Are Electrical Ground Screws just regular screws but colored Blue or Green?

Question

I am in the process of installing timer system into my garage and i have a bare wire (ground wire) i need to attach. Can i just wrap it around one of the 3 regular screws that hold my timer system against the wall? Or must i get a "special" type of ground screw which are colored blue (or green)?

What makes those ground screws different (if any)? Are they made up of different material than standard screws?

Thanks

Answer 1

They are colored green just to specify ground location from the manufacture. If it's not green doesn't mean anything. I didn't see a ground screw in the drawing so ground the unit yourself to the box.

Answer 2

Ground Screws

Answer 3

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You cannot use those screws (which are for the cable clamps) to attach a ground wire. And don't just assume that you have a ground because of the metal clad cable. Check for continuity (though even that doesn't mean you have a GOOD ground). The neutral and ground should have continuity. If you needed to run a separate wire, it must go back to the main panel---NOT a ground rod. The earth does not provide the function of the Equipment grounding conductor. Now, like another said, you can also replace a 2-wire receptacle with a GFCI, if it is marked no equipment ground. Note that this is still not as good as a ground and serves only to prevent the shock you might get from killing you. It will do nothing for equipment that needs a ground. You can argue the code allows the GFCI to be put there but does not allow anything required to be grounded to be plugged into it.

Answer 4

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RE:
Are Electrical Ground Screws just regular screws but colored Blue or Green?
I am in the process of installing timer system into my garage and i have a bare wire (ground wire) i need to attach. Can i just wrap it around one of the 3 regular screws that hold my timer system against the wall? Or must i get a "special" type of ground screw which are colored blue...

Answer 5

They are green for passing code on new items & to show that they are for a ground. Just make sure u attach the ground wire to a safe spot that won't cross any wires with power. Screw color is not nessecary

Answer 6

double check with an electrician's answer first. the color of the screw does not matter the only requirment for grounding is that the ground wire be attached to a piece of metal that is touching the ground (it must be firmly in the ground so that it will not be jostled out) what this means from a practical perspective is that you must either connect the ground wire to the gounding leads of your electrical system or connect it to some nearby peice of metal permanently attached to the groun.

Answer 7

No Grounding screws are not made any different they are just colored different to let other people knoe that it is a ground or different from the other screws

Answer 8

There only reason ground screws are painted green is for identification purposes. In general, the ground wire should be attached to the metal outer casings of an appliance(in your case, the timer). This protects you if power ever shorts to the case. If the box,the timer is in, is made of metal, and the timer assembly is attached to the metal box securely, then i would say attaching the ground in the way you suggest would work. if the box is plastic, then its really doing you no good to attach the ground in this way. I would contact the manufacturer of the specific timer for their recommendation.

Answer 9

code requires that ground screws be hexagonal and green. never seen a blue one before. it is only for recognition that its ground.