Add Outlet To Unfinished Basement Or Garage 

I was taught , back in the 70’s, to always use pan head screws when mounting boxes to avoid sharp edges on the heads of other types of screws that could cut the insulation. Also to ALWAYS add the green insulated ground wire, especially in damp areas, because the conduit connectors could loosen, rust or corrode and cause a high impedance ground system. Also if the box cover screws are loosened or removed, the ground is lost! Better safe than sorry! Don’t cut corners! I guess I had a good teacher!

Run the ground. You’re there already. If foregoing the ground wire, at the very least bond the receptacles to the 1900 boxes. The receptacles will be grounded once mounted, but bonding them to the box is a sure fire way to make sure the ground will never be a failure point. Just my 2 cents

Tip for tapcons... I always have a spool of bare galvanized wire handy (18-16GA). Just before you put the tapcon in, take a piece twice the depth of the hole plus an extra inch and double it over. Insert it into the hole leaving about 1/2" exposed and bend over the extra, then drive the tapcon in. It helps make it bite even better and especially in loose holes or brittle concrete. I would also always run the green ground wire for any circuit in conduit. You never know if the conduit/connections/screws become loose over time and cause bad bonding.

To be clear - While it is ideal to use individual conductors, it is NOT required by NEC. As long as there is enough room (per the NEC table) inside the conduit, you are allowed to use NM (sheathed) wire.

The reason a grounding pigtail is needed is so that if the device is removed from contact with the metal box, it will still be bonded. With the raised covers it is possible to remove the cover with the devices leaving both the metal cover and the devices unbonded.

Genuinely, big thanks to the electricians commenting. I've got a list of stuff to check in my basement now.

Thanks for the video - Journeyperson Electrician and a few comments: 1) Conduit should have offsets at the boxes so it is against the wall, and be strapped (fastened) per code. 2) A ground wire from the box to the receptacles is code here, but I would suggest it is best practice even it it is not where one is located. Certainly there is no harm having a ground wire in the conduit as well, although not required per the codes I am aware of.

I'm glad you used your outlet tester. Now run the test again after removing the cover screws. Spend the $little and add the green insulated ground wire.

For the small incremental cost and time, I always run a separate ground wire. Never had an issue, and the local inspector agrees with me.

Good critiques and cautionary comments. I always use electrical tape to cover all exposed receptacle connection screws. My first boss was too cheap to buy tape, so I always had my own. Ground wire, tape and sleep easy...

Electricians I worked with always ran the green (ground) lead. Yes, your ground can be through the emt but it can be interrupted by some schmuck. Having the ground lead is a safety device.

Electrician here. While you said it was just best practice, there is nothing against code running NM cable in conduit like in your thumbnail. You do have to follow cable fill requirements in Chapter 9, however. The problem most people make is stripping the jacket off and just using the wires inside. Unlike MC or spooled wire, the conductors inside NM cable are not labled with their insulation class or any other required information, and not permitted to be run in conduit without the jacket. You used solid wire, so I hope you didnt strip the romex and use it for this reason. While it is true EMT is a permitted EGC in 250.122, you are relying on the set screws and locknuts being tight for that grounding and bonding purpose. They can loosen over time, so its not a bad idea to pull a wire type EGC. Also, code has NO prohibition for using a bare grounding conductor for this installation.

if a raceway is over 18” it requires a means of support. i.e. a strap or that conduit hanger you mentioned. over 18 inches, and you need to strap every 10 feet and within 3 feet of each termination.

Always pull a ground Don't drill into mortar for anything Use a hacksaw, plumber's pipe cutters run the possibility of decreasing interior diameter, which is a code violation Supports are needed within 3ft of the box Don't feed wire toward the panel Bend boxsets and use one hole straps instead of using Mae Wests

Nice looking install. I enjoy your non rambling explanations in all your videos. Am learning a lot. I’m a retired aircraft electrician and I could bore you to tears about airplanes, but I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about household or industrial wiring.

