Pro tip: An old timer told me to never trust a green ground screw in a 3-way switch box.

He said if the screw is green but the strap is painted, it's not a true ground. I checked a batch of switches from a 2022 supply house order and sure enough, half of them had painted straps under the green screws. How many of you have run into this on a new install?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.aaron18d ago

Found the same thing on a Leviton batch last year. Had to go back and pigtail grounds on a whole apartment building. It's a sneaky cost-cutting move that creates real problems.

marywilson18d ago

I mean, Leviton stuff usually meets code from what I've seen. Isn't the ground screw still there on the strap? You just have to add your own wire. It adds maybe two minutes per device, idk if that's a huge deal breaker. Maybe it's just me but calling it a real problem feels a bit strong for something that's still technically correct.

diana51218d ago

Totally get where you're coming from, but it's the principle of the thing. Like @murphy.aaron said, it's a sneaky cut that shifts the work onto us. Sure it meets code, but it's a step down in quality we didn't ask for. That two minutes adds up fast on a big job, and it's just one more thing to forget in a packed box. They're betting we won't complain because it's still legal, but it makes the whole install feel cheaper.