Grounding multiple devices in metal boxes

[BobK207]

New devices come with a green grounding screw.....(not tlike the old days)

I'm using metal boxes (metal conduit as well; either flex or emt) but I also use a seperate ground wire that I screw to the box.

In a situation where I have multiple devices in a box (two switches & a GFI outlet)......

Do I have to pigtail the ground & jumper to each device

OR

can the fact that the box is permanently grounded do the trick?

Room for the wires is no problem since I'm using DEEP "old work" boxes.

Thanks for the help.

cheers Bob

[bill allemann]

pigtail them. The fasteners holding the straps on to the box don't count as ground, so the straps aren't grounded until you connect to the green screw on each one.

[Wayne Whitney]

Some devices come with a spring clip around one of the screws in the strap that is meant to provide a grounding path when mounted in a metallic box. With such devices I believe it is NEC compliant to omit any additional grounding. However, I would consider a pigtail to the grounding screw to be a more secure grounding path.

Yours, Wayne

[Tom The Great]

Can't see your specific issue, but in the past I did this:

Pig tail a ground wire to the ground screw, wire nut all the grounds togehter. If I had devices, I would also add a pigtail for each device's ground screw. So this could be a lot of wires, but many wire nuts are designed for many wires. Also I think Ideal now makes push in connecters that handle up to 10 wires.

Just saying what worked for me, your case cannot be 'guessed' on.

tom @

[scott21230]

You can buy small grounding strips that you can put in the box too. I've seen them with 3-4 lugs.

[Tom The Great]

For Junction boxes? I curious, do you have a link?

thank you,

tom @

[BobK207]

....."a pigtail to the grounding screw to be a more secure grounding path. "

yeah, I knew that.....I was hoping that you guys would say "it's ok to use the device mouting screws as the ground path"

I was being lazy, not wanting make up the pigtails so checked.

cheers Bob