There are many people who don’t know how to properly use a wire nut, and for them, the Wago is a good choice to help make an acceptable installation. Most modern THHN wire has multiple designations, including for wet and damp environments. It’s easier for the wire manufacturer to produce one wire listed for all applications, than to make separate wires as they used to years ago. It is important to remember that the use of a raceway listed for a wet and damp environment does not create a dry environment inside the raceway. In a wet and damp environment, all components must be appropriately listed for that environment.

Nice, thanks! I never knew about the load side of the GFI's.

Scott, once more. At the 4:45second mark you show a minerallac. These ARE required by the National Electrical Code (NEC) within 3' feet of every box. This means you are short three of them. One needs to be used between the service and the first box, and two more between the second two boxes. If you had just used a 5 foot piece of pipe for your second pipe you could have gotten by with just one in the center. Evan jsu cutting your pipe one inch short of 6 feet would have allowed you to use one minie (as we call them).

Love the solar, battery backup, power. I’ll have to look into this. Better option than a noisy generator. Thanks. 🇨🇦💝👍

You never drill holes in the mortar of the masonry wall. You always mount into the block.

I can't count the number of emt screws I've tightened on old houses over the years. I always run a separate ground. It's quick, easy, cheap and is an unbroken-by-loose-screws piece of protection. I see by reading comments, that I'm in good company on this subject. Another point I'm curious about is the ring on your left hand: if it is metallic, you're taking a risk. I learned the hard way connecting 4/0 cable to bus-bars in an 800 amp DC can...my arm was straightened so hard I was knocked away from the can.

I agree pulling the ground wire into the boxes is better because the bonding through the conduit could be compromised .

Here in Australia, PVC conduit and Boxes are used to do Household Electrical and Green/yellow Earth wires are used to every Power receptacle, we also use European Wiring code, Brown for Positive and Blue for Neutral. All our Household power is 240 volts most 10 Amp and possibly a 15 Amp outlet, (which have a larger Earth pin) anything larger than 15 Amp is Hard Wired.

I agree with the last comment, I always run a green wire and good point with the screws.

Never drill into the mortar. Only into the main block itself. The screws will not stay tight in the Mortar.

When it comes to bonding and equipment grounding conductors (egc's), the system should be designed such that a single point of failure does not degrade the integrity of the system. In order to ensure this, it must be understood that bonding and egc's are two different things. Bonding is intended to tie all metal surfaces together to guarantee that they are all at the same electrical potential in order to prevent a potential difference between adjacent metal surfaces that can cause a shock or an electrocution should someone inadvertently complete circuit between them. The egc is intended to provide a dedicated conductor to carry electrical fault current back to the source to complete the circuit and instantly trip the overcurrent protection to de-energize the circuit in order to reduce the risk of fire and electrocution. Tying the bonding system to the egc, ensures that an electrical fault on the bonding system will trip the overcurrent protection and de-energize the circuit. Relying on the bonding system to act as the egc significantly increases the risk that a high resistance connection will develop over time either through corrosion issues, loosening of bonding screws, or other potential ways that the bonding can degrade or fail. Having a dedicated egc ensures that the fault current path is not reliant on the state of repair of the bonding system. It further ensures that each metal box and fixture are independently bonded to each other at the main panel through their respective egc's. Even if the emt bonding screws come loose or individual bonding connections become compromised, each box and fixture will still remain bonded to all the other boxes and fixtures through their respective egc's. In addition, in the case of emt, even if one end has its bonding compromised, the other end can maintain the bond and keep the conduit at the same potential. Such a design ensures system reliability in the presence of a single point of failure. Of course, you can have bonding failures at both ends of the emt, but, that would be 2 points of failure, and attempting to design a system that remains reliable in the presence of any 2 points of failure is nearly impossible, and even if possible is so expensive that it becomes unaffordable. Also, in order for the emt whose bonding is compromised at both ends to become energized, the wires within would need to be compromised, which may happen if a wire was skinned during the pull, or during subsequent maintenance or repair activities, but that would be a 3rd point of failure. In the case of your installation, a single point of failure compromises the system to save the cost of a bit of wire. It's a very bad design.

