When working with ganged metal boxes, should each box segment have a separate ground connection, or is the mechanical connection between them considered sufficient to allow only one?

Along those same lines, I have five cables entering a three- gang. Adding three device grounds brings it to eight ground wires, assuming one doubles as the box ground:

1. Since my "greenies" allow only 5-14 awgs per connection, what is the best way to connect all the grounds?

2. If the "through" wire from the "greenie" is used for one device, are pigtails acceptable for the other two, or do I have to make up three separate ground clusters, using three "greenies?"

re: Triple Gang Grounding	Warren Goodrich	6:08 pm tuesday october 2, 2001

:When working with ganged metal boxes, should each box segment have a separate ground connection, or is the mechanical connection between them considered sufficient to allow only one?

REPLY;

GANGED METAL BOXES ARE CONSIDERED AS ONE BOX AND ONLY ONE GROUNDING CONNECTION IS REQUIRED FOR THAT GANGED BOX.

Along those same lines, I have five cables entering a three- gang. Adding three device grounds brings it to eight ground wires, assuming one doubles as the box ground:

1. Since my "greenies" allow only 5-14 awgs per connection, what is the best way to connect all the grounds?

REPLY;

YOU MAY CONNECT 4-12 OR 5-14 AWG CONDUCTORS IN ONE GREENIE WIRE NUT LEAVING ONE CONDUCTOR WITH A LONG TAIL STICKING OUT ABOUT 6" THEN CONNECT ANOTHER 4-12 OR 5-14 AWG CONDUCTOR IN THIS SECOND GREENIE WIRENUT AND CONTINUIE DAISY CHAINING THE WIRE NUTS UNTIL YOU HAVE ENOUGH WIRE NUTS TO CONNECT ALL GROUNDING CONDUCTORS AS YOUR DESIGNED FOR USE IN THAT BOX. Remember you may tail out a long 15" or so pigtail through that one greenie and then wrap the green grounding conductor around the green screw of the first device [switch or receptacle] leaving the tail long and then going on to the second device and again to the third in a daisy chain design between devices. Just don't install more than one conductor under each green grounding screw.

2. If the "through" wire from the "greenie" is used for one device, are pigtails acceptable for the other two, or do I have to make up three separate ground clusters, using three "greenies?"

REPLY;

All grounding conductors should be connected together as one entity no matter how many wire nuts you need to use in that box to make those connections as discribed above. Too many times people try to remember which wire went where and just connect the equipment grounding conductors of one switch system together leaving two or three or even more separate connections of these grounding conductors in that same box. Problem is if they are wrong you just lost a vital safety wire in that system without a path to the panel grounding bar. This is why I strongly suggest making all equipment grounding conductors in a certain box all the same as one entity. That way you ensure that you have them all connected with a path back to the grounding bar in the panel.

Good Luck

Wg

re: Triple Gang Grounding	sawdust	6:38 am wednesday october 3, 2001

Thanks to Wg again for this comprehensive reply...I hadn't thought of the daisy chain approach...it makes sense and should help reduce the wire clutter. I, too, consider safety to be the prime goal here, not just "passing" the inspection.....sawdust.