Areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry areas, etc. Thus, if there are ungrounded outlets present, it can be quite dangerous to operate these outlets as they can easily lead to electric shocks and, in some extreme cases, fires as well. However, GFCI protection is required in 2-prong to 3-prong outlet conversions because the GFCI sensors monitor the electrical flow across the positive and neutral prongs and can cut power to the circuit in the event of a ground fault in the circuit to prevent electrical fires and save lives.
You can fix ungrounded outlets by rewiring the electrical circuit or installing GFCI protection at the outlet or circuit breaker. Rewiring is the only option that will ground the outlet safely. GFCI protection will not ground the outlet but will monitor the electrical current flowing through the circuit and cut power to the circuit when a ground fault occurs. To do that, you can purchase an outlet tester and test every 3-prong outlet in the home.
Outlet testers have lights on them that indicate how the outlet is wired. Most outlet keys will look like this:. Neither of these methods is recognized under the National Electric Code and is considered misleading and dangerous. Many flippers use these methods to trick buyers and home inspectors.
To check for bootleg grounding requires removing the faceplate from the outlet to examine the wiring itself or examining the wiring at the electrical service panel to locate the circuit and the grounding wire.
To replace a 2-prong outlet with a GFCI outlet is relatively straightforward. It merely requires replacing the old 2-prong outlet with a GFCI outlet. This method works great if you only have a few outlets to replace. However, replacing a house full of 2-prong outlets can be expensive using this method.
For a house full of 2-prong outlets, replace the 2-prong outlets with standard 3-prong outlets and replace the standard circuit breakers with GFCI breakers. The GFCI breakers will protect the entire circuit of outlets rather than only an individual outlet. The cost will vary based on several factors, but this is much safer for your family and is cheaper than rewiring the entire house. If the outlets within your home are ungrounded, replacing those outlets with a GFCI outlet can be a quick and easy fix for the problem.
You can easily purchase a GFCI outlet and replace your ungrounded, 2-prong outlets with it, and you will have a much safer outlet.
However, the question lies in whether or not ungrounded GFCI outlets are safe. The answer could be a little tricky to understand. Though this option can be like a simple fix for ungrounded wiring , we do not suggest installing this as a permanent fix. Therefore, whereas using a GFCI outlet with an ungrounded system protects you from any electrical shocks, your electrical devices can still be in danger because the GFCI outlets do not ground the system.
It merely protects you from any potential electrocution hazards. So, to secure all your electronics, you may need to wire your outlets to be grounded and safer, preventing them from getting damaged. Another reason why many of us stay skeptical regarding using GFCI outlets with an ungrounded electrical system could be a chance of the GFCI failing to work. There have been several studies over the years that were targeted at knowing the failure rate for GFCI circuit breakers and outlets , and the studies found that in case of voltages surges or short circuits, it had been possible for the GFCIs to fail and stop working.
To combat this, GFCIs should be tested monthly. To test a GFCI, press the test button on the outlet or breaker. The outlet or breaker should trip, and you should easily reset the GFCI outlet or breaker. Most newer GFCIs will trip when they fail and not reset. Older GFCIs, would fail but not trip to cut off the electrical current. In areas where there are many thunderstorms and lightning, it is additionally likely for GFCIs to fail. If a GFCI fails, there would be no protection on the outlets.
The GFCI will not turn off the electrical current passing through the circuit, making the outlets extraordinarily unsafe and dangerous. GFCIs can fail a home inspection but is very easy to fix.
One of the main fixes for ungrounded outlet problems is rewiring the entire electrical system within your home. However, this can be quite costly and may take a lot of time, as it requires a professional to do the job. So, if rewiring your outlets is not a possibility or convenient for you, another simple way to fix an ungrounded circuit will be using a GFCI breaker. A GFCI breaker will protect all the outlets on that individual circuit. When a ground fault occurs in the circuit, the breaker will trip to cut off power to the circuit.
This is also a very good option, but these breakers are typically times more costly than a GFCI outlet. Breakers with GFCI protection installed at the main panel. A GFCI outlet or breaker can detect when more current is coming in on the hot wire than is exiting on the neutral wire, and will shut off the circuit quickly before the current can stray to alternate paths.
It should be noted that the GFCI outlet or breaker does not actually create a path to ground, nor does it make this a grounded outlet. It simply makes the un-grounded outlet safer. At Scott Home Inspection, our inspectors are trained to be on the lookout for these types of issues, and many others.
If you hire us to inspect prior to purchase , we will inform you beforehand on the wiring types in the home, and whether or not the outlets are grounded. Your biggest concern will be how to get your brother-in-law to un-park himself from the couch and go home already!
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Visit Our Ask Your Inspector page to see all our posts, find great Colorado contractors, and ask us questions about your home. Why is grounding important? There was a hot red, hot black and neutral and ground… so easy uh? No matter how I hooked it up.. I hooked to two hots on the line side, the neutral on the opposite side, and the existing ground to the ground ….
Tried the ground several different times but still showed open ground. Am I still safe using that outlet in the bathroom? Would appreciate some advise. Still confused about the two hots coming from the line side.. Thanks, Brad. You would have to check where those cables end up to see if and how the ground wires are hooked up.
We bought a house, knowing that the 3-prong outlets were ungrounded; our inspector did a very thorough job and tested every outlet. I hate further complicate this discussion but there are already code requirements in many municipalities that require arc-fault protective outlets or breakers to be installed in all circuits in bedrooms in residences.
Some areas require them in other rooms as well. These are caused when objects like draperies, bedding, toys, etc. You really need a licensed electrician who is aware not only of the codes that affect local installations but who understands what is and is not a safe practice.
Unfortunately, due to the inconsistent licensing and inspection practices around the country, especially in small town and rural areas, it may not be easy to get good advice or qualified workmen. Before I was retired I was a licensed electrician and certified electrical inspector — the ignorance even among my peers in the trade was scary. One of the prior commenters is correct: BX metal armored cable is NOT considered a viable path to ground and should not be used for chassis grounding.
Rigid metal conduits, like EMT, used with metal boxes, does meet the qualifications. BX cable is too generic a term. The armor on type AC armored cable has a bare aluminum jacket bonding wire is an acceptable ground path however, the armor on type MC metal clad cable is generally not an acceptable ground path unless listed specifically by UL such as Type MCAP that has an interlocked armor tested to be part of the grounding path along with a bare aluminum conductor which is in contact with armor continuously to form the entire ground path.
Usually plain MC cable includes a separate insulated ground conductor which is intended to be the ground path, not the armor jacket. I live in a city with city water. I have a old house that has two prong outlets. If I put three prong outlets in and run another wire and hook it to the nearest cold water line is this ok and legal.
The main box is hooked to a cold water line thank you. In General NO! The electrical and water systems must be bonded but only nearest the contact with the ground outside. Your water mains may be plastic, the plumbing inside may not be continuous copper, there are many reasons why this could be a non viable option outside of what allowed by code. We ended up having to replace the pipe for the shower. All i did was flip on the light switch. If I ran a 3 wire to one receptacle on the run and attached it to a gfi would that give me the grounding needed for the other receptacles on that same run?
I never commit my clients to grounding outlets. There is another option. If your house has radiant heating, You can run a ground wire to the radiator and use a water pipe ground clamp. This wire can then be grounded to a surface mount outlet box like those found in an office. Then run a metal raceway from the first box to other surface mount plugs around the room.
A lot cheaper than rewiring the house and you now have a grounded circuit. Sorry to jump at this late date. That sounds good but if the connection on the radiant heat gets loose it could potentially put a small hole in water line and make a horrible mess.
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