Love all the rants. Everyone is a genius in the world of ones and zeros.

I like your Yellow incoming power lug protectors. I bought a set a while ago but have not installed them because I am waiting until I have a reason to go into the panel then they will be installed. Enjoyed the video.

According to NEC 358.30(A) "EMT shall be securely fastened in place at intervals not to exceed 3 m (10 ft). In addition, each EMT run between termination points shall be securely fastened within 900 mm (3 ft) of each outlet box, junction box, device box, cabinet, conduit body, or other tubing termination." Your video showed that you had the EMT straps, you should install these before walking away from your project. You are correct about the grounding: according to NEC 358.60 "EMT shall be permitted as an equipment grounding conductor." But, again, your video showed that you had the grounding pigtails. Using the pigtails and an actual equipment grounding conductor from the outlets to the panel would cost a couple of dollars and a couple of minutes. It would also add protection, and help "future proof" an installation (NEC generally becomes MORE restrictive over the years, not LESS).

I'm not an electrician, but have done electrical training and code IS to ground all metal electrical boxes.

I always run 2 hots, adding a red. That way I can have each outlet on a separate circuit (it also allows me to easily change to 220v if needed. And, I always add a green (as noted below), and add screws to support the conduit (as also noted below). And, although it is a pain, I bend the conduit so it does lay flat against the wall (which is also mentioned by others, below).

THX SCOTT,FOR SHARING THIS 🤗💚💚💚

So nice to see conduit being used. As an old timer who grew up in Chicago, the sight of Romex being run through holes in studs and into plastic boxes has always left me a bit jarred. Intellectually I know it is permitted in most places, safe, up to code, etc., but still, it just looks wrong -- sort of like knob and tube wiring or something. While I never did this professionally, one of life's joys was bending a semi-complicated conduit run and having it drop into place just so. For the pros this is likely old hat, but for an amateur it can bring great happiness and satisfaction for a while.

I haven’t seen or installed a conduit run to a panel without a separate ground wire since the late 1970’s, thought they settled that a long time ago. If the conduit rusts out or becomes disconnected from the conduit connectors along the run you would lose the ground entirely (and trust me, it happens more often than one might think).

What you did works well, another option is to run conduit vertically then run your 12/2 w ground up the wall then it is acceptable to run the sheathed above the flooring joists and to your breaker panel. This will leave the wall space unobstructed.

Thumbs up... Real clean job... nice to see the level used... not all guys take this much care.

I might have missed it with 1500 comments. But he is running 12/2 wire with a 20A breaker. Using a 15A GFI. I would think you would need a 20A GFI too. The 15A outlets I understand, which would be code since there are a few outlets. But 20A ones would be better!

I just ran some 1/2" an d 3/4" emt, and I've found that the connectors to the main panel don't make a real good connection because of the paint on the box. Seems like the better the paint, the worse your connection. GFCI popped on the first test. I dremeled down to bare metal for the connector ring, or ran a ground wire to the first box to make connections. Now I am getting a bunch of people including electrictains saying best practice might be to still run a ground wire - most commercial jobs require it, they tell me.

hello and thank you for the excellent video.metal emt is a good conducter for as your ground but in all my years as working with electric i always recomend running a green line as a posative ground in emt from outlet to back to service panel only as an additional safety to avoid conduit run seperation.again thank you for the video. mr dennis brown

NM in conduit inside is absolutely fine and code compliant. Only in wet locations do you need to run individual THWN conductors

