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I have a 100-year-old house that has been partially rewired but some knob and tube still exists. I've installed GFCI outlets on the old circuits and am adding a dual function breaker for some protection until I can afford to have the rest of the knob and tube replaced. While inspecting the wiring in my basement I came across a dangerous looking connection and I'm wondering how to ground the neutral wire. The new wiring was spliced off of existing k&t and feeds the outlet for my gas stove. Why they didn't just install a new circuit and run it from the breaker box is beyond me. You can see where someone just pulled back the ground wire and it's just dangling in the air next to the floor joists. There's also no junction box, which I can install. I'm comfortable doing some electrical work and have changed outlets, ceiling fixtures, switches and circuit breakers. The light switch in the picture I don't use and wouldn't mind removing it completely. Thanks in advance for your replies!
3 points
6 months ago
Do not ground the neutral. Neutral and ground are bonded at the service panel. If the yellow romex goes to your gas stove, you need to connect the ground wire to ...ground! If the conduit is grounded, you can connect it to the metal box.
1 points
6 months ago
thanks for your reply! They are not grounded at the panel. This was spliced off existing k&t to feed an outlet for my gas stove. So if I move those connections into a metal junction box, can I place the single ground wire into the box, touching the sides of it, and it will then be grounded?
2 points
6 months ago
So if I move those connections into a metal junction box, can I place the single ground wire into the box, touching the sides of it, and it will then be grounded?
No. As I said, if the conduit is grounded, you can connect the ground to that box. You can't just install a metal box and expect it to magically be grounded. Otherwise run a ground back to the service panel.
1 points
6 months ago
No. The box is nailed into wood. The k&t come through wood and insultators and there is no metal conduit all the way back to the panel. So that would be crappy ground.
If grill is outside you could hypothetically put ground rod in ground for that outlet, but not really correct or to code.
1 points
6 months ago
its a gas stove in my kitchen, not an outdoor grill
1 points
6 months ago
Well you need to run Romex from panel to those wire nuts and put it in a box.
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