[Sheen]

Good morning all,

I have a 4 gang box plastic and a need to connect 10, 14 awg ground wires. Red wire nuts are max 6, 14 awg wires and if I understand correctly for CA code each device has to have its own ground so I cant daisy chain ground from switch 1 to switch 4 then to main ground branch?

Whats ideal way to connect the grounds together? Can / Should I use a greenie and terminate all 6 romex wires together with 1 longer wire to then wire nut / join 4 pigtails from the switches?

Devices / wires:
1) power in 14/2
2) outside lights 14/2
3) front porch 14/2
4) entry light 14/2
5) 3 way 14/3 out to 2nd switch
6) power out 14/2

Forgive the sloppy art, trying to plan the termination for rough-in inspection before I start.

Thought it best create a new post but link to old post with some relevant info 4 Gang Box Wiring / Crimping Question

 

[dcwired]

I do not know about CA code, but if that's so, a gray or blue/gray wirenut will do. Also, you can bundle several + a jumper under 1 wirenuts and use the jumper and the remaining in another wirenut.

 

[Sheen]

I do not know about CA code, but if that's so, a gray or blue/gray wirenut will do. Also, you can bundle several + a jumper under 1 wirenuts and use the jumper and the remaining in another wirenut.

Awesome thanks. how would you do it in your area?

 

[James999]

Two groups of 5 with a ground jumper between them, so you will have 6 wires in each bunch,

Twist them together tight with large pliers, so the nut doesn't even matter,

Put a nut on, but it should not be relied on to make the connection, the twisting does that

 

[flyingron]

Put a nut on, but it should not be relied on to make the connection, the twisting does that

Not this again. The above is patently untrue. The listed fastener is required to make a gas-tight connection. Twisting alone will not do this.

 

[Sheen]

Thanks all! I am good, really appreciate the help.

 

[SW Dweller]

I would do the grounds all together.
Breaking the grounds up in groups runs a risk of the jumper being broken or disconnected.
A blue wire nut is good for 6 - 14 gauge wires.

 

[Jim Port]

I would do the grounds all together.
Breaking the grounds up in groups runs a risk of the jumper being broken or disconnected.
A blue wire nut is good for 6 - 14 gauge wires.

The OP has 10 grounds. Two groups will be needed.

 

[MTVhike]

Does CA stand for Canada or California? Canada has different codes, but does California?

 

[Jim Port]

I believe California has a version of the NEC. Canada has the CEC.

 

[hornetd]

I would do the grounds all together.
Breaking the grounds up in groups runs a risk of the jumper being broken or disconnected.
A blue wire nut is good for 6 - 14 gauge wires.

There is no more risk of a jumper breaking than there is of any of the EGCs breaking. The EGCs often break inside insulation or inside wire nuts. Either is rather hard to spot until after the devices are installed and a circuit tester is applied.

An easy but seldom used way to connect multiple Equipment Grounding Conductors in a large electrical box is to install a small add on EGC busbar in the box. Some of the smaller accessory busbars that are made for installation in panel cabinets and other equipment enclosures are also listed for use in electrical boxes. A metal box must be thick enough to engage 2 full threads of the mounting screw or screws. At 32 threads per inch that only takes a 16th of an inch of wall thickness. Most electrical boxes are thicker walled than that.

I have a 4 gang box plastic and a need to connect 10, 14 awg ground wires.

With a plastic box such as the Discussion Starter has it only needs to be fastened in place. Since many of of those busbars are listed for 3 EGCs in each terminal the shortest ones commonly sold are more than enough for the use. Using a busbar for the EGCs makes an elegant and professional looking installation.

Tom Horne

 

[Missouri Bound]

Crimping is for stranded wires only.

 

[rjniles]

Crimping is for stranded wires only.

Ground crimp terminals are compliant for solid or stranded wires.

Sent from my SM-T500 using Tapatalk

 

[Sheen]

There is no more risk of a jumper breaking than there is of any of the EGCs breaking. The EGCs often break inside insulation or inside wire nuts. Either is rather hard to spot until after the devices are installed and a circuit tester is applied.

An easy but seldom used way to connect multiple Equipment Grounding Conductors in a large electrical box is to install a small add on EGC busbar in the box. Some of the smaller accessory busbars that are made for installation in panel cabinets and other equipment enclosures are also listed for use in electrical boxes. A metal box must be thick enough to engage 2 full threads of the mounting screw or screws. At 32 threads per inch that only takes a 16th of an inch of wall thickness. Most electrical boxes are thicker walled than that.

With a plastic box such as the Discussion Starter has it only needs to be fastened in place. Since many of of those busbars are listed for 3 EGCs in each terminal the shortest ones commonly sold are more than enough for the use. Using a busbar for the EGCs makes an elegant and professional looking installation.

Tom Horne

I like this idea, seems very clean. Going to see if I can find something that would work.
I have already wired the one box using the 5+pigtail to another 5, but I have another one to do.

 

[Sheen]

Does CA stand for Canada or California? Canada has different codes, but does California?

California so NEC

 

[flyingron]

I believe California has a version of the NEC. Canada has the CEC.

Nope, California also has the CEC: California Electrical Code. It's a rather formal mod over the 2017 NEC .

 

[seharper]

have a 4 gang box plastic and a need to connect 10, 14 awg ground wires.

Is the box metal? If so, you don't need to wire grounds to the switches. They'll pick ground up automagically by way of the mounting screws.

Most 4-gang steel boxes have something like 8 ground screws on the metal box, so each ground wire from a cable gets its own screw.

Is the box not metal? Well, now you know that for next time.

 

[flyingron]

Or you have one of those plastic boxes (popular in Canada but not in the US for some reason) that has the strap the runs up and provides a means to ground the device screws.

 

[betelgeuse]

Nope, California also has the CEC: California Electrical Code. It's a rather formal mod over the 2017 NEC .

The only mod to the 2017NEC is the inclusion of the CA Energy Code. Otherwise it's 2017NEC word for word ,

 

[betelgeuse]

All Building Codes in CA are subject to the CA Energy Codes. It is listed in a completely separate section.
(Title 24, Section 8 I think).