NEC 250-148

[kcmapleman]

Inspection failed....... Some simple things easy to fix, but one thing the inspector noted has me confused. He said ALL grounds in a gang box must be connected. I understand grounding is important, and maybe I misunderstood what he meant by ALL. Example..... I have a four gang box that controls four sets of lights, on 2 different circuits. So far we have 6 gounds in the box. There is also one receptacle that is wired from this box too. So now we have 7 gounds, add the four pigtails for the four switches and now we have 11!!! How in the world do you connect 11 grounds in a wire nut??? Not possible is it??? Currently there are three of the switches on one circuit, and the other switch and the receptacle on the other. First circuit, three switches plus the hot leg and pigtails is 7 which is really pushing it in a wirenut anyway, the second circuit has the other switch, the receptacle, the hot leg and the pigrail for said switch, there's our other four. I know all grounds in a circuit must be connected, but are you supposed to ground 2 different circuits together???? Please help! It's cold as you know what and this is holding up my insulation!!

Thanks in advance!!!

[RBM]

If each circuit has its own ground, you can have two groups of connected grounds. You don't have to use wire nuts, you could use crimps and just leave one long tail, which you bounce from switch to switch in the box

[kcmapleman]

2 things so you don't need to connect ALL grounds in a box, just the ones that will be on the same circuit ( yes each circuit has it's own ground terminated at the main panel ) and NEC does not require a separate pigtail for each equipment ground?

Thanks again!!

[RBM]

No, as long as all the circuit grounds are spliced or crimped together, one tail sticking out, connecting all the switches, outlets, etc in that box, on that circuit is fine. That's assuming your using plastic boxes, if they're steel, you only need to connect the tail to the box

[kcmapleman]

Plastic boxes. Another example, two gang box with two mid run 4 way switches, each again on a separate circuit plastic box, connect only the grounds from each circuit separately correct??

I guess my real question would be, won't mixing grounds from separate circuits cause more problems than it would solve?

Thanks again

[RBM]

Probably wouldn't make any difference at all, but the code reads that essentially all the grounds associated with a circuit must be connected together

[kcmapleman]

That's the concept i was working off of. I think the inspector may have looked in a box that i hadn't put the final switch in yet. They do rough in inspections a little different in ohio than in kansas, both use NEC, but the Columbus inspectors are wanting to see all the connections made before they'll sign off on the rough. Just more work for me as usual.

Thanks for the help. For a minute i thought i was going crazy!

[Eric9822]

All grounds MUST be connected together unless you have an isolated ground receptacle in which case it would be isolated from the rest until it gets back to the main service panel. Four switches and a feed to a receptacle would involve seven ground wires tied together, not sure where the eleven came into play, unless I misunderstood. As a previous poster stated, you do not need to use wirenuts, crimps or listed ground clamps work as well.

[scott21230]

I have used grounding bars inside boxes. They do come in different sizes. Just bolt one to the box and then it's real easy to put all your wires to the bar. They do make them in different sizes, and I have used ones as small as 4 position. Makes for amuch neater install.

Like this one

[Bud--]

Or you can use multiple wirenuts with extra wires connecting the wirenut groups together.

-- bud--

[Goedjn]

If there's any current on the ground, you've already got problems. The ground wire is only there to keep that problem from killing you before you fix it.

[Steve Barker]

I've got a whole box of those. Came in a bunch of stuff I bought at auction. I'll bet there's 500 of them. I'm going to use ONE of them.

[LayPerson Tom]

If you didn't cut your grounds short, you can crimp them all under a large enough barrel, and then trim them back leaving 4 free ends to attach to your devices.

Just a guess.....

tom @

[LayPerson Tom]

For the sake of not having to guess what he means, just connect them all together. I just remembered, Ideal sells push in connectors, In-Sure Push-In Wire Connectors. They have an 8 port one, to get all

7 of your grounds in, and one long tail to connect all your devices to.

Once again just a guess.

tom @