My house is over 50 years old. Most of the outlets in my house are two-pronged. Can I buy a box of duplex receptacles from Lowe's or Home Depot and replace them all, even though I know there is no ground wire in my house?
2007-08-27 16:52:28 · 9 answers · asked by JohnDoe 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
The national electric code allows you to install a GFCI receptacle in place of a two prong outlet without a ground wire. You still will not have a ground, but it will be safe and comply with code. That receptacle can also protect any downstream receptacles. So you can install regular three prong receptacles downstream from the GFCI. Don't take electrical advise from the untrained people on this board.
Jane is correct again.
2007-08-28 10:49:05 · answer #1 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree wholeheartedly with the other two answers but something struck me about your question. You say that more than one outlet is like that but you don't say that all outlets are like that. If some of the outlets have grounds in the wire sheath then it is possible they all do and the ground is just cut back to where the sheath was stripped to. Look a little deeper and you may find they are grounded. I have seen this in homes built in the 50's. If the romex has grounds in it and not used at the outlet there is a good possibility that the ground is not hooked up at the panel or fusebox. You need to look there and connect the grounds if they aren't already.
2016-05-19 22:28:45 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gfci Receptacle Lowes
2016-11-12 01:03:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
do you know if you have knob and tube wiring in your house? or maybe BX (metal covered wiring, it looks like a spring, kind of)? if you don't, check to see around the fuse box. if it's bx, the metal jacket will act as the ground wire and you can do it and you will have a ground (most of the time, as long as there aren't any breaks or all of the connections are good). if you have knob and tube, you might just as well buy a bunch of 3-2 adapters(they just plug onto the cord so it will fit the outlet) and save yourself the money and work. one thing to remember if it is k&t wiring, don't run anything that draws too big of a load, like a big air conditioner, since k & t is a smaller size wire than what is used these days. also, don't put in larger fuses than what is called for, most often it's only 15 amp, since you could overheat the wiring (picture the filiment in a lightbulb).
2007-08-27 18:34:36 · answer #4 · answered by car dude 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If your metal junction box is grounded, you can attach a jumper wire from the new outlet to the box. If it's not, then by code you will need to ground each box. With power off check for continuity between box and neutral wire with a test meter. If there is continuity then the box is grounded. If the boxes are fed by metal sheathed cable then you probably have a grounded box.
2007-08-27 17:00:04 · answer #5 · answered by jbuilder7916 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, if the box the outlet goes in is metal,
[at that age it should be] run a short wire to the BOX as a ground, from recptical, if not it will still work, but may not be to code,
2007-08-27 16:58:22 · answer #6 · answered by William B 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋
If you can't find or get ground by any means previously discussed, install GFCI outlets.
2007-08-27 17:17:39 · answer #7 · answered by Dept. of Redundancy Department 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If your service isn't grounded(which it probably isn't) then bonding to a metal box will be useless. It won't be grounded.
For the "handyman" below me:
A GFCI breaker or recepticle WILL NOT work if there isn't a ground.
2007-08-27 17:06:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
That would be inviting danger!
So my answer is NO!
2016-03-02 17:10:57 · answer #9 · answered by M. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