Connecting a grounding cable to a power outlet
When you connect a cable to an outlet, it is important that you use a ground wire. This prevents the outlet from becoming live and posing a shock hazard if you plug something into the outlet. Ground wires can also help prevent fires. Properly connecting a ground wire avoids these pitfalls and keeps you safe. Most electricians learn this skill early in their careers, so it is a basic skill. However, if you are doing electrical work yourself, you should connect the ground wire in a reasonable and professional manner.
What is grounding?
An electrical cable consists of three wires. One of them is black and is live. The white wire is the neutral wire and the bare wire is the ground. Both the black and white wires are insulated, and you must strip the insulated ends to attach them to the terminals. The ground wire is usually not insulated. If it is, it is usually green.
Before doing any electrical work, make sure the circuit you are working on is turned off at the breaker. If you are not sure, turn off power to the entire house before starting work.
Sockets and outlets
Your outlet is attached to the junction box with screws above and below the outlets. There are also screws on the sides. On one side there is a brass screw that you need to screw the black wire to. On the other side there are two screws. One is silver and is for the white or neutral wire. The other screw should be green. This is what you screw the ground wire to.
Junction box
The junction box and the outlet must be fully connected to the grounding system of the building. If the junction box is not plastic but metal, you must ground the incoming cable to this box as well. To do this, you must attach the incoming grounding cable to the grounding screw of the box and the remaining piece to the grounding screw of the outlet. If there is no grounding screw in the junction box, there should be a grounding clamp to attach the grounding cable to the edge of the metal junction box.
You cannot simply connect the grounding to the outlet and believe that the screws connecting the outlet to the receptacle will provide adequate grounding.
Protection from grounding faults
According to the NEC, electrical outlets in certain locations that could be hazardous, such as bathrooms, kitchens and garages, must be equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). In this way, a special circuit shuts off power to the outlet when a ground fault is detected. To connect a ground wire to the GFCI, you must follow the device’s instructions. This method can also be used when wiring an electrical connection outside the house.
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