Grounding question...
#1
12-21-03, 02:03 PM
Grounding question...
Greetings,
Just a quick question regarding BX armored cable: The ground on the main service panel is attached to the water main>>I have run a few new circuits with 12/2 BX ,which does not have a specific ground wire>>Does the armor of the cable itself act as the ground when it is attached by collar(by which it is anchored to the box) to the main panel since the panel itself is grounded???
Just wondering about that one.............
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!
Just a quick question regarding BX armored cable: The ground on the main service panel is attached to the water main>>I have run a few new circuits with 12/2 BX ,which does not have a specific ground wire>>Does the armor of the cable itself act as the ground when it is attached by collar(by which it is anchored to the box) to the main panel since the panel itself is grounded???
Just wondering about that one.............
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!
#2
12-21-03, 02:57 PM
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Exactly!
Make sure all your connectors and locknuts are made up tight. The thin silver aluminum "wire" is not a ground or even a wire. It is a mesenger to help keep the armour bonded. It is to be wrapped around the armour before installation into the BX connector.
Also, not to be funny, never use plastic boxes with BX or MC. Don't laugh. I have seen it a few times. I just did a house re-wire from a fire. Surprisingly the fire was NOT from electric. I found several plastic boxes with splices, BURRIED behind sheetrock, with NM and BX both coming in to them. Yes, I did take lots of pictures!
Make sure all your connectors and locknuts are made up tight. The thin silver aluminum "wire" is not a ground or even a wire. It is a mesenger to help keep the armour bonded. It is to be wrapped around the armour before installation into the BX connector.
Also, not to be funny, never use plastic boxes with BX or MC. Don't laugh. I have seen it a few times. I just did a house re-wire from a fire. Surprisingly the fire was NOT from electric. I found several plastic boxes with splices, BURRIED behind sheetrock, with NM and BX both coming in to them. Yes, I did take lots of pictures!
#3
12-21-03, 02:58 PM
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Type AC cable, that many of us call by the old trade name BX, is listed for the jacket to serve as an Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC). If it is really type AC (armored cable) then it will have a metallic bonding strip run just inside the metal armor that is the outer sheath of the cable. If that bonding strip is present than the cable armor can serve as the EGC. As long as you use listed connectors to attach the cable jacket to the grounded cabinet of the panel then the outlets served by that cable will have a ground available to them.
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Tom H
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Tom H
#5
12-21-03, 03:33 PM
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