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I think I'm having a bit of trouble understanding your question too. If you are asking, can you connect multiple lights in series or parallel without overloading the circuit you need to know the exact wattage and draw if your lights and how much load is already on the circuit (so you may need to know a bit about the wiring in your building). There's a good bet that three bulbs on on circuit is fine but who wants the headache of doing all of that just to throw a breaker.

Regarding the wiring, I'm no expert and wouldn't feel comfortable giving advice. Read up, if you aren't comfortable with it, don't mess with AC current. You've got the potential for 15 amps on a typical circuit and it takes far less than 1 amp across your heart to kill you.

Anyway, forgive me if I'm misunderstanding the question or your familiarity with doing electrical work, it's just a little hard to tell what your trying to ascertain.

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The cord has a neutral wire and an active wire and a ground wire inside of it. The lamp sockets that I would connect at the end of each cord (there are 3- one for each light bulb I would like to hang) do not have a spot or an option for a ground (green) wire.

Would it be okay to attatch all of the white wires and all of the black wires and not use a ground wire?

Yes. Light sockets like that don't usually have provision for ground. Actually if you look at household lamps they are usually on 2 conductor (neutral and hot) non grounded cords.

You don't attach the ground to the lights it usually fixes to a screw inside your mounting box.

Here's an example.

w2fp5lp4OFk

Yes. Light sockets like that don't usually have provision for ground. Actually if you look at household lamps they are usually on 2 conductor (neutral and hot) non grounded cords.

No they are not but the Electrical Safety Authority and the CSA have united in the past and forced manufacturers to install a polarized cord on them, meaning the plug will only go into the wall one way which makes the lamp safer. There is less chance of the screw part of the socket being energized unless you mess with something. The ground is not required because it is a temporary device meaning it is not hard wired.

You don't attach the ground to the lights it usually fixes to a screw inside your mounting box.

Here's an example.

w2fp5lp4OFk

The OP is trying to hard wire something to the building system which means a ground is required by code, the Electrical Safety code. The fixture in the video is grounded because that is code and the ground wire is attached to the metal of the fixture. Also if you want to get picky, this system he is trying to create should actually be tested and approved by both the ESA and the CSA before it is used or installed in a public building for fire and safety reasons. It should also be inspected by ESA with an electrical permit if the installer is not an electrician with an ACP (authorized contractor program) status.


But to clear up the grounding question, the purpose of the ground wire is to bond the metallic shell of any device to the building ground in case something should go wrong in the device that causes the hot or powered line to touch something other than what it was designed to. For instance, you wire your hot wire to the brass screw in your lamp socket and the white/neutral wire to the silver screw but leave the green unconnected, now for some reason the hot wire strands loosen up and touch the metal case of the lamp socket, you grab the socket to change the bulb and now you are live. If you now touch something grounded like a heat register or the screw holding the switch cover on, you are now completing the circuit and possibly dead. The ground wire attached to the ground screw in the electrical box in the ceiling is useless unless you attach the other end to the shell of the lamp casing somehow. You should find some way to attach the ground wire to the exterior shell of the lamp socket to make it right and safe. You shouldn't experiment when it comes to electricity. A friend used to say "you play with plumbing you get wet, you play with electricity you get dead". Useful words to live by, good luck.

No they are not but the Electrical Safety Authority and the CSA have united in the past and forced manufacturers to install a polarized cord on them, meaning the plug will only go into the wall one way which makes the lamp safer. There is less chance of the screw part of the socket being energized unless you mess with something. The ground is not required because it is a temporary device meaning it is not hard wired.



The OP is trying to hard wire something to the building system which means a ground is required by code, the Electrical Safety code. The fixture in the video is grounded because that is code and the ground wire is attached to the metal of the fixture. Also if you want to get picky, this system he is trying to create should actually be tested and approved by both the ESA and the CSA before it is used or installed in a public building for fire and safety reasons. It should also be inspected by ESA with an electrical permit if the installer is not an electrician with an ACP (authorized contractor program) status.


But to clear up the grounding question, the purpose of the ground wire is to bond the metallic shell of any device to the building ground in case something should go wrong in the device that causes the hot or powered line to touch something other than what it was designed to. For instance, you wire your hot wire to the brass screw in your lamp socket and the white/neutral wire to the silver screw but leave the green unconnected, now for some reason the hot wire strands loosen up and touch the metal case of the lamp socket, you grab the socket to change the bulb and now you are live. If you now touch something grounded like a heat register or the screw holding the switch cover on, you are now completing the circuit and possibly dead. The ground wire attached to the ground screw in the electrical box in the ceiling is useless unless you attach the other end to the shell of the lamp casing somehow. You should find some way to attach the ground wire to the exterior shell of the lamp socket to make it right and safe. You shouldn't experiment when it comes to electricity. A friend used to say "you play with plumbing you get wet, you play with electricity you get dead". Useful words to live by, good luck.

