an outlet you don't have to ground?

Question

I have an old house that does not have grounded outlets and i just bought a new expensive TV that i want grounded. I heard of something that does the same for like 80 bucks?

Answer 1

Be careful some of the answers tell to put in a ground rod or tie into the water pipe will give you a ground but may also cause a "Ground Loop" This problem can cause more problem or damage to the electronics in you house.

It sound like you live in a very old house that has 2 wire circuits ( Hot and Neutral). What you are missing is the third wire used as the ground. There is a way to wire the socket so that the ground goes thru the neutral, this is a false ground and is not as safe a a true Ground Wire.

Do yourself a favor and call an electrician to fix the problem right. Your fine electronics will last you a lot longer with a good ground. By the way look into a good Surge Protector they require a good ground to protect your equipment. Also the good surge protectors will have a light indicating if you have a wiring problem.

I also in cluded a link to show how video can be affected by Ground Loop.

Answer 2

Why do you want a grounded outlet? It won't improve the performance of your television, or extend its life. It will give a measure of protection from electrical shock, but that's about all.

Don't waste your money on some gadget, which probably won't work but would give you a false sense of security. The only way to ground an outlet is to run a third wire to an earth ground. Done properly, this wire would be concealed within the wall, and would go from the outlet all the way back to the ground bar in your breaker panel.

That brings up another point. Since you have an old house, maybe you have a fuse box instead of circuit breakers. It would be a good idea to change out your fuses and put in a breaker panel, and perhaps upgrade your ampere capacity as well. This is definitely a job for an electrician.

But back to your question. Using an adapter plug at the TV that brings the ground wire out in a 2" pigtail, run a 14 gauge wire to a metal cold water pipe (iron pipe or copper). If by chance you have a water softener in your system, it may break the electrical continuity through your plumbing. In this case you'll need a heavy gauge jumper wire between the inlet and outlet pipes at the water softener bypass valve.

One of your other answers expressed concern about a ground loop, but don't worry because that is something else altogether and the answer was incorrect.

Answer 3

No, there is no such device. At least not one that would work. There is a small adapter that is very common. It should cost under a dollar US. It is better than nothing, but only if used properly.

The only way to properly ground an outlet is a wire running from the outlet to the ground bar in the breaker box.

You could run the wire to a cold water pipe or to a ground rod outside the house. Neither of those is legal. They might or might not be safe, depending on a lot of factors.

While you are at it, the new ground wire can also go to other outlets in the house. I assume you have a lot more that would benefit from being changed to ground. For example the bathroom, kitchen and any shop area.

This is a potential DIY project.

Answer 4

Actually, in an older system, where there's no ground wire and only two wires, two-prong outlets without the third hole... The neutral line is generally also grounded. In a place like this, I wouln't be surprised if the light switches were all push-button! The wiring is probably all single-wire, asbestos-wrapped, too. Chances are, the place is a prime candidate for a full rewire job. It's possible to add ground wires to all the outlets -or just some of them. But it's a big undertaking however you do it. Simplest thing may be to use one of those cheap outlet adapters, and then run a ground wire from it to the nearest water pipe.

Answer 5

If your home doesn't have grounded outlets, it's not up to code!!!! ALOT of contractors (General and Electrical) have to put up with more and more strict codes and guidelines because of property damage and loss of lives due to gimmick devises like the one you mentioned!

IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK!!

Consult a professional. That's what they're here for.

Answer 6

the only real way to ground it would be a grounding steak outside the house and run a ground wire to that plug

Answer 7

suggest u get electric done right ever hear of fire ull be watching ur house burn on it ur new tv whats wrong w u

Answer 8

Please don't take shortcuts with electricity. It can kill you!! Have a professional electrician come in and advise you as to how it should be done correctly.