Ground (without a visible wire) is entirely possible if the in-wall cable is BX, which was dreadfully common for quite a while. Metallic conduit could also do that, but would not be nearly as common. While connecting the ground to the neutral will probably get the switch to work, I highly recommend you don’t.
Can you ground a wire to a screw?
You attach the ground wire from the supply cable to the metal box. Always. If the lamp has a metal frame, and the box is metal, it can ground itself through the mounting screws. Otherwise you’ll need a 3-way pigtail between a pigtail off the box, the supply wire, and the lamp’s ground.
Can you ground to a screw?
There are two simple ways to connect a ground screw to the box, a screw or a grounding clip. If there’s no threaded hole for a ground screw, a clip is the easy way to go, rather than drilling and tapping the box.
Are light switch screws grounded?
Lots of modern switches have a ground screw that diverts the excess charge through it. The bottom line is, as long as there is metal-to-metal contact between your ground and the switch covering/box, your light switch will be grounded.
What happens if you do not connect the ground wire?
The appliance will operate normally without the ground wire because it is not a part of the conducting path which supplies electricity to the appliance. In fact, if the ground wire is broken or removed, you will normally not be able to tell the difference.
Can any screw be used as a ground screw?
Ground screws must be -32 thread pitch or finer, and must be threaded into the metal box. 10-32 is the “conventional” size. And most metal boxes have a hole tapped for a #10-32 screw for precisely that purpose. This is visible as a hole slightly smaller than the normal mounting holes.
Is a grounding screw necessary?
It is not required to ground the mounting plate. That green screw is only there for convenience of grounding a metal fixture with no separate ground wire. With the two wires you described connected together you are good.
What if there is no ground wire for a light fixture?
If by chance you are installing an electrical light fixture that has no ground wire into an electrical box with no ground wire as well, then simply connect together the hot wire from the electrical box to the hot (black or red) wire on the light fixture.
Can any wire be used as a ground wire?
Copper grounding wire is commonly used in electrical applications, particularly because of its conductivity and its durability. There are various types of copper wires used across applications. The main types of grounding wire most used includes bare copper and gauged copper wire.
What is the purpose of a grounding screw?
Ground screws replace the need to dig traditional foundations and lay concrete. As the name would suggest, these foundations are screwed into the ground to depths typically between 1.2m and 5.0m using specialist equipment.
Can I leave ground wire exposed?
Grounding wires, especially those running through grounding rods on the exterior of your home, are exposed. The grounding wires are safe to touch unless there is an electrical surge that causes electricity to flow through the grounding wire.
Do I need to connect both ground wires?
There is only one green ground screw connection on an outlet. The two ground wires must be wire-nutted together along with another 6-inch length of green or bare ground wire known as a pigtail. A grounded electrical outlet has three holes to provide a ground connection for three-prong plugged devices.
What do you attach ground wire to?
Ground wires are typically attached to a ground screw or screw terminal connection on either the light fixture, receptacle outlet, or electrical devices or components including the electrical junction box, or ground lead wire from light fixtures and other the electrical devices which provide a connection for the ground …
How do I add a ground wire to a light switch?
Twist the three ground wires together in the first box and secure them with a wire nut. Then, connect the end of the shortest ground wire to the green terminal on the switch. Now, only the ground wire in the second box is left to connect—attach it to the switch’s brass or green terminal screw.
Where do you put ground wire without ground screw?
If there is a ground wire in the feeder cable, but no ground screw or wire on the fixture. If a fixture strap is used, attach the ground wire to the fixture strap using a green screw or ground clip. If a fixture strap is not used, leave the ground wire folder neatly in the back of the box.
How do you attach a ground wire to a screw?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Ground make sure you make your loop. In the same direction that your nut is tightening up and that will pull the wire underneath the screw.
Can ground wire touch metal?
No problem with a bare ground wire touching any metal case/box if the metal cases are grounded. It is cheaper to make the wire.
Should ground wire be attached to metal box?
yes, the box should be grounded. It should not be grounded through the devices, but by means of a machine screw, clip, or through metal conduit.
Can you use bare wire for ground wire?
Contractors can use both bare and insulated wire for grounding purposes.
