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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 794
Likes: 3
W
wa2ise Offline OP
Member
Was wondering how to avoid the bare grounding
wire of romex cable from possibly shorting to
a hot or neutral terminal on a switch or
outlet? Is it permitted to use electrical
tape to wrap the bare ground wire to keep
it from shorting? How do the pros deal with
this?

Bob, homeowner who would like to get
it right.

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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
E
Member
Tuck the wires into the box carefully. Thats all! Millions (billions perhaps) of boxes are in use in the USA with no problems at all. If this was an issue they would insulate the wire.

Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 210
S
Member
Exactly, carefully tuck the wires into the box. One reason the wire is bare is so it has a better chance of picking up stray current in a plastic box.

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 186
M
mj Offline
Member
i always make-up the egc,s first,and push them to the rear of the box to avoid contact with the phase conductors.

Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Follow box-fill rules.

Use deep boxes. If using plastic, use 20 or 22 cubic inch boxes. the extra depth will make your life much easier.

If using metal old-work, use 3.5" deep if the wall cavity will allow.

Quote
One reason the wire is bare is so it has a better chance of picking up stray current in a plastic box.

Really? I thought it was so manufacturers could save money.


Peter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 210
S
Member
Ctwireman,
Its always about money! But think about it, what good would and insulated ground do in a plastic box. MC cable comes with an insulated ground, but you have to use a metal box and properly bond that metal box.

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 597
E
Member
Bob,

One other thought, related to carefully folding the wires into the box. . .use more wire, rather than less.

I have no idea of what your practice is, but a common error I run into concerns short conductors at the receptacle or switch. When I rough in a box, I'll leave 12" to 14" of conductor stripped out of the sheath, with only 1/4" to 3/4" of the sheath left showing inside the box where the cable enters, or sticks out of the clamp. When I come back to make up the splices, I'll trim back the length to about 5" - 6" of conductor past the open face of the box. I'll make up the grounds first, and fold them back and forth the long way and push them to the back of the box, with the device bond pigtail coming forward at the point I expect the yoke screw to be present. Then I'll make up the remaining insulated conductors, again, pushing the splices to the back of the box, over the grounds, with the pigtails or single conductors coming out with the ground. Then I'll fold those away till I come back to device, when the wall is finished.

I'll pull out, unfold, the pigtails (or individual conductors) and comfortably make up the device terminations several inches from the wall surface, and then, again, fold the wires back into the box.

Al


Al Hildenbrand
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
sounds like the 'acordian' method Al.

i use this 99% of the time

the bare ground ending up on the bottom of the box, with nowhere to 'fall' to, terminating with the receptacle ground down.

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,236
Likes: 1
Member
Yup. All about being neat. (See 110.12)


-Virgil
Residential/Commercial Inspector
5 Star Inspections
Member IAEI
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 141
A
Member
Bare wire? What bare wire?

All the wires in the boxes I make up are white--thanks to the overspray from the texture, primer, and paint!

And, oh yea, you can put a wrap of tape around the device to cover the screws. I do this in old work where the boxes are metal and are tight.

Cliff


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