjacent to it? maybe its to ground the fixture hanger bar or canopy?

 

[Greg Swartz]

Yep

Yep

Are these the boxes in question?

If so, I don't understand why they need that little ground clip either, or why they even make them that way. It's certainly not an NEC requirement. That fact that they make them suggests there is a demand for them, so there must be some reason why they are used.

Yep, them there are the boxes...

So, feeling very foolish, I called the head electrical inspector. I figured that I was missing some 1st year apprentice training...

The conversation went something like this:
ME: Sir, do the round plastic residential boxes need to have ground clips?
HIM: Yes.
ME: Um, ok, um, sir, why are grounding plastic boxes?
HIM: (slight chuckle) Well, the ground clip makes contact with the fixture mounting screw, and that keeps the fixture grounded when the homeowner changes the light fixture, and doesn't ground the fixture.
ME: Ok, sir, thank you. Bye.


There you have it folks... Colorado Springs Electricians saving Coloradoians 1 junction box at a time.
I know it sounds incredulous, but that's the reasoning. I didn't want to tell him that the fixture is almost entirely plastic...

Greg

 

[celtic]

The conversation went something like this:
ME: Sir, do the round plastic residential boxes need to have ground clips?
HIM: Yes.
ME: Um, ok, um, sir, why are grounding plastic boxes?
HIM: (slight chuckle) Well, the ground clip makes contact with the fixture mounting screw, and that keeps the fixture grounded when the homeowner changes the light fixture, and doesn't ground the fixture.
ME: Ok, sir, thank you. Bye.

What the heck is that bare copper wire for in NM then?
To simply jack the price up?

This smells like the south end of a north bound bull
[Not you greg...them other peoples :smile:]

 

[rexowner]

Yep, them there are the boxes...

So, feeling very foolish, I called the head electrical inspector. I figured that I was missing some 1st year apprentice training...

The conversation went something like this:
ME: Sir, do the round plastic residential boxes need to have ground clips?
HIM: Yes.
ME: Um, ok, um, sir, why are grounding plastic boxes?
HIM: (slight chuckle) Well, the ground clip makes contact with the fixture mounting screw, and that keeps the fixture grounded when the homeowner changes the light fixture, and doesn't ground the fixture.
ME: Ok, sir, thank you. Bye.


There you have it folks... Colorado Springs Electricians saving Coloradoians 1 junction box at a time.
I know it sounds incredulous, but that's the reasoning. I didn't want to tell him that the fixture is almost entirely plastic...

Greg

The exact same logic applies in San Jose, CA (but none of
the surrounding municipalities). Unfortunately, for the 29cent
difference in price, it's easier to go along with the faulty logic
than to raise an inspection issue. If you leave them off, the
inspector will flag it, and get defensive when challenged. IMO,
it's not worth the trouble, as silly as it is.

 

[220/221]

Simple.

If the box came from the factory with a gnd screw bracket thingy, you need to use it. If it fell out, you need to replace it.

The purpose is to ground the rare fixture that doesn't have a ground wire/screw on it.

 

[M. D.]

Greg are you saying that , if present the lug must be employed ?

or that you are required to use plastic boxes with ground lugs??

If it is the former ,.I would buy a different brand of box.

 

[brichter]

that type of box could have a porcelain lamholder with an integral receptacle which would have a grounding connection at the screw hole on the lampholder.

 

[brichter]

Leviton #9726-C is one example.