My place has 2 wire service. How do I add a ground?

Question

Is it posable to add a ground wire to this service with out running all new service?

Answer 1

You may add just a ground wire to each circuit or just 1 electrical device. You need to run the ground wire to the equipment grounding terminal bar within the electrical service box on the outside of your house or in your breaker box.

You are also permitted to run a ground wire to any accessible point on the grounding electrode conductor. The grounding electrode conductor in a house is the wire that attaches to either an 8′ ground rod, within 5′ of the water meter or to a concrete encased electrode (ufer ground).

You are also permitted to install a GFCI receptacle [NEC section 406.3(D)(3)] in place of an ungrounded receptacle. However, this does not ground the circuit or device. This will only give you a 3-prong receptacle.

I agree with other answers that you should run a new 2-conductor cable w/ground to each device you want grounded. If you have an old 2-wire system, chances are it is the old "knob and tube" wiring. This wiring used cloth insulation. This cloth insulation will break down after a period of time and is probably very brittle and no good now.

Definately ignore James M's answer. He obviously does not understand electrical grounding, as it is a difficult NEC article to understand. A ground wire or equipment grounding conductor is the "safety" in your electrical system and it is extremely important.

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To toeless_joe_jackson:
I'm sorry to say sir, but your answer is incorrect. As master electrician's we are supposed to be experts within our field. With all due respect, part of being an expert means thinking before answering these questions.

I'm sure you have a 2005 code book. Please read NEC section 250.130(C) and you will find the answer that I just gave above. You are permitted to run a single wire as a ground in an existing system; and I believe you should encourage this.

Answer 2

To be safe, you should ground your load center (breaker box) to a 4' metal rod (copper clad steel or pure copper) that has been pounded into solid earth. Some municipalities allow grounding to the cold water line, but you should check with your local coding authority. You can ground an individual circuit, or the entire box. Most do the box, but if you don't have a ground line to each outlet, you may need to ground the circuit at the outlet. A GFCI is a ground fault circuit interrupter. If the electrical charge goes to a path other than the grounded neutral, it opens the circuit to prevent damage. I am not familiar with GFCI breaker, but am familiar with the outlets. If you don't have a ground wire at the point of use, you can run a copper grounding wire through the wall, outside the house and pound a rod into the ground and attach the ground wire. A GFCI will only work with a ground. If you use the GFCI breaker at the box, all loads on that circuit can trip the GFCI, and you may be making lots of trips to the breaker box to reset the breaker.

Answer 3

No Ground Wire In Outlet

Answer 4

Both answers were good. I will add that if you add a single wire as a ground to the existing system you will be in violation of National Electrical Code. Your existing 2 wire system is within code for existing wiring.

Master electrician

Answer 5

I know you don't want to hear this, but I would recommend installing all new wiring and updating the entire system to code. It may not be possible to do this, but you could possibly run a ground wire to the outlets, but it would not be to code and could cause some problems.
Good Luck.

Answer 6

You can, but it's not practical or safe. And since it is 2 wire it is probably old and needs to be replaced anyway. I have the same problem in my house, but I have some training so I do my own work.If you have no training/knowledge of electric circuits then PLEASE get a professional to do the work. It's not rocket science(unless you want 1 light to be controlled by 7 switches, then you need the scientist, or a good swift kick) but does take some knowledge and planing. And you need to keep in mind the local, state and federal codes also. Please choose wisely on this.

Answer 7

Get GFI ("Ground Fault Interruptor") outlets and install them where you think you need three-wire service. Follow the instructions for installing the third wire to ground.

You should have them on "wet walls" (usually in bathroom and kitchen) where there is plumbing and/or water fixtures (sink, toilet)

Answer 8

All houses have 3 incoming wires, two are hot, one is bare or covered ground. Those commence in the meter box.

Why do you want to add a ground anyhow? Not needed at all with most new appliances, tools, like drill motors mixers and so on. In fact, not even used.

Notice the two prongs, not 3 on new appliances or drills? One of those prongs is fatter. That goes directly to your box ground and is the white wire. So these appliances and tools also have a plastic insulation surround the motor. Thus youl see a notation on them "double insulated" that is the "fat" prong and the plastic insulator which meets federal standards.

The bare copper wire in a 3 wire goes to same place as the white wire in the box. It was necessary years ago because appliances, drills, etc were made from aluminum and were not required to have the "double" ground as they are today.

I would not spend the money for a ground wire in your older wired house. That would require the tearing up and removal of all 2 wire runs in the house. And with todays appliances and tools thatis totally unnecessary as it will provide ZERO benefit.

Answer 9

I have a question.An older landlord installed 3 hole outlets in plastic boxes off of a piece of BX. Can I install a GFCI At the end of the BX,and into the new 3 wire plastic boxes in a series, using only one GFCI?

Answer 10

If you are handy yourself..or get a licensed electricial, find the first outlet in each circuit, and install a GFCI outlet......the GFCI will protect the rest of that circuit. that is a way to protect the whole home as if it were a 3 wire system....and it is totally legal and safe.... we used to do it all the time when i was in business in order to get older homes approved for "government subsidized housing"

If your handy, or hire it done this method is an inexpensive way to get the protection you are looking for...without updating your entire home..