Does ground wire need to be copper?

The ground wire, often referred to as the grounding electrode conductor, is the link between the ground rod and the service ground connection. Ground wires for residences typically are made of copper and are #6 (6 AWG) or larger. for 200 Amp services, a #4 grounding electrode conductor (ground wire) is required.
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Are ground wires always copper?

Grounding wire is almost always made from copper and is available from most copper wire manufacturers in several gauges. Insulated versions typically come with either polyvinylchloride (PVC) or high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE) insulations in green, green/yellow, or black.
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Can I use any wire for ground?

type - yes, but it is best to use an oxygen free, multi strand wire thats meant to be used in car audio to keep interference out and corrosion down. also, it is a lot easier to deal with since its a lot more flexable then solid wire.
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Can a ground wire be silver?

Available in bare copper or tinned silver.
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Can I use aluminum wire for ground?

The grounding conductor is usually copper; however, you can use aluminum or copper-clad aluminum if it's not in contact with masonry or earth. Outside, aluminum or copper-clad aluminum cannot be within 18 inches of the earth.
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Ground Wire Explained



Did aluminum wiring have a ground wire?

All aluminum wire conductors should be repaired, including the aluminum ground wire. One of the mechanisms that leads to poor aluminum ground wire connections is mechanical or other disturbances of the electrical device such as an electrical receptacle or switch or fixture.
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What type of wire is used for grounding?

Copper grounding wire is commonly used in electrical applications, particularly because of its conductivity and its durability. There are various types of copper wires used across applications. The main types of grounding wire most used includes bare copper and gauged copper wire.
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Can I use white wire for ground?

The National Electrical Code (NEC) says that white or gray must be used for neutral conductors and that bare copper or green wires must be used as ground wires.
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Can I use a black wire as a ground wire?

Black Wires – Hot

Black wires are the accepted standard for any cables that carry electricity from a panel to a service location. You can also have a white wire marked with electrical tape as a hot wire. However, under no circumstances should you have a black wire acting as a ground wire or a neutral wire.
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Should ground wire be attached to metal box?

Contact between an attached device (such as a light switch or outlet) and the metal box completes the grounding contact. Even if the device does not complete the ground, Romex or NM wiring can always be used with metal electrical boxes by attaching the bare or green grounding wire to the box by a screw.
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What happens if you don't connect the ground wire?

Don't ground to the electrical box. Connecting the ground wire to a metal electrical box will energize the box in the event of a short circuit. The box could overheat and start a fire, or someone could get a shock from touching it.
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Can a ground wire touch metal?

No problem with a bare ground wire touching any metal case/box if the metal cases are grounded. It is cheaper to make the wire.
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Does ground wire have to be green?

Green – In the USA, most ground wires will be green, or at least primarily green. Green & Yellow – Some systems will use a green wire with a yellow stripe for the ground. Bare – If the wire is not primarily green, it may also just be a bare copper wire.
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Can I leave ground wire exposed?

Grounding wires, especially those running through grounding rods on the exterior of your home, are exposed. The grounding wires are safe to touch unless there is an electrical surge that causes electricity to flow through the grounding wire.
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Does ground wire have to be insulated?

A grounded wire is required by the National Electrical Code to be white or gray in color on the customer side of the meter. Grounded wires on the utility side of the system do not generally have insulation. A "grounding" wire on the other hand is a safety wire that has intentionally been connected to earth.
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Can I use any color wire for ground?

According to Mark Dawson, chief operating officer of Mister Sparky, “green insulated wires are used for grounding.” Green is the most common ground wire color, but “green-yellow” (green wire with a yellow stripe) and “bare” wire (copper wire without colored insulation) can also be used.
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Can ground and neutral be on the same bar?

The answer is never. Grounds and neutrals should only be connected at the last point of disconnect. This would be at main panels only.
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Why do you tie the neutral and ground together?

If you touch the casing, and some real ground (like a water pipe) at the same time, you will close the circuit and carry all of the current. So, connecting the ground to neutral totally defeats the purpose of having a ground, and actually makes it more dangerous than not having the ground at all.
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Does the gauge of a ground wire matter?

If enough ground fault current flows, the circuit breaker will trip. Even without AFCI breakers, the 16-gauge ground wire should be adequate in most instances to clear a short, a fault, or an overload.
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How important is ground wire?

The ground wire acts as a safe path for electricity to run in the event of a short circuit. In the event of a short circuit, the ground wire will trip the circuit breaker or blow a fuse, which is much more preferable to the dangerous shock that would occur otherwise.
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Can I use aluminum wire instead of copper?

Aluminum Wire Pros and Cons

Aluminum wire is generally easier to use than copper because it's lighter and more malleable, making it an ideal wiring material to use over long distances.
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Is aluminum wiring illegal?

Aluminum wiring is not illegal, but it is no longer up to code and new homes are now built with copper wiring. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home with aluminum wiring, you will be ok as long as you follow the instructions on how to deal with it. How much does it cost to rewire a house?
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Can you connect copper to aluminum ground?

When connecting aluminum and copper wire together, you can use IDEAL Twister's AL/CU connector. This twist-on wire connector is designed to both prevent corrosion between these different wires and ensure a secure connection.
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