ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
2 members (Scott35, ampherder), 273 guests, and 12 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 345
T
tdhorne Offline OP
Member
Was it ever code complaint under the US NEC to join Equipment Grounding Conductors (EGCs) with only a mechanical splice made by twisting the wires without the use of a crimp or pressure connector.
--
Tom H


Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use" Thomas Alva Edison
Stay up to Code with the Latest NEC:


>> 2023 NEC & Related Reference & Exam Prep
2023 NEC & Related Reference & Study Guides

Pass Your Exam the FIRST TIME with the Latest NEC & Exam Prep

>> 2020 NEC & Related Reference & Study Guides
 

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
250-114 in the 75 code says "Where more than one grounding conductor of a branch circuit enters a box, all such conductors shall be in good electrical contact with each other and the arrangement shall be such that the disconnection or removal of a receptacle, fixture or other device fed from the box will not interfere with or interrupt the grounding continuity".
That seems to make the common practice of simply twisting a few inches together, leaving a single stinger for the receptacle, legal at that time.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
Likes: 4
Member
I've seen older installations in this area where 2 wire NM was used throughout the house, but a separate bare ground was run to the Kitchen receptacles. These separate grounds were typically just twisted together in the attic above (and I assume 1 went back to the panel).

Bill


Bill
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,749
Member
Not if 110.14(B) was considered.


Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,507
G
Member
Tom- I think Joe is correct, at least back to the '68 code when I wrote my Masters. If your talking about sign building, and not the grounding conductor 600.42 allows just twisting the conductors together. If you've looked at these installations, there's no connectors or splicing devices on them. And that's legal today.


George Little
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 345
T
tdhorne Offline OP
Member
Many Thanks to all hands. A special thank you to Joe Tedesco for the specific section reference. Every time I run into this practice it is causing some sort of problem. When I was assisting with housing inspections it repeatedly caused elevated voltage drop on the ungrounded current carrying conductor / Equipment Grounding Conductor circuit. I have encountered it so many times that I began to think that it had to have been code compliant at some point in time.

George Little
On the sign issue are you saying that splices made by twisting the wires alone are code compliant in neon sign work? That seems so strange!
--
Thanks again!
Tom H


Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use" Thomas Alva Edison
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,507
G
Member
Tom- Don't I get a Special Thanks too? I gave you a code section. And yes, it's done all the time in the sign industry.


George Little
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 345
T
tdhorne Offline OP
Member
Well yes George you did but Joe's was on point to the original question. That splicing practice in sign construction is a real eye opener.
--
Tom H


Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use" Thomas Alva Edison
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 163
D
Member
Up through 1968 equipment grounding conductors did not require a 'listed'connector or equivalent insulated covering (IMHO).

The 1968 language: 'All splices and joints and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation equivalent to that of the conductors.'

Since EGC were (and are) bare, an 'equivalent insulation' would be nothing.

In 1971 the language changed to add: 'or with an insulating device suitable for the purpose.'

In my opinion, this new language in 1971 brought about the requirement for some sort of connector for EGC's.

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 37
J
Member
I have a question I've always wondered about:

In the US NEC, ground wires must be pigtailed. This is acceptable in Canada too, except that in the CEC (Canadian Electrical Code) it is also perfectly acceptable to terminate ground wires on the screws in the boxes.

So if you had 2 NM cable in a box, you can put one ground wire on the screw and cut it off, and the other one can run through the screw and attach to the device.

Seems to be pretty common to double up grounds on the screws too; a straight through connection on each side of the screw.

What is the just justification in the NEC for not allowing this? If there is one. Or, just any general opinions?

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5