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The very first thing you do is shut off the breaker to this circuit. Now if you mean in a receptacle or switch box, the incoming cable ground wire, first connects to the box ground screw and then it is twisted with the outgoing ground wire and a wire nut is screwed on the ends of the wire to hold the wires together. In the case of a receptacle the same procedure is applied except there is a short piece of ground wire also twisted to the incoming and outgoing wires. This is called a pigtail and it goes to the green ground screw on the duplex receptacle

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15y ago
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12y ago

On an electrical distribution system there is no allowance for soldering by code. The approved methods are set screw lugs, hypress crimp connections and thermite welds. The reason for no soldering is the low melting point of solder and the high temperature of fault current. On a soldered connection it might work for one fault but if the heat generated melts the solder out of the connection then another fault current on the same system might not have a low enough resistance to carry the fault to trip the breaker. The ground wire is there to create a low resistance low impedance return path back to the distribution panel. A high resistance or open ground connection due to a bad solder connection is prevented by not allowing it in the first place.

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10y ago

Connect the ground wire from the light fixture to the ground wire in the ceiling box.

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Q: How do you connect a ground wire for a light fixture?
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What do I attach the green wire from the light fixture to?

The green wire on the light fixture is a ground wire. If there is no ground wire in the conduit, the green wire should be attached to the metal box with a screw.


When you connect earth wire in ceiling light does not work when connecting earth from light direct to earth wire coming from ceiling trips out when take earth wire out light works?

By earth wire I am assuming you mean the bare wire and that a black and white wire are connected to the light. If when you connect the earth wire and breaker trips then there is a short between black and earth. It could be a bad ground connection, an internal short in the light fixture where black wire "hot" is connected to metal on the fixture through a nick in wire.


I am installing a kitchen light fixture in the ceiling. While pulling down the old fixture the green ground wire broke. The new Fixture has a green ground wire. Where do I ground it to now?

The fixture box should have a ground screw on the bottom of the box. Sometimes you have to move other wires out of the way to see it. Just reconnect the fixture ground wire to this screw.


What color screw does the black wire attach in a porcelain light fixture?

If there is a brass colored screw and a silver colored screw, the BLACK wire will connect to the brass screw. If you can't see a difference, connect the black wire to whichever screw connects to the CENTER contact of the light fixture.


Do you connect black wire to gold screw and white wire to silver screw in light fixture?

Yes, that is the correct connection.

Related questions

Where do you hook the ground wire on a porcelain light fixture on a metal box?

Connect the ground wire to the metal box.


What do I attach the green wire from the light fixture to?

The green wire on the light fixture is a ground wire. If there is no ground wire in the conduit, the green wire should be attached to the metal box with a screw.


What if the light fixture has two copper house wires?

If you mean 2 bare copper wires those are the ground wires. Tie them together and then connect the light fixture ground wire which will be green or bare copper to those ground wires.


Can you connect the ground wire from a light fixture to anthing in the metal box that does not have a ground coming from it?

I always connect the ground wire to the box. However, if there is no real ground wire running back to the panel it really does you no good. The NEC requires that you rewire the circuit with the proper conductors. Remember that the ground is for your protection. Without a proper ground, you run the risk of injury or death if the fixture wiring fails.


Is is ok if the lighting fixture ground wire is wrapped around the bottom of the chain and the ground wire from the light box is connected to the ground screw on the mounting crossbar?

If you are referring to a porcelain or plastic ceiling light fixture most do not have a place to connect the ground wire. You cannot ground these type fixtures. Just connect the ground wire to the mounting crossbar and forget about connecting it to the light itself. It is on the ceiling and will never be touched unless you change the bulb and then you will have the switch in the off position. It is perfectly safe.


When you connect earth wire in ceiling light does not work when connecting earth from light direct to earth wire coming from ceiling trips out when take earth wire out light works?

By earth wire I am assuming you mean the bare wire and that a black and white wire are connected to the light. If when you connect the earth wire and breaker trips then there is a short between black and earth. It could be a bad ground connection, an internal short in the light fixture where black wire "hot" is connected to metal on the fixture through a nick in wire.


I am installing a kitchen light fixture in the ceiling. While pulling down the old fixture the green ground wire broke. The new Fixture has a green ground wire. Where do I ground it to now?

The fixture box should have a ground screw on the bottom of the box. Sometimes you have to move other wires out of the way to see it. Just reconnect the fixture ground wire to this screw.


What to do with no ground in wall but ground wire in fixture?

Very often the ground wire in the fixture is ignored, or just connected to the box, if there isn't a conductor to connect to. This, however, is a code violation as any fixture with a ground wire is required to have it properly connected to an equipment grounding conductor back to the panel. This is for YOUR SAFETY. Technically you should rewire the circuit with the proper conductors. It is BAD PRACTICE to connect the ground wire to the neutral or white wire because this could create a hazard of its own.


What is a ground wire?

A ground wire is a typically uninsulated copper wire. The intent is to connect the wire to an electrical appliance or fixture to provide electricity a path to ground in the event of a short, thus preventing electrocution.


How do you ground a fixture if there is no ground wire from the wall and is it absolutely necessary to use the ground wire from the fixture or can you just cover it?

If you don't have the wire then you just can't ground it. This should not be too much of a problem. Most light fixtures are not grounded and some don't even have ground wires.


What color screw does the black wire attach in a porcelain light fixture?

If there is a brass colored screw and a silver colored screw, the BLACK wire will connect to the brass screw. If you can't see a difference, connect the black wire to whichever screw connects to the CENTER contact of the light fixture.


Do you connect black wire to gold screw and white wire to silver screw in light fixture?

Yes, that is the correct connection.