two prong outlet

[kathy1985]

My contractor replaced my ungrounded two and three prong outlets in my bedroom with two prong outlets. Is it possible for the two prong outlet to be grounded? Thanks

[RBM]

That depends upon the type of cable feeding the outlets. It would either have to be steel cable, in which the steel serves as the ground, or a non metallic cable with an internal grounding conductor. If neither is present, only non grounding receptacles can be used. You can also run ground wires to each outlet, or replace the feed cables to them, if it is practical. If you are concerned about human safety, the circuit can be protected by a GFCI device, but that won't add grounding to the circuit

[tbasc]

be protected by a GFCI

What about Arc Fault protection? T

[DerbyDad03]

Just curious...

What was he doing that prompted him to replace your outlets? What did you hire him to do?

[Blattus Slafaly]

Sounds like you have ungrounded circuits. In that case you can't have 3 pronged plugs. The only ground is the polarized two pronged plug. That's so the wide prong is always tied to neutral which is ground at the panel.

[DerbyDad03]

re: Sounds like you have ungrounded circuits. In that case you can't have 3 pronged plugs.

That is not true. You can't have *grounded* 3 prong plugs without a ground wire, but you can certainly have 3 prong plugs.

If a GFCI receptacle or breaker is installed in the circuit, all down stream receptacles can be 3 prong "plugs". This is code-compliant.

The user is protected from a grounding problem by the GFCI, although the equipment is not.

In addition, the downstream outlets need to be marked as "ungrounded, GFCI protected" so that the user knows the status.

[hallerb]

likely BX cable, which often provides a ground.

OP should buy a outlet tester to check it out, they are cheap insurance, to find mistakes

[Blattus Slafaly]

It's not code but is consistency. Mixing 2 and 3 prong plugs is confusing and markings can vanish. So why do YOU think the electrician removed the 3 prong plugs?

[Mikepier]

e quoted text -

I had no idea they still make 2 prong outlets. I thought every outlet they make today is 3 prong.

[DerbyDad03]

e quoted text -

re: It's not code but is consistency.

What's not code?

re: So why do YOU think the electrician removed the 3 prong plugs?

If you back up a few posts, you'll see that I basically asked that same question to the OP. I'm curious as to why the contractor replaced the receptacles and didn't offer the other code-compliant suggestion.

I won't argue the point of mixing receptacles being "confusing", but in a case where a GFCI is protecting all 3 prong receptacles in a circuit, there is no mixture, therefore no confusion.

Your comments that "markings can vanish" is valid. However in the overall scheme of things, I'd live with the chance that a piece of equipment will get fried as long as the humans are protected.

[HeyBub]

He gets paid by the hour?

[dpb]

Mikepier wrote: ...

Why would you think that???

[DerbyDad03]

ide quoted text -

AFAIK the NEC no longer allows the use of 2 prong outlets in a *new* installation, but it's still OK to replace an existing 2 pronger with a new 2 pronger.

When the 2 pronger will no longer hold the 3 prong adaptor that you have your iron lung plugged into, you are allowed to replace it with another 2 prong receptacle.

[RBM]

What about Arc Fault protection?

T

It won't ground an ungrounded circuit either

[mm]

The wide prong is tied to neutral? I think it's the narrow prong.

[mm]

What is the purpose of the T slots? I thought it was for 20 amps, but it says 15 amps. I was watching a remodeler and a potential customer last week and he seemed to say it meant 220 volts. That didn't seem likely and this one is 125 volts, so what is use of T-slots?

[dpb]

The horizontal are consistent w/ NEMA 2-15 which is NEMA standard for

250V/15A. I can't say why this receptacle isn't dual-voltage rated; have to ask Leviton that question...

--

[RBM]

It is code. You'll find it in 2008 NEC 406.3D # 3c spells it out clearly

[mm]

>

That's good, because otherwise the remodeler she's thinking of hiring is a quack.

I'm Levitating right now.

Should have an answer soon, ummmmm.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 8/18/2008 2:29 PM mm spake thus:

Nope. Wide = neutral; narrow = hot.

(That must explain the burn marks on your fingers.)