[abcsalem]

abc, If I was to guess, I would think he is going to use that 1 wire to connect to the switches, in series. This would count as 1 wire, not 3.
You can still use 2 groups of grounds and have a jumper between both wirenuts.

Stratmando, Does the drawing I made looks like what you are suggesting?

[abcsalem]

I leave it up to the pros to decide. Which drawing, on page 2 or page 3, should I go by when I am wiring my 3 switches with the 6 romex wires going into the plastic switch box? Which one pros would prefer, which one is neatest? And of course, both drawings are NEC code compliant, correct?

[Stratmando]

Yes, could even just use just 2 red wire nuts, an have 6 wires in 1 and 5 wires in the other, with 3 of those wires being pigtails to the three switches. A jumper between the 2 wirenuts.
You could just have 1 long pigtail as TK shows, and connect to the 3 switches. 2 wire nuts and a jumper was the main point.
In your Daisey Chain, I find it easier to go from the left to the right? Your Drawings are very good.

[tkrussell]

ABC, the one with one Greenie is exactly what is being done in the picture of the 3 gang box, and that picture is just some random picture I found on the net.

Elsewhere in the Code, equipment grounds only need to be counted as one conductor in a box when calculating wire fill of a box, since they all need to be combined, somehow.

The method of 3 Greenies, will fill the box quicker, and a deeper box will be needed. Electrically it is fine.

If a ground wire for a switch loop went to the one switch, and that cable went out to a single fixture, or fixtures, isolated,that cable going out to the fixtures would not be grounded, since it was not combined as required in a gang box.

IF all these cables were all EMT conduits, and since EMT conduit can be used as an equipment ground, no green or bare wire required, ALL the equipment grounds would be automatically connected by virtue of the connectors and locknuts at the gang box.

This exception stated in Mike Holt thread:

Exception: The equipment grounding conductor permitted in 250.146(D) shall not be required to be connected to the other equipment grounding conductors or to the box.,

Refers to the equipment ground of an Isolated Ground circuit, and allows it NOT to be combined with the system equipment grounding conductor, since an IG is intended to be just that, isolated.

Disregard any mention of Isolated Ground when dealing with residential. IG ground is only for special situations dictated by certain equipment, such as sensitive electronics, medical equipment, etc.



Keep in mind that Section 250.148 is for Continuity and Attachment of Equipment Grounding Conductors to Boxes. The first condition states that in all boxes all grounds get combined, and then A - E qualify how this connection shall be treated.

250.148 (D) is NOT an exception to the first paragraph of 250.148.

Since it refers to a plastic box, obviously the box does not need to be grounded, but re-iterates that each device in that box needs a connection to the equipment grounds.

If equipment grounding conductors are not combined or otherwise all connected together at each box, this action will violate the first paragraph of 250.148, and so many others in the Code, as equipment ground is common, and all connected, or bonded, together, at each location, box, etc.

[Stratmando]

All the grounds in a box connected together ensures they are all at the same potential, reducing a shock hazzard.