Wiring a track light -- grounding question

[Christopher Riley]

Hello,

I'd like to put a track light in my kitchen, but there isn't a ground wire, and the installation indicates strongly a need for the ground wire. The wiring is old but in good shape, and I certainly don't have the money right now to hire an electrician to come in and rewire the house, but I don't want to burn the place down, either. Is there any way I could safely wire the track light, or should I give up on the idea and live with a single light?

Thanks!

[Pop Rivet]

isn't a ground wire,

ground wire. The

have the money right

house, but I don't want

safely wire the

a single light?

The ground is pretty important, required by codes, and is for safety more than a fire hazard, especially in a kitchen. Under fault conditions, coming on contact with the track lighting components somehow while touching the kitchen sink, faucet, stove, fridge, another appliance, etc. could indeed cause a very serious injury. While it's not likely, if the track lighting were deemed the cause of a fire and the insurance company got wind that it was not installed to code, and not inspected, just might decide to pull their coverage. I wouldn't take a chance on giving them that opportunity - they already weasle way too much.

Do you have any friends, trusted friends of friends, etc. with electrical background? Maybe they could take a look at it and help you out. There are some pretty simple ways to do a job like that if all you're doing is literally putting a track light where there now is a standard fixture, but your post wasn't that informative.

Regards,

Pop

[HA HA Budys Here]

I doubt there exists a U.L. rated fixture in the world, including outdoor builder's fixtures which have no metal components whatsoever, (aside from the fixture bar) that don't incorporate a grounding requirement in their instructions. How would the OP install ANY kind of fixture in their kitchen?

[w_tom]

[Pop Rivet]

could

with

kitchen.

sink,

indeed

deemed

that

might

on

too

at

to

putting

including outdoor

whatsoever, (aside from the

requirement in their

in their kitchen?

I agree, UL/CSA/CE marked inclusive. Not sure I understand why you'd ask me that though. Unless it were a class 2 device, he can't, and be to code. And tack lights aren't available as class 2, far's I know. Am I missing something? Perhaps it's my phrasing of the last sentence; poorly worded, I agree, but I was wondering if there was information that wasn't included in the OP. There are ways to acceptably provide earths without having to run new cable is where my head was at that time.

Regards,

Pop

[Greg G]

I'm surprised no one has asked this before.

When you say there is no ground wire, what exactly DID you find up there? Is it BX? (wires inside a flexible metal "armor") If so, and if it is competently wired, the metal casing itself may be able to supply the ground connection.

Greg Guarino

[Chris Lewis]

According to Pop Rivet :

There's a variety of shadings in this issue. All the way from assuming that a fixture change doesn't require an inspection (which is true in some jurisdictions) all the way to mandatory inspection and an inspector out to get you.

Which implies a solution anywhere from "install the thing, don't worry about ground", to mandatory upgrade of the circuit with full grounding (and possibly even a panel upgrade/more general rewiring) yadda yadda yadda.

But wiring a fixture _without_ considering safety is a bad idea.

Personally, if it was a small, unreachable except by ladder, mostly-plastic fixture, I wouldn't worry about grounding. But with a fixture with a lot of metal (especially a track fixture or metal chandelier), I'd consider how to avoid problems due to hot-case shorts. Regardless of whether code/inspectors are going to get into the act.

In the US, if the wiring already had nominal grounding from BX sheath or metallic conduit, you might use it, despite the fact that old BX armor generally isn't that safe a ground. But I'm Canadian, and that's not code-acceptable here in any event, and I'd use a GFCI instead.

By both our codes, inserting a GFCI outlet with feedthru protection into the circuit upstream of the fixture (or GFCI breaker in the panel) is acceptable and _will_ protect you from hot-case shorts, even tho nothing is (nor usually should be, according to code) connected to the grounding lug on the fixture.

Depending on your wiring, a GFCI outlet solution can be nothing more than replacing an existing outlet with a $7 GFCI - easy and cheap.

But that's not to say that an inspector couldn't insist on something more draconian if they want to make your life miserable (as rare as that really is).