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Electrical Wiring

No ground in bathroom box

16 years ago

I just replaced a bathroom exhaust fan. I was going to replace the switch and put in a elect timer from leviton. I have hot and neutral but no ground in box. The hot apparantly comes off my gfci outlet if that makes any difference. Even though power is coming off my gfci outlet to the 2 light switches and fan is anything really protected downstream ?

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Comments (5)

billhart
16 years ago
A GFCI device has two sets of terminals. Power is fed with hot and neutral to the LINE terminals. Downstream devices can be protected by the GFCI by hooking the their hot and neutral to the LOAD terminals.

But it is not necessary to GFCI protect the lights and fan unless their location makes it likely a person would touch them and a grounded object (like the faucet) at the same time.
schutz2106
Original Author
16 years ago
So I actually should be ok with puting this switch in even though there is no ground in the box? And do you know if these switches have any issues with not having a ground? It is a leviton 6230
Thanks
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hendricus
16 years ago
Ground is only for safety and should not have anything to do with day to day operations.
normel
16 years ago
... and a GFCI does not require a ground to work.
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Use a plastic switch plate cover and you'll be golden even without the GFCI.

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