Correct me if I'm wrong. I believe a grounding conductor that makes a bond to each metal box needs to be present to satisfy code in this particular arrangement. The set screw on the conduit connectors may loosen or go missing which results in poor continuity as an EGC over time. But of course, this is permissible by code. However, I believe having the conduit and boxes as an EGC is not enough. There needs to be bonding jumpers from those types of box cover plates to the inside of the 4x4 boxes. NEC 250.148 Continuity of Equipment Grounding Conductors and Attachment in Boxes. If circuit conductors are spliced within a box or terminated on equipment within or supported by a box, all wire-type equipment grounding conductor(s) associated with any of those circuit conductors shall be connected within the box or to the box in accordance with 250.8 and 250.148(A) through (D) (C) Metal Boxes. A connection used for no other purpose shall be made between the metal box and the equipment grounding conductor(s) in accordance with 250.8 NEC 250.8 Connection of Grounding and Bonding Equipment. (A)Permitted Methods. Equipment grounding conductors, grounding electrode conductors, and bonding jumpers shall be connected by one or more of the following means: (1)Listed pressure connectors (2)Terminal bars (3)Pressure connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment (4)Exothermic welding process (5)Machine screw-type fasteners that engage not less than two threads or are secured with a nut (6)Thread-forming machine screws that engage not less than two threads in the enclosure (7)Connections that are part of a listed assembly (8)Other listed means (B)Methods Not Permitted. Connection devices or fittings that depend solely on solder shall not be used.

Great Video. Before we moved into our new house, I had an electrician buddy install outlets on (2) 20 amp circuits on all 4 walls. He installed 12 outlets--on 2 GFCI breakers. He put the conduits vertically. He did offset bends to put the conduits flush to the concrete walls. He did run romex inside the conduits, short distance up to the open ceiling. I was there with him, helping out as best I could. We were drinking beer. We had music playing. We talked about life, etc... I love the job we did till this day.

Yeah, I don’t know so much about that. I agree with you on the mechanical ground but unless you’re basement is really sealed tightly I can see where you might have moisture issues later on, and that eventually is going to roll on that conduit and cause issues with your grounding, I would’ve ran a permanent ground wire as a secondary back up just to be safe

I just did this in my garage, but I used MC cable cheaper option vs. conduit and needing the bender for it. But either or make sure you ground the boxes. Duel box I have on the wall the outlets they screw to the box. The one I have in the rafters for the garage door opener I have a 5/8 mud plate for when I put up 5/8 drywall to meet code for garage the outlet screws right to the mud plate.😊

I always use pvc Condit and wet location boxes for basements espically on block wall

I would run a ground wire, even though the conduit and metal boxes ought to work. If the conduit screws loosen, the conduit could become intermittent. A ground wire inside would ensure that the boxes are still grounded even if the conduit becomes loose. Then I would also tie the ground wire to the green screw on each outlet.

Thanks. I've been doing DIY electrical for years- not wrong but this video shows some better ways. I didn't quite understand the difference between the boxes. Also, there are a lot of parts at Lowes that are probably useful but I don't have a clue. New subscriber, I'll look through past videos.

Maybe your purpose isn't to help someone with almost no experience in this area. If so, I understand. However, the parts that I really needed to see to understand something like this were the parts that you played at high speed. You might want to consider linking to another video where you show each step at regular speed so that people new to home repair will understand where and how to connect the wires.

