mjordanlmj

In my House every outlet is a 2 prong plug in. I want to replace them with 3 prong. There is no place to connect the ground to. My question is can I attach the ground to the outlet box that is nailed to a 2x4??? Or do I need to run a seperate ground to every receptacle??? All the wiring is in good condition and no problems with any overloaded circuits. Also how would I install aGFC in my bathroom ???

JoeD

If there is no ground present in the box then you must use GFCI receptacles for replacement of the 2 prong. Leave the ground off and label them 'no equipment ground'. If you can find the first receptacle in the chain you might be able to use one GFCI to protect several receptacles.
The same thing applies to the bathroom.

A GFCI receptacle has two sets of terminals, LINE and LOAD. Connect the power wires to the LINE terminals. Connect any cables from downstream receptacle you want protected to the LOAD terminals.

mjordanlmj

I am not sure if the answer is what I was looking for. Why can't I just put in the three prong receptacle and not hook up the ground? Seems a lot cheaper than GFCI's. Also in the last statment about the GFCI How Is it gonna protect any other cables downstream if it doesn't have a ground?

JoeD

If does not add a ground. it is just a legal way to install a three prong receptacle. You don't need the third prong unless yo have devices that need it. Many of todays modern appliances are only two prong and will work fine with the two prong receptacles.

It is not legal to install a regular three prong receptacle and not connect a ground wire to it.

mjordanlmj

I see... Now that makes sense. I won't get electricuted and I'll be legal when it comes time for an inspection when I sell my house. Thanks Joe D...

nealtw

the gfi plug trips when you short power to ground so you don't get a shock, what ever else you do you should run new wire to bathroom. A house wired in the fifties should have ground wired to the box have another look!!

mjordanlmj

Well I found A ground at the junction box in the attic and it runs to the ventpipe of the bathroom.... Is that normal ??? Do I just run a ground from the JB to my Bathroom plug???

nealtw

If the vent pipe is cast iron or copper it will be a good ground but I think you should have a pro look the whole house. This is not for the weekend guy.

JoeD

Grounding to a water pipe is not permitted by code under NEC.

speedy petey

Not all true. A GFI trips when it senses an imbalance in current between the hot and neutral. If there is an imbalance it assumes the current is going through a person and trips. This is how we get false trips or trips from wet appliances, etc.
A GFI does NOT trip under fault current (short to ground) situations.



Not at all a certainty. Many homes I see from this era are wired with old ungrounded NM cable or old BX without the bonding strip which CANNOT be used for grounding purposes.
The ONLY way to be sure is to visually check.



Completely false and potentially unsafe!
There are very specific rules to using a water pipe for a grounding source, and the attic is NOT one of them. In fact, 99.9% of the time it is as easy or easier to run a wire back to the panel.


Neal, I must ask. What is your profession?