Wiring Receptacles

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
With self-grounding installs, pigtailing the EGC to the receptacle, not the box, is what's optional,.

Maybe I am missing something here.

The following exhibit shows a listed self-grounding receptacle designed with a pressure spring clip that secures holds the top upper device mounting screw to establish a bonding connection between the receptacle and a grounded metal box. This connection eliminates the need for a wire-type equipment bonding jumper installed from the grounded metal box to the receptacle grounding terminal. Such devices are listed as “self-grounding” and are permitted to be used for bonding a flush-mounted receptacle to a grounded metal box.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I think Larry's wording is just a bit convoluted, he's saying that for a non self grounding, you have to connect the EGC to the box and to the receptacle; with self-grounding, connecting to the receptacle is optional; connecting to the box is not optional.

Cheers, Wayne
TY-- I knew that he would know what to do but I kept reading it the other way.
 

wwhitney

Senior Member
Location
Berkeley, CA
Occupation
Retired
TY-- I knew that he would know what to do but I kept reading it the other way.
Yes, it could be read as "you have the option to connect to the receptacle instead of the box" rather than the intended "the connecting to the box is not optional; the connecting to the receptacle is."

Cheers, Wayne
 

qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
Location
Roanoke, VA.
Occupation
Sorta retired........
Why do most of you guys pigtail(besides qty wires in box)? isn't it easier and quicker to terminate at the device terminals?
I've done it just to prove to myself that the ckt. was good from breaker to last device. And finish is a lot quicker because I only have to connect the device not make up the joints then connect the device. Plus inspectors like it.
I might add I don't wire houses for a living. Haven't wired one in several years. With the codes, afci's and other requirements I dont think I could..... 🤔
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Speaking of pig tailing devices, does anyone use plug tail receps? Or only where specified?
We used them on our last project. They have some advantage and disadvantages. They do take up more room in the box but we liked them because they got installed on the rough and you can energize the circuit even without the receptacle in place. This is good to check the circuit from end to end and you can also see if the sheetrockers put a screw through your cable because the CB would trip.
 

James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
Do you guys use feed through method( connecting right to terminals) or pigtail/splice the conductors to the terminals? Thanks
I do primarily residential work.

I never pigtail at a receptacle unless there's some functional use for doing it. (4 conductors, mwbc, etc)

The feed-throughs are rated for it, and I've simply seen too many 60-80 year old receps that are still in good functioning condition.

I think the risk of having an issue is so minimal that it's ridiculous to even consider it. The reward is obvious - it takes a LOT less time
 

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
We used them on our last project. They have some advantage and disadvantages. They do take up more room in the box but we liked them because they got installed on the rough and you can energize the circuit even without the receptacle in place. This is good to check the circuit from end to end and you can also see if the sheetrockers put a screw through your cable because the CB would trip.
more upside than downside using them from an install standpoint?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top