Bonding from a different circuit

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Hi. I have a house wiring question. I have noticed that there's an old
2 wire with no bare copper bonding(?) in a ceiling light fixture. I
have been doing some wiring on the floor above and could easily run a
length of wire from a new grounded receptacle to the box in the celing
below. Would this be safe? Basically running the ground from the light
below to a ground in a different circuit? Neither circuit is heavy;
just normal 15A type stuff.

 

[Jamie]

Hi. I have a house wiring question. I have noticed that there's an old
2 wire with no bare copper bonding(?) in a ceiling light fixture. I
have been doing some wiring on the floor above and could easily run a
length of wire from a new grounded receptacle to the box in the celing
below. Would this be safe? Basically running the ground from the light
below to a ground in a different circuit? Neither circuit is heavy;
just normal 15A type stuff.

housing codes around here does not allow for lights to be connected to
the outlet circuits.
you may want to run new wire down to the breaker box and give your
lights a separate breaker.
also, in some area's fault breakers are now required.

 

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According to the simplified code book here (Toronto), there are 3 good
ways to bond a non bonded circuit:

1- run a green wire to the plumbing in the basement (no way!),
2- use gfci in breaker panel (hmmm, maybe),
3- use gfci receptacle. (there is a receptacle in the circuit in
question).

BUT,,, I thought that since it was easy for me to do now I could run
the ground from the other circuit- but I wonder is there something I
might be missing that is dangerous about that?

We here are allowed (as far as I know- I'll have to double check
now!!!) to run a light after a receptacle. Can't imagine what problem
that could cause.

Thanks.

 

[Robert Monsen]

housing codes around here does not allow for lights to be connected to
the outlet circuits.
you may want to run new wire down to the breaker box and give your
lights a separate breaker.
also, in some area's fault breakers are now required.

He is talking ground, not hot or neutral.

The ground isn't really part of the circuit. It's an additional path to
earth. It's usually run in the walls with a bare or green wire (in the
USA), and shared between different circuits.

Run a green wire to the ceiling light from the green wire in the walls,
or to some nearby plumbing. Either will work.

--
Regards,
Robert Monsen

"Your Highness, I have no need of this hypothesis."
- Pierre Laplace (1749-1827), to Napoleon,
on why his works on celestial mechanics make no mention of God.

 

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I'm using romex 14 gauge, 2 wire + bare wire (hot [black], neutral
[white], ground[nude). So that will be okay then to just "borrow" or
"extend" the ground from my new receptacle upstairs to this ceiling
light below?? Sorry to beat this one to death, but electricity scares
me!

Thanks!!

 

[Robert Monsen]

I'm using romex 14 gauge, 2 wire + bare wire (hot [black], neutral
[white], ground[nude). So that will be okay then to just "borrow" or
"extend" the ground from my new receptacle upstairs to this ceiling
light below?? Sorry to beat this one to death, but electricity scares
me!

Thanks!!

Yes, they are generally all connected to each other someplace anyway. No
current should be flowing through the bare ground wire except in the
case of problem/short.

That is how GCFI plugs work; they make sure the same amount of current
is flowing through hot and neutral, and not leaking off someplace else,
either through the ground wire or through your body. If they aren't the
same, the GCFI trips and disconnects the hot wire using a relay.

--
Regards,
Robert Monsen

"Your Highness, I have no need of this hypothesis."
- Pierre Laplace (1749-1827), to Napoleon,
on why his works on celestial mechanics make no mention of God.

 

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Ah the beauty of the GFCI.. Thanks for all the information.