year of grounded switches?

Status
Not open for further replies.
cowboyjwc said:
It was new to the code in 1999. Article 380-9.
Click to expand...

Gac66610 said:
as it was explained to us (by our inspector) the main reason for grounding the switches was in case homeowners replaced our plastic plates with metal plates

we, at the time were grounding all devises in any size box, inspector told us that only one was needed in multi-gang boxes
receptacles are always grounded
Click to expand...

Before the change in 1999, that may have been acceptable as the main concern was to ensure that a metal faceplate was grounded. Now they want to ensure all the yokes are grounded as well as a metal faceplate, if using a metallic box this is accomplished through the mounting screws (if metal to metal contact is made) if using a non metallic box each switch must have a grounding conductor attached to it whether there is a metal faceplate or not.
 
jumper said:
Texie, nobody on this site who has read your posts thinks you "just fell off the turnip truck".

Now me OTOH... I do believe that I scare a few people:)
Click to expand...

Jumper didn't just fall off, he jumped. I think he might have even been driving.

texie said:
I think he is greatly mistaken. Even with non metal faceplate you typically have metallic screws attaching them, which are a shock hazard. The 2011 code deals with this in 404.9(B). Take a look at it and the exceptions. It leaves very little doubt about the requirements and methods of grounding switches and faceplates.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
jumper said:
:)

More like a fuzzy fountain of misinformation. I figure that if I answer enough posts, I am bound to get one right once in awhile.
Click to expand...

:D

What's funny is that just this week I've been having a "discussion with a contractor over some lights they installed (we have some different rules here in CA). So yesterday while I'm on the job and he's trying to defend his install he get's the engineer on the phone and hands it to me. Of course I'm ready for the fight, so we talk for a couple of minutes and the engineer says to me, "your correct, we actually came to the same conclusion". Oh um, really? I've been married so long that I forgot what it felt like to be right.:lol:
 
texie said:
I think he is greatly mistaken. Even with non metal faceplate you typically have metallic screws attaching them, which are a shock hazard. The 2011 code deals with this in 404.9(B). Take a look at it and the exceptions. It leaves very little doubt about the requirements and methods of grounding switches and faceplates.
Click to expand...

kwired said:
Before the change in 1999, that may have been acceptable as the main concern was to ensure that a metal faceplate was grounded. Now they want to ensure all the yokes are grounded as well as a metal faceplate, if using a metallic box this is accomplished through the mounting screws (if metal to metal contact is made) if using a non metallic box each switch must have a grounding conductor attached to it whether there is a metal faceplate or not.
Click to expand...

read 404.9 (all not just (b)) you're right it does say that, I will talk to inspectors see if there was an amendment to it (have my doubts) :)

Thanks
 
If you would happen to find a switch that has no exposed metal parts you would not have to ground it. I sure hope this would be obvious to installers and inspectors, but you never know. There are surface mounted devices with no metallic parts other than the conductive parts that make up the switching components themselves (try grounding those and see what happens:happyyes:)that would not require a grounding conductor, but they often have grounding terminals mostly for the convenience of landing / splicing grounding conductors that do exist.
 
kwired said:
If you would happen to find a switch that has no exposed metal parts you would not have to ground it. I sure hope this would be obvious to installers and inspectors, but you never know. There are surface mounted devices with no metallic parts other than the conductive parts that make up the switching components themselves (try grounding those and see what happens:happyyes:)that would not require a grounding conductor, but they often have grounding terminals mostly for the convenience of landing / splicing grounding conductors that do exist.
Click to expand...

I can remember a time when we had to use plastic cover screws in the face plate in bathrooms (local joke e'rr requirement) once:lol: and yes they do sell plastic plate screws in all colors of face plates
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top