Light switch ground wires not connected

[jumpstart]

Not in the garage, but in the house.

I have a light switch that appears to have failed, so I pulled the faceplate off to take a look. I found that the ground wire is just bunched up at the back of the box. For the heck of it I took a look in a few other switch boxes. No ground wire is connected to the switch in any of the boxes I checked.

I'm thinking they should be connected. Am I wrong?

 

[Terry D]

Not in the garage, but in the house.

I have a light switch that appears to have failed, so I pulled the faceplate off to take a look. I found that the ground wire is just bunched up at the back of the box. For the heck of it I took a look in a few other switch boxes. No ground wire is connected to the switch in any of the boxes I checked.

I'm thinking they should be connected. Am I wrong?

At one time , i guess it was to required to ground switches. I have come across this alot in older homes. But it is common pratice now to ground them. Even with a plastic plate on them, the plate screws are still metal, and should be at ground potential

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[wyliesdiesels]

Switches didnt used to have ground lugs as they were not required to be grounded.

Does your switches have ground lugs? If so, then they need to be connected to an intact ground wire.

 

[jumpstart]

Yes, they have the green screw. The ground wires are pig tailed, but not connected to the switches.

 

[rburke65]

My be required now but not previously. I’m not up on “current”....pun.....codes.

 

[nadogail]

Practically speaking, IMHO, an ungrounded light switch in a residence should not present a problem.

 

[exranger06]

I bet the house originally had switches that didn't have a ground screw, and at some point someone replaced them. And even though the new switches had ground screws, the installer probably thought, "I'm just gonna connect these the same way as the old ones. The old ones don't have a ground connected, so I guess I don't need to connect them."
The old switches in my house didn't have ground screws, but I added ground pigtails and connected them when I replaced the switches.

 

[jumpstart]

I bet the house originally had switches that didn't have a ground screw, and at some point someone replaced them. And even though the new switches had ground screws, the installer probably thought, "I'm just gonna connect these the same way as the old ones. The old ones don't have a ground connected, so I guess I don't need to connect them."
The old switches in my house didn't have ground screws, but I added ground pigtails and connected them when I replaced the switches.

I had the house built in 2005 and we're the only people that have lived here. I'm thinking the electrician just didnt bother.

 

[Falcon67]

I had the house built in 2005 and we're the only people that have lived here. I'm thinking the electrician just didnt bother.

This - our house was build in 2000 to "current code" and I have found a lot of "eh, skip it" type electrical work. And some down right dangerous.

 

[Terry D]

Practically speaking, IMHO, an ungrounded light switch in a residence should not present a problem.

If the device has a green grounding screw on it, it is meant to be grounded

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[bamawildcat]

My electrician claimed the Southern Building Code didn't address ground wires connecting to switches during a 2017 renovation. He complied after I asked him to wire the ground to the yokes. I see you are in MA, but something to consider if your location used something other than the National Electric Code or IBC.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I had the house built in 2005 and we're the only people that have lived here. I'm thinking the electrician just didnt bother.

Sounds like the electrician was lazy

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My electrician claimed the Southern Building Code didn't address ground wires connecting to switches during a 2017 renovation. He complied after I asked him to wire the ground to the yokes. I see you are in MA, but something to consider if your location used something other than the National Electric Code or IBC.

Whether code addresses it or not, they should definitely be bonded to ground.

 

[sberry]

There aint no local code says not to ground them.

 

[AntonLargiader]

My FIL recently replaced a switch in his ‘70s or ‘80s townhouse and found that none of the switches were grounded. Ground wires were all joined and he thought dipped in an epoxy-like substance in the back of the box.