Electrical Ground Wire for a Light Fixture
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How to Ground a Light Fixture © By: Dave Rongey |
Ground Wire Connection for a Light Fixture
[ad#block]Electrical Question: I am replacing a bedroom ceiling fan with normal light fixture.
- I am replacing a bedroom ceiling fan with normal light fixture.
- The old ceiling fan only has white wire and a black wire no ground at all.
- New fixture has white black and green ground wire.
- What should I do with ground wire?
- The junction box in the ceiling is metal. How do I attach the ground wire?
This electrical question came from: Matt, from Gary, Indiana.
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Matt, here is the answer to your question.
How to Ground a Light Fixture
- Depending on the age of the home there may be a ground wire attached to the metal box. This could only be verified when using a voltage tester.
- If the box is grounded then there should be a tapped screw hole that is used for a green grounding screw. A grounding clip may also be installed onto the side area of the box.
- If it is found that the metal box is not grounded then a ground wire may be installed which will be bonded to the main electrical panel grounding system.
- Understand that the ground wire is an equipment safety and does not affect the performance of the light fixture however it is highly recommended to have all electrical devices grounded.
More about Ground a Light Fixture
Electrical Grounding Methods and Requirements
Listing of electrical codes for grounding with examples of electrical grounding codes for home electrical wiring.
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