Outlets Grounded???

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bobo60

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hi,

im buying the house i live in. most of the outlets are two slotted, one small slot, one large (polerized?) i pulled the cover off one outlet, it only has 2 wires going to it, metal workbox, but not bx, they run romex, w/no bare ground. i check the voltage from black wire to workbox, no voltage. does this mean that the outlet is not grounded? no voltage from white to workbox either, but thats correct, i beleive. i want to replace all the outlets with 2 slot/ground hole, mainly so i dont have to use adapters to plug in some appliances. i realize they will not be grounded, but if i install GFCI breakers, and mark each outlet NEG, will this be up to code? i also realize that GFCI breakers do not constitute a ground either, but will make the ungrounded outlets safer. please advise. btw. anything i change will be after i purchase the house! :)

bob
 
A GFCI will not function properly if you do not have a dedicated ground wire. Legally, you should replace any faulty receptacles with new 2 slot receptacles so no-one gets the idea that they are looking at a grounded outlet. GFCI breakers will not perform correctly without a ground wire at the device(receptacle). Never put a refrigerator on a GFCI. A refrigerator can trip a GFCI and leave you with a rotten mess. New circuits would be the answer. New wire with ground.

I also bought a house with a 2 wire system. Lightning hit it and I had to replace every electronic device in the house. TV, phone, alarm clocks, etc. I was here when it hit and heard the parts flying off of the phone when it hit. I ran a few circuits at a time until I got it all replaced. I started with the refrigerator circuit. I don't want any repeats.

The code calls for Arc detection in bedrooms. The Arc detection breakers will trip if they sense a short. They also will work best with a grounded system.

Tom in KY, Grounded baby.
 
I've been told im nuts.
As i get to each room i've been tearing out all the dry wall, putting up a thicker wall and reinsulating every thing. I also am rewiring it all to make it modern and grounded. Wired everything for cable too....at least the face plate is there.
It is alwaysy anoying when you can't plug something in somewhere and we know your house as no insulation.
 
The only way to get this right is to start from scratch.Its a messy job and can be expensive.Do it right and you end up with re-sale value. Do it cheap and you end up with headaches when us inspectors come through. In my experience when we find cheap fixes with electrical the customer is leary because noone can see what is going on in the walls.Then the licenced electrician comes in and you get the picture of how it goes from there.
Besides getting new electrical you can also update any other electronics and insulation like Zander stated.

Save money in the long run,
Brian:D
 
On the other hand, when I bought my house, I still had one circuit of knob and tube wiring active. I know now that it feeds several outlets in my living room and kitchen. Although the inspector was thorough and noted the wiring, he had no interest in seeing what it supplied. I have three generations of wiring systems in my house, as it was updated once in the '60's and once again in the '80's. Chasing gremlins in my house as a result of this type of wiring setup can be a real headache sometoime, but this inspection wwas for an FHA loan, and I was told the inspectors are a lot more picky for these loans than normal loans.
 
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