If this is a damp location you should pull THWN/THHN stranded wire in the conduit. Beyond this you have several options as to the installation that fall under workmanship and technically would not be a code violation depending on the state you live in of course and how the local codes are worded and who is doing the inspection. I would recommend the following: 1) Make the branch circuit 20Amp you are literally at the main breaker box there is no reason to run a 15Amp 120VAC branch circuit. Better yet for a square D breaker panel you can use a tandem 20Amp breaker, string two 20Amp branch circuits and alternate in each quad box, one GFCI #1, and the other GFCI #2 in the same box, then alternate the same in the next box. 2) Use THWN/THHN 12AWG stranded wire (will work for damp basement locations). For one circuit use Black, White, Green (don't rely on the conduit for ground fault protection or GFCI leakage detect always run a ground wire even if you run rigid conduit). For two branch circuits you could use Black (line), White, Green, Red (Line), Yellow (or White marked), Green with Yellow stripe (or Green Marked). You would be pulling 6 wires which would not violate the conduit fill or box fill. Stranded wire is much easier to use in creating a longer pigtail while folding into the box. It is always better to have a slightly longer pigtail for repair or future work. Use a dedicated box stranded 12AWG wire ground screw with captive spade lug to ground each receptacle to the box and the circuit ground. In the video you have the proper boxes in that they have the bulged ground connection for use against a flat masonry brick wall. 3) For 4 total duplex receptacles, use four GFCIs, I dislike ganging GFCIs because if you trip a GFCI you will lose all of the receptacles. 4) Use the industrial version of the GFCIs (local code may require tamper proof version). The quality is much higher, and the wire connection screws are larger and more robust. They also have versions that are prewired using stranded wire or solid wire but are not always in stock. 5) For stranded 12 AWG Wire I use ferrules at the breakers. I like the square style crimp it fits nicely under the breaker screw clamp and keeps its shape. Don't forget to torque the breaker screws to specification, for Square D it is listed on the breaker body. 6) I like using crimped captive spade terminals to the receptacle screws, if the receptacle will not accept spade terminals I use ferrules, but here I like a hex crimp style. To daisy chain you can use twin wire ferrules two wires into one ferrule. You could also use butt splices (some are even step up and step down to allow two wires in one side of the crimp) with high temp heat shrink. To pass inspection it is good to have branded terminals and ferrules used with the branded or approved crimping tools. For example you would use Weidmuller ferrules with Weidmuller ferrule crimpers. When you use a spade lug under a screw head, like you would see if you build industrial control panels, you have a flat connection under a flat screw head, and once this is torque properly (screw is stretched) it will not come loose. I don't like putting a solid round wire around a screw if I can help it, and I certainly don't like to put a stranded wire around a receptacle screw and I never use the back stab easy insertion connections. 7) Use offsets where so the conduit is flush with the wall. Always support conduit with at least one wall strap even if the boxes are close together. With EMT you can bend your own offsets, or you can also buy premade EMT offsets. Bending EMT is not all that difficult it just takes a little practice. If the premade offset is too large for the junction box chosen you can use the two 3/4 inch knockouts that are across from each other on the box so the conduit entry is angled up and exit angled down which look fine. 8) I never use WAGO splices on receptacle branch circuits, I only use them with ceiling lighting circuits. 9) When modifying the GFCIs to fit in the metal face plate use a vice to hold your work you will have to take the ears off and cut off the threaded mount. 10) Use an automatic wire stripper to strip the THWN/THHN. Proper automatic strippers will not nick the strands. 11) Also test new Receptacles and GFCI Receptacles after installation with a dedicated branch circuit tester like the IDEAL 61-164 SureTest Circuit Analyzer (it will fully test GFCIs for current trip and trip time). As you can see the "workmanship" approach depends on who is doing the wiring and who the client is. My approach, as described above, and the approach in the video have nothing in common other than they both should pass inspection. The only real thing that I would do the same as in the video is have the branch circuit conduit come straight out from the side of the breaker box. This way the conduit run will not block any additional runs that need to go parallel.

Thanks to your video, I've ordered the Locknut Wrenches. I didn't know they existed. Did you say the cable sheathing should be removed if the installation location was considered a 'wet' location? How does one think an inside garage wall is a 'wet' location? When installing conduit, I always place a plastic cap on the ends to prevent the wires from being damaged. A Master electrician lives in the house behind mine. He helps and teaches me when I do electrical DIY projects. I asked him to watch this video. Later, he grinned and bent his head backward.

This is a clean installation. There is nothing wrong with this installation. No separate EGC is needed as the conduit is a compliant use as an EGC. With this installation all that is needed is to remove the insulating washers from the receptacles for metal-to-metal contact that extends all the way to the panel. He is also using THHN 12awg which is also compliant. EMT can be used underground and within concrete. It's perfectly fine for this damp location installation. If anything there should be a conduit support at the center of the 6 foot length per 358.30. This is an excellent how-to video despite the hypothetical what-if's mentioned.

Hi, Thanks for all of your instructive videos. I would have shown this project with the insulated ground. Only because of the way the human mind works, I would show the best, safest, most code compliant install, in spite of the extra cost. People who do this are less likely to be docked by any future inspections.

