I started to install my KASA smart switch but when I opened the unit I wasn't able to find a ground wire. I currently have two black wires (one stabbed into the switch and the other is wrapped around the bottom screw on right side). I have a few questions:
-
Is the top black wire a hot wire or a ground wire? This seems to be going to the same area as the neutral. If this is a black hotwire, this would go into the black KASA wire.
-
The bottom black wire actually hooks around and then connects to another light switch to the right. Do I leave this wire as is and surround the nut around this wire with the KASA wire?
-
I read a grounded wire is not needed if your switch is plastic. Is this correct? The junction box is metal…
UPDATE: okay, I looked harder and saw that there is a copper wire attached to a screw that the back of the junction box (and is cut with no extra copper wire). Does this mean that the box is grounded and the switches are grounded as they are connected to the box?
UPDATE 2: Please see image 3 onward for updated photos with the copper cut at the back of the junction box. You can see that the hot wire and neutral wire come out of the same area. The copper wire is attached to a screw.
When looking at the bottom of the switch, I see that there is a copper (i think it is) attached to the screw, which touches the metal junction box.
Is this how the switch is grounded?
Please see images:
Best Answer
Edit: switches (not receptacles) are allowed to make a ground connection via the mounting screws, even if the switch body doesn't rest hard against the metal junction box. So that solves that.
Ground wires are always green, green/yellow, or bare copper, except in old installations in Russia. Ground wires usually go onto green screws. Use of stab connections for grounds is prohibited because of their unreliability.