Light switches need to be grounded, are they required?
The 1999 edition of the National Electrical Code requires light switches to be grounded.Any light switch installed after the 1999 NEC should be grounded.It might not have gone into effect in your area until a few years later than 1999 because each new edition may take several years to be adopted.
It's easy to confirm grounding with a tic-tracer.The switch will not be activated if one of the screws is touched with the tic-tracer.The metal parts of a grounded switch absorb the magnetic field and make the tic-tracer sound off.How does a home inspector use a tic-tracer for safety when doing electrical inspections?To learn how to use it.
The NEC states that "snap switches, dimmer and similar control switches should be connected to an equipment ground conductor."
If you are replacing an exisitng switch in an older two-wire electrical system that does not have a means of grounding at the box, an exception is allowed.Unless the switch mounting strap is nonmetallic or the circuit is protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter, an ungrounded switch must have a non-metallic faceplate.
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