Electrical Outlet Replacement

I am leasing an older home. Some of the outlets have the 3-prong grounding outlet and many have just the two-prong which we use adapters on. Can the regular two-prong outlets be replaced with

3-prong without rewiring the home? Thanks
Reply to
lpmiller1223
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It depends.

If a ground wire is present at the location of the 2 prong receptacles, then you can replace them on an individual basis and attach the ground wire to the ground screw of the 3 prong receptacle.

If there is no ground wire present at the receptacle box, then you can install a GFCI receptacle in (hopefully) the first receptacle location of each branch circuit and then attach the downstream 3 prong receptacles to the load side of the GFCI. The downstream receptacles will not suddenly be grounded, but the user will be protected from shocks should they (the user) become a path to ground. The receptacles should be labeled to note that there is No Equipment Ground present.

Alternatively, a GFCI breaker could be installed for each branch circuit and then 3 prong receptacles could be installed everywhere. That is probably a more expensive option and may not be as convenient. There may also be cases where you don't want an entire branch circuit to be GFCI protected.

This is just one of many articles that discusses the situation:

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BTW...I would get a receptacle tester and check the existing 3 prong receptacles to see if a ground is actually present. If not, I'd check for an upstream GFCI. If neither are present, then you have a installation that does not meet code and could present a danger to you and your family.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

If it's a two prong, ie no ground receptacle in an older home then there is almost certainly no ground. You can't just replace it with a 3 prong, ground type, but you can replace it with a three prong, ground type receptacle if you install a GFCI and mark the receptacle as GFCI protected, no eqpt ground. A GFCI breaker will protect all the receptacles on the circuit. A GFCI receptacle will protect itself and any other receptacles that are downstream of it and connected to the load side of the GFCI. Those downstream receptacles may then be replaced with 3 prong, ground type and marked as described.

Reply to
trader_4

That's a very good point and suggestion. The existing ones may have been installed incorrectly at some point, with no ground present, by someone who didn't know what they were doing.

Reply to
trader_4

I don't know about "almost certainly", but I have seen homes with two prong outlets where the boxes did have ground wires.

Also, at some point in the past a metal conduit sometimes served as the ground "wire".

The use of a tester is a good suggestion.

Reply to
Taxed and Spent

I know you said "almost certainly" no ground so you are not wrong, but it should still be brought into the conversation. I speak from experience.

My house house was built in 1956. Except for the family room addition, all receptacles were 2 prong. The 2nd floor was wired with 14/2 w/o ground (cloth covered wire). However, the 1st floor was wired with 14/2 *with* ground (also cloth covered wire) and the ground wire was attached to the box. I was able to simply replace the 2 prong receptacles with 3 prong receptacles and a pigtail back to the box.

That is why I mentioned it to the OP. Situations like that do exist.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

makes you wonder why upstairs and downstairs differ.

Reply to
Taxed and Spent
[snip]

Some danger, especially in places where someone may be wet. There's no more danger than when using adapters with no ground.

Reply to
Sam E

"very likely" would have been a better choice of words than "almost certainly".

Reply to
trader_4
[snip]

Or by someone who DOES know what he's doing. He wants to be able to plug in 3-prong plugs.

Or, maybe those receptacles need replacing and 2-prong receptacles are getting hard to find.

Reply to
Sam E

There definitely could be more danger. When you're using an adaptor and don't care about the lack of ground, you know there is no ground, or should know it. When someone puts a ground type receptacle in with no ground, then it appears to everyone to be a grounded type. If you were somewhere on a damp basement or garage floor and saw a ground type receptacle, and had a tool, an extension cord with ground what would most people think and do?

Reply to
trader_4

Always has. :-)

I've also always wondered why they used *one* Edison circuit to apparently save about 15 feet of wire. They ran a length of 14/3 w/ground from the panel to a junction box about 15' away in the basement ceiling. From there they ran 2 lengths of 14/2 w/ground to create 2 runs of receptacles on the first floor. It's the only Edison circuit in the house and all they saved was one junction box and a couple of lengths of 14/2 w/ground.

Considering how well the rest of the house was built (1x6 T&G subfloors and roof deck, 3/4" thick interior walls (3/8" gypsum board and 3/8" plaster), hardwood floors, etc.) I'm surprised they did those weird things with the electrical.

I can only assume that they used what they had on hand and made it work.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Well, I guess that depends on your definition of "knows what he's doing". In my world, someone who violates code with a stupid and unsafe practice doesn't know what they are doing. But I guess you have a point, there are some people who know what they are doing is wrong, a code violation, unsafe, etc. but just don't care.

No problem finding them here, HD for example has them. And even if they were hard to find and you decide to just replace it with a grounded type and nothing more, then IMO, you still don't know what you're doing, because it's easy to do it right and code compliant.

Reply to
trader_4

You are assuming that the user knows about electricity. I can "almost certainly" guarantee that I could find someone - without looking very hard - that has no clue why an adapter exists other than to let you plug a 3 prong plug into a 2 prong receptacle. "Oh look, isn't that convenient".

I'll bet if you asked them what the little screw lug is for they would say "So it doesn't fall out." ;-)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

No, I never made that assumpti "When you're using an adapter and don't care about the lack of ground, you know there is no ground, or should know it. "

Reply to
trader_4

...and I'll bet there is a group of people that have half a clue and assume that the ground lug on the adapter automatically provides a ground if it is attached the receptacle cover screw. It *might* (like it would have on the 1st floor of my house) but it's certainly not true in (probably) most cases (like the 2nd floor of my house).

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Seriously, I think that's the majority.... and I suspect that's the most popular usage! : )

Reply to
Bill

I was referring to all the other people who have no clue, not the original "installer". There are lots of people who never even *think* about the presence of a ground when they see a 3 prong receptacle or adapter.

They just "plug and play".

P.S. I'm not arguing with you - even if it sounds that way. Just making a clarifying point.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

And I was also referring to people other than the original installer who decide to use an adapter and not ground it. Either they know using the adapter that way leaves whatever is plugged into it ungrounded or they should know it. When you're using something you should know what it is and how it works.

I'm sure there are plenty of people like that. I suppose they should sell those adapters packaged so there is a warning on them, or putting a warning tag on them would be a good idea. Actually IDK how they are packaged and sold, haven't bought one in decades.

Reply to
trader_4

Just for fun, I went looking for an image of the packaging for an adapter. I didn't find a package (didn't look too hard), but I did find this rather scary image:

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Is it just me or are they showing the ground lug being attached to the cover screw of a receptacle where no ground is present?

I clicked on the "Visit Page" button at G-images, and it took me to the following discussion. The OP is exactly the type of person I was referring to: He notes that the adapters are "handy" but he has no clue about their proper usage.

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Reply to
DerbyDad03

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