Replacing a loose two-prong outlet

[y_p_w]

Yeah - I live in an older house with a lot of existing ungrounded outlets. But I got tired of a loose outlet and went out to get an ungrounded Leviton 2-prong duplex outlet at HD. The box (they were sold loose with a UPC code on a label) said they were nylon, and I got a matching nylon wallplate. It was kind of expensive though. I think traditional 3-prong outlets were cheaper, but since it's not grounded I don't particular want anyone using this to have the impression that it is grounded.

I have heard of some people installing ungrounded GFCI outlets and then placing an ungrounded sticker on them. Supposedly it's safer than having a 2-prong outlet even without ground. I also suspect that a lot of the outlets in my house were replaced with 3-prong outlets even though there's no grounding.

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
I have heard of some people installing ungrounded GFCI outlets and then placing an ungrounded sticker on them. Supposedly it's safer than having a 2-prong outlet even without ground.

Buy a GFCI - it will have a sticker in the box just for this purpose. No "heard" about it. It's safer and it's code compliant. Even better, install the GFCI at the "first" outlet in a circuit and then you can replace all of the downstream outlets with 3-prong outlets (safely and to code).

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
I also suspect that a lot of the outlets in my house were replaced with 3-prong outlets even though there's no grounding.


Don't suspect, know. Testers are cheap, under $5. You just get a ground adapter for it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-Outlet-and-GFCI-Tester-GFI-3501/202867890

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...et-Grounding-Adapter-Gray-U-09/203456716

 

[StevieC]

My house is 1940's and had all 2-prong electrical throughout when I moved in. While I replaced all the wiring on the main floor to be 3-prong and beefier copper than 16 gauge because it's accessible from the basement, the 2nd floor wasn't possible without a lot of plaster patching thereafter because of how the wires run.

I replaced them all with GFCI's and put the sticker on. I confirmed that this is acceptable as per NEC standards. It is much safer than having ungrounded electrical outlets IMO should something happen.
You can also change the breaker in the panel and achieve the same thing if you have a ton of outlets/devices where replacing each one individually would be really expensive. (If they make this type of breaker for your panel)

 

[y_p_w]

No breaker. Just a fuse box. I remember when I bought the house it was a huge issue getting homeowners insurance. My agent had to look around for a company that was willing to provide insurance.

The house was renovated a few times and I do see ground wires in the fluorescent lighting fixtures that I'm sure weren't original in a 1949 house. My parents had an addition and all the new wiring is connected to a breaker in the garage. Their existing wiring stayed ungrounded.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
No breaker. Just a fuse box. I remember when I bought the house it was a huge issue getting homeowners insurance. My agent had to look around for a company that was willing to provide insurance.

The house was renovated a few times and I do see ground wires in the fluorescent lighting fixtures that I'm sure weren't original in a 1949 house. My parents had an addition and all the new wiring is connected to a breaker in the garage. Their existing wiring stayed ungrounded.


You would have been better off just replacing the panel. Cheapest I've had it done was about $300, but that was for an apartment that only had a few breakers. They're normally around $1000 for a full panel with 20+ breakers although it basically depends who you find. That $300 job was from a journeyman electrician who only charged $35 an hour. Most electricians around here are at least $75-$100 per hour. But in terms of insurance, it was several hundred dollars extra per year to have a fuse box instead of a panel so it should pay for itself after a couple years.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by y_p_w
I have heard of some people installing ungrounded GFCI outlets and then placing an ungrounded sticker on them. Supposedly it's safer than having a 2-prong outlet even without ground.

Buy a GFCI - it will have a sticker in the box just for this purpose. No "heard" about it. It's safer and it's code compliant. Even better, install the GFCI at the "first" outlet in a circuit and then you can replace all of the downstream outlets with 3-prong outlets (safely and to code).


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