Quick outlet grounding question
#1
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Quick outlet grounding question
Hi folks, just a quick question regarding grounding a new outlet. The current wiring has the bare copper grounding wire going around the green screw on the outlet and then it connects to the metal box with a little clip. This is an old outlet and box. Can I just remove the wire from the box and just have it hooked up to the green screw like normal?
Thanks
Thanks
#2
Both the metal box and the receptacle must have a ground connection, except for one special case.
If you have a self-grounding receptacle (unlikely if it is an older receptacle) then you can just run the ground to the metal box, and the receptacle will be grounded by the box.
Is there some reason you want or need to eliminate one of the ground connections?
If you have a self-grounding receptacle (unlikely if it is an older receptacle) then you can just run the ground to the metal box, and the receptacle will be grounded by the box.
Is there some reason you want or need to eliminate one of the ground connections?
#3
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If I had to guess, he's probably replacing the outlet and the tail from the box to the outlet is now too short.
If that's the case, you can get little green pigtails at Home Depot that have a ring terminal with captive screw at one end and a spade at the other. Simply remove the screw from the box, and screw the new pigtail into that hole, making sure the existing ground is hooked underneath it. Then hook the spade up to the ground on the outlet.
If that's the case, you can get little green pigtails at Home Depot that have a ring terminal with captive screw at one end and a spade at the other. Simply remove the screw from the box, and screw the new pigtail into that hole, making sure the existing ground is hooked underneath it. Then hook the spade up to the ground on the outlet.
#4
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Sorry, forgot to mention that piece. I'm replacing the outlets because the old ones were bad and plugs would fall out of them. Crap, so you're saying I should keep it the same way (with the box and the outlet grounded)? I'm assuming that's because the box is metal, right? Would it be different if the box was the plastic type? Of the four outlets that I'm replacing (all four have metal boxes) maybe two of them have both grounded, and two of them just have the outlets grounded. The reason I say crap is because I had already cut the wire off the box and just tied it to the outlet. But I can definitely go back and redo them.
As for self-grounding outlets, I'm not sure that they are. I bought a 10-pack of tamper resistant outlets from Home Depot. Here's the link. Leviton 15 Amp Tamper-Resistant Duplex Outlet, White (10-Pack) M22-T5320-WMP at The Home Depot - Mobile
Taz420, as for your comment about "remove the screw from the box", it's not a screw in this case. It's a little clip that the wire goes under and the clip slides onto the box.
As for self-grounding outlets, I'm not sure that they are. I bought a 10-pack of tamper resistant outlets from Home Depot. Here's the link. Leviton 15 Amp Tamper-Resistant Duplex Outlet, White (10-Pack) M22-T5320-WMP at The Home Depot - Mobile
Taz420, as for your comment about "remove the screw from the box", it's not a screw in this case. It's a little clip that the wire goes under and the clip slides onto the box.
#6
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Yeah I just noticed that when I re-read it. You can still use those pigtails, because all metal boxes will have a screw hole in the back which that screw will fit into (the screw is self-tapping, so it will fit even if it's not pre-threaded). The ground is required to go to the box FIRST (or be done like your originals - with the wire "looped" through the ground screw and then clipped to the box), so that the ground integrity is maintained even when the receptacle is removed.
#9
Ibpooks wrote:
See: http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...ounding.html#b
Chandler answered correctly in the first reply. The metal box is the legal ground. If you use self-grounding receptacles, then the mounting screw picks up the ground from the box. For regular receptacles, you need to run a pigtail from the ground screw on the receptacle to a ground screw on the box. Ideally the ground screw should be a tapped, 10-32, green, hex head screw. In older homes, most any screw in the box including the clamps was used as a ground screw.
self-grounding receptacle has copper clips on the mounting screw:
self-grounding receptacle has copper clips on the mounting screw:

#10
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Would you mind clarifying the following statement from above?
"The ground is required to go to the box FIRST (or be done like your originals - with the wire "looped" through the ground screw and then clipped to the box)"
If I'm just going to use the existing ground wire, and not use the additional pigtail from Home Depot just yet, do I loop around the outlet's ground screw first and then go to the box? Or do I wrap it around the box's screw first and then go to the outlet's screw?
Thanks again guys!
"The ground is required to go to the box FIRST (or be done like your originals - with the wire "looped" through the ground screw and then clipped to the box)"
If I'm just going to use the existing ground wire, and not use the additional pigtail from Home Depot just yet, do I loop around the outlet's ground screw first and then go to the box? Or do I wrap it around the box's screw first and then go to the outlet's screw?
Thanks again guys!
#13
It's easier with the screw in the back of the box.
Wrap the incoming ground wire around the screw and that leaves a tail for the receptacle.
Wrap the incoming ground wire around the screw and that leaves a tail for the receptacle.
#16
There is no particular order.
It's just easier to go to the box first and that connection remains permanently connected.
It's just easier to go to the box first and that connection remains permanently connected.
#17
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Sorry, one more follow-up. The next outlet I did had two ground wires. So I wire-nutted them together, along with a third spare wire. I guess that's a pigtail right? Then I took the end of that third spare wire, went around the outlet's ground screw, then to the box's ground screw. Can you confirm that this was ok to do it this way?
#19
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One more :-)
The two ground wires are one size (maybe 14 way?), and the extension wire I'm using is a little bigger, maybe 12? Is it ok to put the three of those wires in one (oranges) nut?
The two ground wires are one size (maybe 14 way?), and the extension wire I'm using is a little bigger, maybe 12? Is it ok to put the three of those wires in one (oranges) nut?
#22
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It seemed to fit ok with the two 14s and the one 12.
Taz, By the way, I checked out those pigtails at Home Depot that you mentioned. The only difference is that they had the geeen screw on one side with the wire wrapped around it, but the other end was just a stripped wire and not the spade end like the picture down below. I didn't wind up buying them, but I think I would have if they had the spade end.
Taz, By the way, I checked out those pigtails at Home Depot that you mentioned. The only difference is that they had the geeen screw on one side with the wire wrapped around it, but the other end was just a stripped wire and not the spade end like the picture down below. I didn't wind up buying them, but I think I would have if they had the spade end.
#23
Since you were only combining ground wires.... the 73B (orange is ok).
It wouldn't have worked if you had three insulated wires.
It wouldn't have worked if you had three insulated wires.