A couple of electrical questions on a remodel.

I have a few electrical questions as I am doing finish on a remodel.

1) Do switches need to be grounded to the box? If so, can I just run a piece of copper from the switch to the ground screw on the box. If so, I have to double up on the ground screw. Is this a problem?

2) With receptacles, a few of them have large looms of ground wires and rather than undoing it and adding a pigtail to ground to the receptacle, can I just run a ground wire directly from the receptacle to the ground screw on the box. Again I have to double it up around the screw. Is this a problem?

3) Lastly, can I double up switch legs on a lug on a switch if I want to tie a couple of banks of lights with separate switch legs together for example.
Reply to
Michael Roback
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Don't double up on the screw terminal. Use wire nuts and connect the wires together that way. At the local Home repair store you can get the grounding leads to connect to the box and the devices.

Reply to
indago

They should be grounded if they have a green screw. If you are using metal cover plates then I believe you must use this type so the cover will be grounded. I don't think you will have any luck trying to double up wires. It's hard enough to get the one wire on there. Try using the green wirenuts with the feed through hole or ready made pigtails.

You can get 'grounding type' outlets that will properly ground without using the green screw. I use the Leviton Pro Grade model BR15 (red box). I think you can also use standard outlets if you remove the paper washers that holds the screws so that there is metal to metal contact with the yoke and metal box (not just the screws). on.

Use pigtails. Or another way is to strip some insulation, 1/2" or so, beginning a few inches back on one of the wires and loop the one wire around the screw. Then wirenut the second wire to the end of the first wire. Sorta like making a pigtail without cutting the wire. Note make sure you use the correct wire gauge for pigtails. Match the other wires. 12ga for 20Amp and 14ga for 15Amp Kevin

Reply to
Kevin Ricks

For a grounds, they sell brass sleeves that crimp around wires. I am not sure why, but around here they are required, rather than wirenuts. If you have a steel box, the device is grounded through the attachment screws. Still, it is prudent to ground it with a wire also.

Reply to
Wade Lippman

Somehow yes, either by a wire if the device has a screw, or if it has a self grounding clip at the one end.

Yes, don't double wires on screws. If you can, you can loop the wire from the cable, around the box screw, then the device.

No.

Reply to
Gary Tait

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