Home Wiring Ground

A ground wire serves as the electrical current s shortest route back to the earth in the event that there is a break or interruption in the circuit. Its top may be visible or it may be sunk a few inches beneath the ground. In essence the grounding system in a residential wiring system serves a backup pathway that provides an alternate route for electrical current to follow back to ground in the case of a problem in the wiring system.

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In the 1920s to 1940s electrical installations took a turn to a more protective wiring scheme flexible armored cable.

Home wiring ground. A number of different colors may be used for the hot wire in various types of switch wiring while neutral and ground wires should always be the same. An electrical ground is a safety system that provides a safe path for electricity to follow in the event of a short circuit electrical surge or other safety or fire hazard. Good practice for grounding and bonding a home wiring system photo credit. Romex is a common type of residential wiring that is categorized by the national electrical code nec as underground feeder uf or non metallic sheathed cable nm and nmc.

A copper ground rod is driven at least 8 feet into the ground. The service panel ground wire must be firmly attached to the ground rod either with a special toothed clamp or by welding. Grounding refers to the wire that runs from an outlet into the earth inherently protecting homeowners from coming in contact with electric energy. This doesn t turn an ungrounded outlet into a grounded outlet but it does provide protection against shock.

The coating on nmc cable is non conducting flame resistant and moisture resistant. If you are engaging in any home wiring proper identification of wires is imperative so that you end up making the right connections. Having your home s wiring grounded is important in preventing power surges that can lead to fire or electrocution. In modern home wiring systems each circuit has its own ground wire that leads back to the service panel.

A gfci outlet installation does not protect equipment from power surges. To understand its importance to a home wiring system it is important to know something about the nature of electrical energy. Nm and nmc conductors are composed of two or more insulated conductors contained in a non metallic sheath. The easiest way to upgrade an ungrounded 120v receptacle to get ground protection is to replace it with a gfci outlet.

Flex also known as greenfield was a welcomed addition to home wiring because the flexible metal walls helped to protect the wires from damage and also offered a metal pathway that could ground the system when properly installed. No matter the method it s important that the ground circuit provides an unbroken path to the earth. Recent building codes often call for two or more ground rods for added security.