Older switches may not have a grounding terminal and there may be no ground wire present in the switch box. A light switch recently cracked so i replaced it.
How To Choose And Install A Programmable Wall Switch Timer
Replacing ungrounded light switch. The switch will be ground via the devices yoke and mounting screws. When there is no gfci protection provided sec. After youve turned the power off all. They go down to their local home improvement center and purchase a replacement light switch only to find out that there is a screw on their new light switch that wasnt on their old one. However an ungrounded switch must have a non metallic faceplate that is also nonconducting and noncombustibleunless the switch mounting strap is nonmetallic or the circuit is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter gfci. If the light switch has a screw for a bare ground wire but your electrical box doesnt have one youre ok just leaving that screw empty and connecting your other wires to the hot screws.
An exception is allowed if you are replacing an exisitng switch in an older two wire pre 1960 electrical system that does not have a means of grounding at the box. Replacement or otherwise into a metal box that is grounded. When doing so i noticed that none of the switches in that box were grounded nothing attached to green ground screw on the switches. When you screw the light switch in it will make contact with the box and as long as the box is grounded it will pick up ground that way. So if the metal box is grounded the switch is also grounded. Share improve this question follow edited jul 10 13 at 1423.
If its a metal box and a metal light fixture and the box is. Perhaps your light switch has gone bad or you just want a new look or type of switch. If you are replacing a switch a ground is not required as per the above exception. However if youre installing a switch. Grounding electrode system sec. Fortunately replacing a light switch is a simple project.
Only two wires on each switch black and white i started checking other switches and found that none of the light switches in the house are grounded. My wife is considering refurbishing the look of the light instead of replacing it. In many cases especially in older houses with metal boxes the metal box may be grounded even if you dont have a ground wire. An old switch can be replaced with the same type or you can change a single pole switch to a rheostat dimmer if it controls an approved light fixture. 319 2 2 gold badges 4 4 silver badges 10 10 bronze badges. 250 130 c allows you to replace an ungrounded type receptacle with a grounding type receptacle at an outlet box not containing an equipment grounding conductorif you bond the grounding contacts of the receptacle to any one of the following locations.
If the box isnt grounded the. 123k 65 65 gold badges 273 273 silver badges 552 552 bronze badges. Is it okay to use the light even though its not grounded. Asked jul 10 13 at 123.
Gallery of Replacing Ungrounded Light Switch
