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-   -   Where to connect thr ground wire (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=398925)

  • Sep 22, 2009, 06:18 PM
    sagemg
    Where to connect thr ground wire
    My ceiling box has two holes that my wiring comes out of. The first hole has one white and one red. The white wire splits into the two neutral white wires.

    The second hole has one yellow and a second red wire. The yellow wire splits into the two hot black wires.

    The red from the first hole and the red from the second hole are capped together.

    I am trying to wire a chandelier fixture and am not sure if the wiring I have is ready to attach the ground wire.

    The previous light fixture had no ground wire but was very old. If it helps to mention, the one red wire that is visible under the coating appears to be copper. Any help or advice would be appreciated, as well as laymans terms or dummied down explanations please. :)

    <Cleaned up and rearranged to make readable> KISS
  • Sep 22, 2009, 08:28 PM
    KISS

    What country are you in?

    What is the mains voltage?

    Metal box?

    Is there any evidence that a ground is present in the box? It could be via the sheath of an armored cable. Check the box for the existence of tapped holes in the bottom for a ground screw.

    Can you also take a picture and post using "Go advanced/Manage attachments"

    Thanks.
  • Sep 22, 2009, 09:14 PM
    sagemg
    http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...ceilingbox.jpg Well I was confused first if I was looking for a screw or a wire. Does that mean the screw in the top center of the box with four holes around it, is the ground?
  • Sep 22, 2009, 09:16 PM
    sagemg

    Wow sorry about the picture size, and USA, not sure about voltage. The fixture before it was suitable for 76 degrees C.
  • Sep 22, 2009, 09:25 PM
    KISS

    Your actually looking for a hole with some threads which will accept a screw. The grounding screws are somewhat self tapping and tapered.
    Go to a hardware store and check out the boxes, screws and pigtails.

    Usually one of those holes is tapped or nearly so. It will accept one of these: http://www.bell-enterprise.com/pictures/116153H.jpg

    The alternative is the ground clip: Google Image Result for http://www.engproducts.com/images/Ground-Clip.jpg

    Which is a pain to use. It clips on the edge of the box and holds a piece of solid wire tightly to the box. They are a pain to install.

    The ground clips and pigtails and ground screws should be available at a hardware store in small quantities. The pigtail may not come in all styles.

    The BEST one for the application is a Fork terminal with separate ground screw to a wire. Sometimes fork to fork with stranded wire is available and you cut off one end.

    Stranded wire is better for this application.
  • Sep 22, 2009, 09:37 PM
    KISS

    This is the best example that I could find: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/e.../elcfha06a.jpg

    See the green screw. That's added to a box. If the house is old, they don't exist.
  • Sep 22, 2009, 10:12 PM
    sagemg

    http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...eilingbox2.jpg
    Here is a better picture. Would it be possible to attach the wire to this screw, or am I completely off and need to get to the hardware store?
  • Sep 22, 2009, 10:48 PM
    KISS

    Yep, that's a good point to attach and the small hole near it should accept a ground screw.

    I can't really tell colors or if anything is already connected there.

    You could use a stranded green pigtail with a fork terminal and attach to that screw or a ground screw.
  • Sep 22, 2009, 11:38 PM
    sagemg
    Thank you for all your help.:)

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