Even though your way is 100% fine, it simply makes me feel better to run a ground conductor in a raceway, and have a ground connected at each outlet. That way, if for whatever reason the plates aren’t touching the box, the circuit is still grounded.

NM cable is not illegal inside EMT, it is simply not necessary. NEC 334.10 shows “uses permitted.” NEC 334.12 shows “uses not permitted.” No mention of NM cable inside EMT. It’s acceptable. But it’s not a good idea because it takes up a lot of room inside a raceway you may want to add more circuits to later.

Another great video to kill a rainy day

Great video. Very well explained.

I would have used a bender to put offsets in the conduit, or just bought the connectors that have the offset.

Once you dismount the GFCI from the metal box....it is no longer grounded. I recall that in another one of your videos you used a wire to ground the GFCI to the metal box to ensure protection from hazards in the event of servicing the GFCI or testing the circuit lines when servicing. The GFCI protection performance is assured when it is grounded and being serviced.

It would be interesting to learn the basics of working with Metal Clad cable. I always get something from your videos. Thanks!

I am going to defend this gentleman. I like that he is encouraging people to think about electrical work and how much goes into it. Did he do it the way i would, maybe not. Did he violate code? That is a harder question because code can change from place to place. In this specific case, is the basement a dry location? is it damp? A dry basement means he could use nm cable inside the pipe. A damp location puts extra requirements on the receptacles he installed. This is all code book requirements, but what about ahj and there requirements? Good job sir, keep up the good works.

I believe you need to secure conduit within 3 feet of a box. Thought 3/4”was overkill, but certainly sexy and helpful if you are running some 10 awg down the line for a future dryer outlet. NM is not Illegal in EMT, and my preference is to run a green wire as it’s not that far and it’s an extra safety margin IMO. I love metal BTW as it looks awesome. Nice presentation.

On cutting conduit, if you are going to use a plumbers pipe cutter, use a reamer like a Klein 85191 to ensure that you have expanded the inside of the pipe to required dimension. The pipe cutter squeezes reduces the inner diameter and can catch wire. You did ream, but that does not confirm it's enough. For your install here, it's not going to matter, but for ones with some conduit bends, it can nick/strip wires. Preferred for cutting is a bandsaw (fast and square) or in a pinch a recip saw, but understand those not being standard DIY arsenal.

Don't forget to affix the "Outlet GFCI Protected" stickers on the faceplates of the downstream receptacles.

Very neat work

It would be interesting to see what the resistance of the conduit was at install and over time. I guess the GFI on the socket means this is less of a problem but in the uk the electrics rely on the fuse board / breaker panel to provide short circuit protection via mini circuit breakers and what we call RCB (RCBO or RCCD) so the resistance is critical for calculating trip time for the breakers.

If you do use a pipe cutter you can score the pipe by cutting a groove instead of cutting through the wall of the EMT. Then use a pipe bender on the groove and it will snap in two. If you did it right there will be no sharp edge inside the pipe. The sharp edge will be on the end of the pipe. Do note some electrical contractors probably be ready to fire an employee for using a plumbing pipe cutter. If cut all the way through, an unremoved sharp burr insde the pipe could "shave" the wire as it is pulled through the pipe. I know I would be nervous having an employee using a plumbing pipe cutter.

New subscribers here. As a Diy your videos are very informative, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Learned something new from reading the comments: Do not use plumber’s tubing cutter on EMT. Better to use hacksaw. Tubing cutters leave behind a sharp inside lip which is difficult to remove. Another thing I do is to screw a plastic bushing onto the threads of the EMT connector inside the J box. This provides really good protection against chafing the insulation on the wire.

I was under the impression that three feet of the floor in front of the panel had to be kept clear; in fact, an inspector chastised me for having a lightweight folding chair open in front of the panel (but allowed me to remove it before he began his inspection). If that's NEC, the battery box you have in this video is in the way, and should be moved.

