We are making a pergola and a patio. Issues have begun.

[JasperFrank]

Here are the issues that are racking my brain. The original recessed box that is in the exterior wall is a brown, fiberglass like box. This box is not grounded. I have 12/2 romex with ground to this box and the wires feeding it are on a CFI circuit. This passed code inspection as an outdoor single gang receptical cause the receptical was grounded and the outdoor cover to the sockets was grounded through the central mounting screw to the receptical.

The extension box, is metal, and rated for wet locations, how ever, it has no apparent way to pig tail the ground wire to it. Even though the instructions say to use Green Grounding screws, which are not included. And even if I can do that, the blank cover then also has no way to be grounded cause the two cover screws are also acting as the way the extension is mounted to the wall box are not grounded. And of course there are gaskets that isolate each part.

Am I entirely screwed here?

 

[JasperFrank]

I give up. Just spent an hour discussing what I want to do with an old electrician at a wholesale electrical supply store. He said to do what I want, I'd have to replace the Brown Fiber box with a metal one with a ground bonding screw, to be in code, that's just how all of them are setup. So I'm chucking the whole idea, and going back to an all weather, extension cord that will be hidden behind some planters.

 

[MossRoad]

I give up. Just spent an hour discussing what I want to do with an old electrician at a wholesale electrical supply store. He said to do what I want, I'd have to replace the Brown Fiber box with a metal one with a ground bonding screw, to be in code, that's just how all of them are setup. So I'm chucking the whole idea, and going back to an all weather, extension cord that will be hidden behind some planters.

crimp an eye on a ground pigtail, and use a self-tapping screw to tap into one of the unused ports for the conduit on the sides, being sure to leave enough room for a cover.

 

[JasperFrank]

Yes, this is a good idea and I had already figured out how to tap a ground screw. This WOULD be safe, with a PVC blank cover, yet no where near code as I've altered the extension box to be used in a way it was not intended..
My thinking was, I was either going to go straight code, OR just use an all weather extension cord to a GFI outlet for the way most big box store pergolas with power are set up.
After much Brain Straining, it makes no sense to me to put in the extra effort of an underground system that will not meet code and all the extra work to make that a year round option to have electricity. I have to cut the bricks of two levels of pavers to make it look good to fit around the pavers and know exactly where they drop, and come back up to make that look good. The extension cord does, meet code, for a temporary structure, which is what pergolas are classified as. We are not going to use this year round anyway, just only in the summer. All I ever have to do is unplug it. I notice that the pillars of the pergola, closest to the house are not in natural paths, and can be sectioned off by putting in planters that will hide the above ground cord/s. And a cord is far easier to hide than Sch 40 going up one of the pillars, as a non-permanent structure.

I have to say that this project has been the rabbit hole of all rabbit holes, and that indecision can delay any project till it isn't fun any more.