Question about wiring light switch (PIC)

Isn't the green just a ground connection?

horrible picture...
what color wires do you have in the wall?

green wire or bare copper wires would be a ground.
The switch should be grounded via that green screw.

Black and white wires are the ones you want to put in your mouth to test the circuit

So that bundle of copper wire in the back of the box there needs to be unwound and grounded to all 3 screws?

And probably every other fixture in the house.

attach the bare wire to the green screw. this is a ground wire

Felt they didn't need too. I just replaced my moms security lights outside. The old lights, the green wire was attached to a small screw on the brace the light was screwed to, and inside the outlet box was a bare wire, ground, just rolled up inside with nothing attached. So I attached it to the ground from the new lights. Not an elctrician by no means.

quote:

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Why would they have bundled them like this instead of attaching them?

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To connect them together ......op call an electrician now and you might save yourself some $$$$$$

They typically twist them all together to make up all the grounds. Currently in LA now in residential a crimped copper band is also required. 15 years ago not so. Regardless of time the devices (switches, receptacles, dimmers, etc.) are required to be grounded to meet code.

Let's say you have 4 bare copper wires. Leave one much longer than the rest and then twist all 4 together. Then take the long one and loop it around the green screw at each switch. You're done.

The only thing they didn't do was ground the switch. Poor workmanship yes but not the most dangerous situation either. Every time you use a device with a 2 wire plug you are handling an "un-grounded" appliance. Most of those are encased in plastic though so they require no ground.

Now, if they didn't ground your receptacles that would be much more hazardous and I would go ahead and check that. Get a cheap 3 prong tester ($10-15) and you can check all of the plugs without taking the cover plates off. I'd be shocked if you didn't have some more missing grounds or loose neutrals elsewhere.

Considering they have people doing Residential electrical for a few dollars per SF this is the kind of workmanship you get.

Hope this helps.

You may be right but you misunderstood my statement. I have 3 switches in that panel so yes, I meant all 3 green screws - not all the screws on one switch.

Andy, I will get one but I believe they were all tested during the home inspection.