Got chewed out by an old timer for using a zip tie on a ground wire

I was doing a panel swap in a rental house last month and an older electrician walked by and saw me zip tying a ground wire to a neutral. He told me that creates a potential for magnetic fields and noise, and I should always use a separate screw or clamp for grounds. I changed my method that day, but is that really a big deal in residential work or was he being overly picky?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher90316d ago

Man that old timer was absolutely right... I did the same thing on a service upgrade a few years back and a master electrician caught me. He explained it can create a little transformer loop if the ground and neutral share a zip tie tight against each other, especially with high draws like a dryer or AC unit. I switched to plastic standoffs or just a separate screw clamp on the panel wall after that. It's one of those details that probably never causes a fire in residential but can create weird hum or interference on sensitive electronics... better safe than sorry.

emma_perry16d ago

Huh, so the actual issue is the zip tie itself, not just having them close together? That's interesting. Did you ever actually notice any hum or interference before you fixed it, or was it more of a preventative thing?