I know this question is strange, but does anyone "correctly know how to use those green ground clips on standard steel switch/outlet boxes?" If you were holding the clip and the opening is to the right, where does the wire go in relation to the opening? Do you just slide the wire down through the left-side opening and then clip it to the box, or do you have to feed it someway through the side and then end. This is a very hard question to type, very awkward so I hope someone knows what I'm talking about. I always use screws, but was asked why and probably b/c I never thought of them or saw them as really being safe.

tkrussell

This explanation is found at http://www.ul.com/regulators/ode/0904.pdf:

The proper method of installing a ground clip is to feed the equipment-grounding conductor into the grounding clip with the shorter part of the clip placed inside the box, and then use a screwdriver to force the clip onto the metal box, ensuring good contact to the enclosure. Since ground clips are forced onto a box, care should be taken when reusing a clip to ensure a good electrical connection to the box. Also, ground clips should never be forced onto the rounded portion of a plaster ring since a poor connection may result.

Just to be sure we are talking about the same clip, I have included a couple of pictures.

Notice the little bump? This is where the wire will lay between the box and the clip.

Hope this makes sense.

mz2richard

Thank you again for the information, and if I read you correctly the ground wire goes in/through the clip. I did not realize that I could not use a wire nut in conjunction with a clip. If that's the case, then how can I connect to the ground terminal on a switch/outlet and ground the box with just one ground conductor?

tkrussell

Where do you get that you cannot use a wirenut? The clip can be used to connect a pigtail to the box, and then splice the other end of the pigtail to any other ground wires in the box with a wirenut.

The clip is a simple method of connecting the ground wire to the box, instead of using a screw.

mz2richard

Hello again! According to the .pdf I read from UL.com, on page 2 it states, "Where a 10-32 grounding hole is not already drilled and tapped in a box, a listed grounding clip may be used. Grounding clips are designed for termination of the conductor only, so installing a conductor through the clip and then back into the box to connect to a device or a wire nut is not acceptable." Or does that just imply you cannot "run it through" the clip? Thanks, as always!!!

tkrussell

If you have two cables coming into the box, that is two equipment grounding conductors, cut and splice one piece of wire for the box clip, and another for the device, so there is four wires under one wirenut.

Keep in mind this is only for metal boxes, and as stated . only if a ground hole is not existing in the box.

That is one reason these are not used very often, as 99% of the metal boxes alsready have the #10-32 hole, and most even have the pigtail already mounted in the box.