Detachable Cabinet Doors or other detachable metallic objects use which gauge for bonding?

• A. #12 AWG
• B. #6 AWG
• C. #4 AWG
• D. #8 AWG

Answer: (A)

Bonding ensures all metal parts of a cabinet remain at the same electrical potential, providing a continuous low-impedance path to ground in the event of a fault. For detachable cabinet doors and other removable metallic objects, the standard specifies using a bonding conductor of 12 AWG copper. This size strikes the right balance: it is robust enough to carry fault current along the bonding path and to tolerate the hardware used for doors, yet practical and commonly available for attachment to hinges and lugs. Larger gauges aren’t required for this scenario, and smaller gauges could compromise the bonding path when the door is engaged.