You can leave that screw unconnected if you dont have a ground wire or if you have the wire but no screw on the switch you can ground the switch another way. It must be connected to this terminal not to the load terminal or the gfci wont offer any protection.
Saving This For The Basement Three Way Switch With Two
No ground wire in light switch. If the box is not metal and a ground wire is not available in the fixture box then you can still install the key less light fixture. If your light switch spark box is made of metal its likely that the bare copper ground wire youre looking for is wrapped around the wiring cables sheath and held in place by the clamp holding. Last and least if theres no screw present in the box to connect a ground wire and no place to put a screw heres a workaround. On a 3 way switch circuit the white wire could be used in several different ways. Replace the outlet and put a label on it that reads no equipment ground. Leave the ground terminal disconnected.
Heres why you normally want a ground and what your options are for a light switch without ground. Thread an 8 32 nut onto the screw. Electrical wiring in some older homes does not have a ground wire for outlets ans switches and some older homes have ground wires that are bonded behind the electrical box. On a dimmer or a light switch there is usually not a neutral wire. Light fixtures and the ground wire. Wrap the wire around the screw then cinch the nut down to hold it.
For a normal light switch the ground is a safety feature not necessary for operation. As long as you match that the other wires dont make a difference. Disconnect the neutral wire which is white and connect it to the chrome line terminal. The key to working with a 3 way switch is that there is always an odd colored screw on it. So any light switch installed since your local ahj authority having jurisdiction or in other words the building department adopted the 1999 nec should be grounded. If the box is metal then attach the fixture ground wire to the box.
Will a light switch work with no ground wire. Remove one of the long screws that holds the fixture in place. If your light switch goes out and is wired like mine this is how you can replace the light switch in a 2 wire ungrounded home. The purpose of a ground wire on a light switch. Sunday december 9 2018 light switches have been required to be grounded since the 1999 edition of the national electrical code.