Amen. Well put.

The ground wire attached to the ground screw in the electrical box in the ceiling is useless unless you attach the other end to the shell of the lamp casing somehow. You should find some way to attach the ground wire to the exterior shell of the lamp socket to make it right and safe.

I would go one step further and recommend the OP buy proper lamp sockets for that application that allow for the proper attachment of the ground wire and are CSA certified, rather than "doctor" something up themselves.

No they are not but the Electrical Safety Authority and the CSA have united in the past and forced manufacturers to install a polarized cord on them, meaning the plug will only go into the wall one way which makes the lamp safer. There is less chance of the screw part of the socket being energized unless you mess with something. The ground is not required because it is a temporary device meaning it is not hard wired.



The OP is trying to hard wire something to the building system which means a ground is required by code, the Electrical Safety code. The fixture in the video is grounded because that is code and the ground wire is attached to the metal of the fixture. Also if you want to get picky, this system he is trying to create should actually be tested and approved by both the ESA and the CSA before it is used or installed in a public building for fire and safety reasons. It should also be inspected by ESA with an electrical permit if the installer is not an electrician with an ACP (authorized contractor program) status.


But to clear up the grounding question, the purpose of the ground wire is to bond the metallic shell of any device to the building ground in case something should go wrong in the device that causes the hot or powered line to touch something other than what it was designed to. For instance, you wire your hot wire to the brass screw in your lamp socket and the white/neutral wire to the silver screw but leave the green unconnected, now for some reason the hot wire strands loosen up and touch the metal case of the lamp socket, you grab the socket to change the bulb and now you are live. If you now touch something grounded like a heat register or the screw holding the switch cover on, you are now completing the circuit and possibly dead. The ground wire attached to the ground screw in the electrical box in the ceiling is useless unless you attach the other end to the shell of the lamp casing somehow. You should find some way to attach the ground wire to the exterior shell of the lamp socket to make it right and safe. You shouldn't experiment when it comes to electricity. A friend used to say "you play with plumbing you get wet, you play with electricity you get dead". Useful words to live by, good luck.

This is mostly acurate, with the exception where the word "ground" is used replace with "bond". Yes, ultimately they go to the same place, but this is how it is refered to in the CEC. Section 10 of the CEC should help.

Kudos to Kelman for the excellent explanation.

Also, the lamp sockets the OP has are for temporary use only. Meaning it cannot be a permanent installation.

Amen. Well put.

Thank you

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I would go one step further and recommend the OP buy proper lamp sockets for that application that allow for the proper attachment of the ground wire and are CSA certified, rather than "doctor" something up themselves.

I agree, never a good idea to make do but you'd be surprised at what I've seen people do.

This is mostly acurate, with the exception where the word "ground" is used replace with "bond". Yes, ultimately they go to the same place, but this is how it is refered to in the CEC. Section 10 of the CEC should help.

Kudos to Kelman for the excellent explanation.

Also, the lamp sockets the OP has are for temporary use only. Meaning it cannot be a permanent installation.

Again thank you. You are correct with your comment on bonding and the section, I was trying to keep the explanation simple and not get too far into the difference between bond and ground. The Ontario Electrical Code is where we should be looking as this is what the inspectors use, not the CEC. The OEC has more strict guidelines in certain areas ,the future plans are to bring them both to the point where eventually they are identical and only one is required or so I have been told by the inspection department.
The black sockets the OP is using are probably the plastic version of what is in the picture which are permanent sockets but for a different application like a table or floor lamp with an inline cord switch. I wonder if you are thinking he is using a temporary pigtail socket which would be even worse.

.I would go one step further and recommend the OP buy proper lamp sockets for that application that allow for the proper attachment of the ground wire and are CSA certified, rather than "doctor" something up themselves.
Agreed. Either that or hire a certified electrician. AC wiring and codes is not for average DIYers.

Agreed. Either that or hire a certified electrician. AC wiring and codes is not for average DIYers.

The main consideration that the OP is missing is that such home-based tinkering can easily void your homeowner's insurance. Is it worth that risk?

Thank you



I agree, never a good idea to make do but you'd be surprised at what I've seen people do.



Again thank you. You are correct with your comment on bonding and the section, I was trying to keep the explanation simple and not get too far into the difference between bond and ground. The Ontario Electrical Code is where we should be looking as this is what the inspectors use, not the CEC. The OEC has more strict guidelines in certain areas ,the future plans are to bring them both to the point where eventually they are identical and only one is required or so I have been told by the inspection department.
The black sockets the OP is using are probably the plastic version of what is in the picture which are permanent sockets but for a different application like a table or floor lamp with an inline cord switch. I wonder if you are thinking he is using a temporary pigtail socket which would be even worse.

Yes, you're very right, the provincial or local codes should be followed. You're also right about me thinking of the black sockets with pigtails.

Kelman, you must be in the trade. Or do you just like to read lawyer speak in code books? ;)