I think best practice would be to always use the insulated green ground wire so as not to depend on grounding continuity through metal conduit connections, which can become loose over time. Also, I would never use WAGO lever nuts, particularly on circuits where the loads might be heavy; not just my opinion - see plenty of comments on other RU-vid pro channels about WAGO lever nuts.

Although it was a UK style 220V system, I did have an issue with some work benches in Hong Kong where the faceplate securing screws loosened and there was a non-existent ground return. As a minimum I would advise connecting the face plates to the conduit boxes with a short bootstrap earth lead and not relying on the faceplate screws. Actually, better still run a ground wire back to the distribution board and then you are covered for any loose or corroded joints in the future.

I have not seen a circuit run in EMT without ground for about 2 decades. I remember it being required as part of the local codes (AZ, CA, and NV). The MGM fire was started corroded conduit. So much of the code requirements changed because of the that fire.

That step bit you used to enlarge the hole in the panel makes a much better pipe deburring tool than the thin, cheesy deburring blades on most pipe cutters. You don't need a drill, just turn it by hand.

Scott, your panel should have mounted your garage service on thin strips of wood so there is an air gap behind it so that moisture from the all will not compromise the integrity of the panel. The usual way is to mount a couple strips of wood and then mount a piece of plywood to them thus giving you a solid foundation to mount your panel.

Greetings from Florida!

In my opinion, you are nearing ChrisFix caliper... I watch your videos just because they are that good. Nice job!

I do not like to drill into mortar for Tapcon screws. The mortar pulls out easily, especially if aged.

I never use the conduit and boxes as a ground. Loose connections can occur way to easily. Run the green ground wire always.

Great video.

Bring out the green grounding screws for each box and bonding them to an additional ground wire throughout the conduit run. Should use grounding pigtails for recept as well.

The GFCI does not give a pass on grounding requirements or integrity, it is a device and as such can be easily damaged or fail, resulting in loss of GF protection. While Code allows conduit to be used as a grounding conductor, it is in the REAL WORLD a bad practice. Any damage to fittings can cause a high resistance or lost grounding path, which is dangerous. And candidly, with such a short run there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for not using a separate grounding conductor, NONE.

I always used a hammer drill for Tapcons. I don't believe it's the impact driver that strips them. I am sure they were already stripped. I met a low voltage guy. I have met many in my life but this guy is the best at what he does that I have ever seen. His advice was to stop using a hammer drill and use a regular drill with a masonry bit. He said since he stopped using a hammer drill he rarely has them strip. He also uses a regular drill for larger holes in masonry so he doesn't get the exit hole blow outs. We are in Florida so it's mostly block with stucco over it. The exit holes can make huge blowouts. I stripped many Tapcon holes in my life. Since not using the hammer drill I haven't had even one strip. If they do strip adding a stripped wire in the hole usually works to grab the Tapcon.

FYI in Michigan-no problem running 14/2 Romex in EMT with ground in my unfinished basement against wall. Ran two circuits 9 boxes all city inspected and passed

This point was the most confusing part when I moved into a new house in IL. No grounding wire... WTF..?! It took a while to figure out why I didn't need it. I needed this video earlier.

You still need a ground wire going to the breaker box as you are relying on a current path running thru the conduit to the ground connection in the breaker box. The problem is the painted surface where your conduit enters the breaker box it may be good now, but if it rusts and corrodes. Are you sure its a good connection? Just run the ground wire from boxes into the breaker panel to be safe.

Don't quote me but I believe EMT doesn't pass as a ground even though it's attached to the panel here in California. I believe the reason is that the conduit connections can come lose and some weather resistant connectors/couplers have plastic mating surfaces which breaks the bonding.

Great video - Thank you. But I need to add my 2 cents ... 20 A Circuit usually requires T-slot GFCI and receptacles, one item to mention. The second item is - tapcons are not good for Inside the JBs - sharp, I prefer to use round head screws. And, Yes, 120V is not required dedicated Ground, you are correct, but i would DEFENITELY pull Grong wire for this circuit, just for additional protection, especially for many years After this installation. Sorry for my notes and Thanks again for great presentation. Master Electrician (Canada).

