Proper grounding ?

[evgenyvasenev]

I continue my electrician education Could you help me to understand how to properly ground different things. Sometimes I see that ground should go directly to a battery, sometimes to a body. If it goes to a body, can I use existing bolts with connected wires and stack them?

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[SuperDave150]

Best electrician education I can offer is the following:
Electrical devices run off of compressed smoke. If you don’t believe me then let the smoke out and see if the device doesn’t stop working!

Also, you can never do too good of a job at electrical grounding.

 

[SuperDave150]

Seriously though, stack em if you got ‘em. Just be sure that the ground wire & connections are more than adequate to carry the maximum amperage. If you overload an insulated ground wire then it will smoke, a lot, which might cause you to be embarrassed in front of friends. Trust me on this.

 

[evgenyvasenev]

Seriously though, stack em if you got ‘em. Just be sure that the ground wire & connections are more than adequate to carry the maximum amperage. If you overload an insulated ground wire then it will smoke, a lot, which might cause you to be embarrassed in front of friends. Trust me on this.

I need to ground lights and a radio, I am nog going to update wires, just want to connect them to existing ground bolts with existing cables from something else)

 

[Mattwings]

Lots of issues to consider, but if one ground is working, stacking another is probably OK, all things being equal.

* Ground wire needs to be able to pass as much current as the + cable. May be able to be lighter gauge, depends on the length of run. Generally a “home run” of ground wire to the battery is overkill. Batteries do sometimes help in ground noise isolation.

* The Bronco has some aluminum panels. Verify where you are grounded is steel.

* Multiple grounding points can cause ground “loops”, creating potential for noise through your audio system or interference with performance of some electronic features or accessories.

 

[Billnchristy]

Try to use factory grounds if one is available. If not make sure all paint is removed in the area of your ground, otherwise you don't have one, or you have a poor one at best.

 

[evgenyvasenev]

Try to use factory grounds if one is available. If not make sure all paint is removed in the area of your ground, otherwise you don't have one, or you have a poor one at best.

As I understand using existing grounds is ok for low power items (light, radio) but for high power items (winch, compressor) it's not ok.

 

[Billnchristy]

If it's a big existing ground it could be fine. You're just making a connection to the chassis so if the bolt is big enough to accept your wire and associated terminal, it should be fine.

 

[evgenyvasenev]

If it's a big existing ground it could be fine. You're just making a connection to the chassis so if the bolt is big enough to accept your wire and associated terminal, it should be fine.

Thanks, I wonder if the spot already has a ground wire from something else. Is it ok ok to stack 2 grounds?

 

[Happy]

As long as your grounding spot/location is sized about the same as the wire needing to be grounded you are OK. Stacking ground wires to a chassis grounded bolt is fairly common assuming the chassis grounded bolt is not tiny. A couple 12 ga ground wires going to a 1/8 to 3/16 inch (or larger) grounded bolt is fine.

An inexpensive multi-meter that has a continuity setting or a device called a 12 volt circuit checker is good to have. $10 on Amazon. Continuity setting makes a beep sound when you touch the battery negative terminal with one pointer and the other pointer to a grounded bolt. A 12 volt circuit checker has a little light that lights up when you touch one end to the positive terminal of the battery and the other end to a grounded place/bolt on the chassis or car body.

 

[Billnchristy]

If you're doing electrical work, get a meter if you don't have one. It takes the guessing away and prevents you from throwing things and swearing loudly when the wire you thought was dead isn't.

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