old wiring in my house couple questions

C

chewbert

Member
hey fellas i just moved into a new place last week and i just realized the outlets in this place dont have three prong grounded receptacles! they only have the old two blade outlets with no hole for the ground.

what can i do to insure the safety of my equipment. i have a 1000w lumatek setup and the can fan 6ho etc
i know u can buy little plug adapters but with no ground wires ran,is this a safety hazard.fire etc or can it damage my equipment or both
any help would be greatly appreciated.im trying to get setup again and this is delaying me because im a little uneasy about it:-o
 
ExDex1x1

ExDex1x1

Active Member
chewbert said:
hey fellas i just moved into a new place last week and i just realized the outlets in this place dont have three prong grounded receptacles! they only have the old two blade outlets with no hole for the ground.

what can i do to insure the safety of my equipment. i have a 1000w lumatek setup and the can fan 6ho etc
i know u can buy little plug adapters but with no ground wires ran,is this a safety hazard.fire etc or can it damage my equipment or both
any help would be greatly appreciated.im trying to get setup again and this is delaying me because im a little uneasy about it:-o
Click to expand...
Things you should notice before buying a home.
 
hobart

hobart

Well-Known Member
I would replace the receptacle (s), with a 3 prong model generally the boxes in the walls for the older ones are metal and usually have a ground screw in them, if not any self tapping sheet metal screw will do the trick. While you're replacing the receptacle just run a short 14ga wire from the grounding terminal to your "new" ground in the box. If you get a lazy streak just replace any receptacles and run a u.p.s. or surge suppressor for paranoia reasons. the "adapter plugs" will work they have a little tab w/a hole for the screw that holds the cover plate, thats a ground screw. short story, the receptacle won't harm your equipment, just will look like shit and in turn cause paranoid thoughts. the ground is basically in case something is shorted out it will ground the elec and throw a breaker. if the wires are crossed in your new place then more than likely it will blow a fuse providing someone hasn't upgraded to a breaker panel. if they have it will just trip the breaker, either way you're good. Personally, i'd replace the receptacles. Grow BIG!
 
eBaked

eBaked

Member
hobart said:
I would replace the receptacle (s), with a 3 prong model generally the boxes in the walls for the older ones are metal and usually have a ground screw in them, if not any self tapping sheet metal screw will do the trick. While you're replacing the receptacle just run a short 14ga wire from the grounding terminal to your "new" ground in the box. If you get a lazy streak just replace any receptacles and run a u.p.s. or surge suppressor for paranoia reasons. the "adapter plugs" will work they have a little tab w/a hole for the screw that holds the cover plate, thats a ground screw. short story, the receptacle won't harm your equipment, just will look like shit and in turn cause paranoid thoughts. the ground is basically in case something is shorted out it will ground the elec and throw a breaker. if the wires are crossed in your new place then more than likely it will blow a fuse providing someone hasn't upgraded to a breaker panel. if they have it will just trip the breaker, either way you're good. Personally, i'd replace the receptacles. Grow BIG!
Click to expand...
I am in the electrical trade up here in Canada, and agree with pretty much everything the above poster has mentioned. Before starting any work, please ensure to locate and flip off the breaker to ensure you are not working with live wires, remember to test the circuit for power again once the breaker has been shut off to ensure you shut off the proper circuit. If for whatever reason the ground wire (copper or green) has limited length to work with, you can always marette the wire with another piece of ground wire to ensure easy hookup. If this is not possible, you can remove the switch box and remove the cable from the box and strip the entire cable back (assuming you have slack to work with) and re insert and secure it back into the box, then secure the box back into the wall, and from there continue with your wiring project. Good luck, if you have any other questions PM me.
 
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