I've opened up boxes where I had correctly used Wagos with correctly stripped wires and found wires pulled out of the Wagos. When you fold and then jam your wires back into the box there will be pressures and stresses on the Wagos that will make you have nagging doubts. I don't make any money endorsing anything and the only thing that I have full trust in, as a DIYer, is a good twisted connection. That gives me the peace of mind I seek

What happened to the conduit offsets?

Scott, one more time. At the 10:00 minute mark when you talk grounds, you should be aware that anyone one who has gone to school for an electrical license will tell you that you do not need to run a ground all the way back to the panel. But you should install a pig tail to the ground screw on the box and pigtail a ground to each separate device. Especially the GFI as if your screws become loose for any reason holding the receptacles to the cover you then could have huge complications with grounding. That effectively ties the ground on the devices to the metal pipe.

Always pull a ground, you need that for any future needs.

Great Job👍🏽⚡️

all you gotta do is get your inspector to sign off on it and it's good enough for me.

I believe that you still need the ground wire pigtail from the grounding terminal on the device to a ground bonding screw inside the box. Yes you can use the metal conduit and boxes as the grounding BUT as soon as you remove that outlet cover with the outlets from the box, the cover as well as the outlets are no longer grounded. A pigtail ground from the devices to the box needs to be in place for when the outlet cover is removed. This allows for troubleshooting on live electrical circuits where all safeguards (i.e. grounds) are still intact on all metal equipment.

I always ran a green wire for ground. I heard all the arguments against using a ground but its better to be safe than sorry. Also in case of using orange dedicated receptacles with isolated grounds the green wire is required. I dont do too many EMT jobs but my home will have green wires for ground inside the EMT. 73

My brain circuits fried about halfway through the video. Since I don’t ever plan to do any wiring myself, that’s ok. I could follow and see enough to go down to my basement to check what I kind of thought wasn’t good with the some of the wiring. Sure enough, the previous owner had someone “install” some outlets on the block walls. One had wire just hanging loosely from the above floor joist down to a regular plastic outlet that’s fastened to the concrete block. The other did have metal conduit that started a couple inches from the top of the block wall so there’s about 4-5” of loose wire then the conduit which isn’t fastened to the wall until it goes into another plastic box on the concrete block. And of course the romex (?) going from the conduit along the wall to the water tank for the well has about 2’ just dangling along the way till it gets to the pressure regulator (?) about 6” from the concrete floor…which does get water with heavy rains. So far not more than an inch or so in that area. I definitely need to specify “All needed repairs will be the responsibility of the new owners” when I sell this place! Sounds only slightly better than “being sold as is”. 😵‍💫 I just noticed the romex hanging as it goes into the panel so I guess that’s ok. And the wires hanging along the wall to the battery on the floor. 🤷🏼‍♀️

That panel is coming off the wall. Notice the gap at the top. Also, like others mentioned, don't fasten to the mortar. That's probably what happened to the panel as well.

Your metal boxes should be mounted on a moisture barrier, i.e. piece of wood. This keeps the boxes from rusting from the moisture that comes through those cinder blocks. That wall shows signs of moisture penetration and efflorescence already. Additionally, although you may not technically have to run a grounding conductor through that conduit, it is a good practice to do so. Over time, the set screws in the connectors and conduit will loosen and/or corrode losing the bonding effect for the ground path. I believe that running Romex in conduit may cause a possible overheating situation due to the temperature rating of the Romex and it being enclosed in conduit.

Romex can be installed in conduit so long as the conduit isn't going to be in wet locations (outside). A basement or garage is considered dry locations. Romex sheathing unfortunately takes up a majority of conduit fill preventing multiple Romex runs unless you size the conduit accordingly. Another reason to use THHN type separate conductors is that they are way easier to pull through conduit, Romex tends to bind up.

Wish this video had been up twenty years ago when I wired my garage. Along with the Wagos. Could have saved a lot of cursing at the 12 gage wire. But then I never use more than one power tool at a time, so 15 amp would have been just fine.