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Top Document: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Previous Document: Why is one prong wider than the other? Polarization
Next Document: Surges, spikes, zaps, grounding and your electronics
How do I convert two prong receptacles to three prong?
Older homes frequently have two-prong receptacles instead of the more modern three. These receptacles have no safety ground, and the cabling usually has no ground wire. Neither the NEC or CEC permits installing new 2 prong receptacles anymore. There are several different approaches to solving this: 1) If the wiring is done through conduit or BX, and the conduit is continuous back to the panel, you can connect the third prong of a new receptacle to the receptacle box. NEC mainly - CEC frowns on this practice. 2) If there is a metallic cold water pipe going nearby, and it's electrically continuous to the main house ground point, you can run a conductor to it from the third prong. You MUST NOT assume that the pipe is continuous, unless you can visually check the entire length and/or test it. Testing grounds is tricky - see "Testing Grounds" section. 3) Run a ground conductor back to the main panel. 4) Easiest: install a GFCI receptacle. The ground lug should not be connected to anything, but the GFCI protection itself will serve instead. The GFCI will also protect downstream (possibly also two prong outlets). If you do this to protect downstream outlets, the grounds must not be connected together. Since it wouldn't be connected to a real ground, a wiring fault could energize the cases of 3 prong devices connected to other outlets. Be sure, though, that there aren't indirect ground plug connections, such as via the sheath on BX cable. The CEC permits you to replace a two prong receptacle with a three prong if you fill the U ground with a non-conducting goop. Like caulking compound. This is not permitted in the NEC. The NEC requires that three prong receptacles without ground that are protected by GFCI must be labelled as such. See the next section about computers on GFCI-protected groundless outlets.
Top Document: Electrical Wiring FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Previous Document: Why is one prong wider than the other? Polarization
Next Document: Surges, spikes, zaps, grounding and your electronics
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Last Update October 22 2009 @ 05:24 AM