Ungrounded ceiling fixtures
- Thread starter nizak
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I think it gets done quite often. I think they are required to be connected to an EGC.
One other issue that can pop up is the temp rating of the conductors in the outlet box, though that may be turning the other direction with a bigger selection of LED luminaires these days.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Depends on what you mean by an ungrounded metallic ceiling box.
Do you mean that there is no ground bond to the box, or that you have a two wire supply circuit with just hot and neutral, but no EGC?
The manufacturer's instructions for the new fixture almost certainly require connection to an EGC whether the box is metallic or non-metallic, bonded or unbonded.
I do not think that the allowance for leaving the existing wiring in place relieves you of the duty to provide an EGC, whatever it takes.
The analogous situation would be replacing a two wire receptacle with another two wire receptacle. The code allows that, but has to give explicit permission and conditions for installing a three wire receptacle without having to wire in an EGC.
Your AHJ might be willing to allow it as long as you put a GFCI on the circuit as part of the installation.
See 410.42: You must provide an egc for light fixtures w/ a conductive shell.
You can provide GFCI protection in lieu of an egc per exception #3 to 410.42
The other 2 exceptions to 410.42 are:
(1) installing fixtures w/ non conductive housing.
(2) connecting metal base fixture to egc that was added to old 2 wire ckt per 250.130(c).
david
Senior Member
- Location
- Pennsylvania
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ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
I have a metal table lamp I touch every day, two wire. The fixture I touch only when relamping requires an EG. That's right.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
FWIW the table lamp was UL listed and came with a two wire cord, while the new ceiling fixture with metal construction comes with a wire or terminal for an EGC connection and was tested and listed accordingly.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
That's right.
On a side note, I almost never watch home improvement shows. Seldom TV at all. This weekend I watch them install a new fixture and wireless switch in an old house that would not have an EG. They attached the green fixture wire to the green screw on the new fixture strap and called it 'grounded'.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
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- Technician
Those shows should not be on the air. Its not the courage they give to DIYs, its the false information. Call me not a fan
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
There isn't bad information for them on the internet though:happyno:Those shows should not be on the air. Its not the courage they give to DIYs, its the false information. Call me not a fan
Come to this site and you are told to do something you don't want to do, keep looking until you find a site that tells you to do it the way you wanted and it is justified.:blink:
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