Just moved into a new home, which is new construction. There is a electrical conduit running underground to the garage. I attempted to install a Lutron Maestro Motion Sensor switch, 2A, No Neutral Required, Single-Pole, MS-OPS2-WH, White.

When I opened the metal junction box, there was no ground wire. I have a few questions:

- Arent new electrical wiring all supposed to have a ground wire pull?
- Since it enters through the ground, does this count as grounding if the switch ground is attached to the metal junction box (its a full metal conduit back to the point of origin at the ground)

Really appreciate any insight.

 

The ground/earth does not count as a ground. However if the conduit is metal all the way back to the house, that could count as the ground.

 

Thanks @joed ... Just also found this article stating the same

https://www.thespruce.com/electrical...unding-1821523
For my clarity, how does running all the way back to the house ground it? I mean, at what point does it become 'grounded'?

 

It must be either connected directly to the panel or connected to a metal junction box and then to NMb type cable.

 

The official electrical ground for the house is the end of the service neutral that has entered the panel with the first whole house disconnect switch or breaker. It earns the adjective "grounded" because it is connected to ground rods at various utility poles and also ground rods at the house.

Or to say it more quickly the electrical ground is the main panel neutral bus bar, and that is "where/how" "things" get "grounded".

Plumbing may not count as any part of the needed metallic path to get from the object needing to be grounded over to the house electrical ground.

Now, if the metallic path being constructed should first reach a fat ground wire (grounding electrode conductor) emerging from the said main panel for a ground rod or water pipe exiting undeground, it may end and be attached there to accomplish grounding. (Such metal component may still need to continue on to other destinations for example it is a conduit that protects current carrying conductors enclosed within..

Branch circuit conduits and equipment grounding conductors are customarily landed at the panel with the breaker for the respective branch circuit but proper grounding depends on the panel, if not the main panel, properly grounded by appropriate bonding or equipment grounding conductors to the main panel.

 

Your ground is actually via that metal conduit. Using metal boxes, metal conduit, and acceptable fittings, the ground is continuous back to your main panel. So simply using a ground screw to the metal box or a self-grounding receptacle, you're all set!

 

Hey guys - thanks for all the input. So this is what was going on

A - yep, Chicago conduit all the way back, so I can ground screw into the back
B - Appears it was a Switch-Loop run, but they only used the black and white. Never had seen that configuration before (new to all this DIY electrical stuff), and got even more confused when hot was supposed to connect to white.

Undid it all this weekend, with the better understanding cleaned it up a little, got rid of a stupid extra pigtail in there, and now its looking good, and Im less concerned I just attached random wires to things

THANKS