More specficically do outlets have to be grounded?
TIA!
TIA!
anyone know anything about eletrical codes?
- Thread starter TN
- Start date
UP on the switch is off, DOWN on the switch is on. Unless it's the other way around.
what if the house was built in the 20's? do they have to update the electrical or can they leave it ghetto rigged so that your power goes out when its supposed to be getting down in the 20's tonight.
Most old houses don't have a grounded conductor to the recepticals. It is a code requirement now days but unless you have some renovation work done to the home... or sometimes if it is for sale and the buyer has an inspection done, you won't be required to bring it up to standards.
An ungrounded system is dangerous for equipment and people though. But it will be $pendy to install a new service, and pull new wire...
An ungrounded system is dangerous for equipment and people though. But it will be $pendy to install a new service, and pull new wire...
this is the fourth time in 2 years that we have lost power to this house because of ****ty wiring. we are moving out before it burns down.
good plan.
J
JRB
Guest
Our house was built in the late 60s. Is there a test for the outlets or the wiring? Is there a rough guage as to how much it costs to pull new wiring???
J
JRB
Guest
Only the newly installed one. I have them in the kitchen, at my computer, the garage and one in the bathroom. I would like to have a grounded plug for the A/C in the bedroom and the TV in the den. I especially want one in Caroline's bedroom, before we put a window unit in there.biggins said:
then you probably dont have much in the way of grouding. 3 prongs are grounded. however you should have those looked at because in lots of houses where there are only afew 3 prong outlets many times they get hot wired with no ground so that appliances and whatnot with 3 prong cords can be plugged in. thats the way some of the outlets in my house are. however my house is almost 85 years old.
J
JRB
Guest
It's actually a grounded plug, if it is there. That wiring is pretty new. The old outlets are not grounded though. There is a good bit of Romex (if that's what it's called) in the attic, where they re-wired the kitchen. The office is next to it, so that's cool. It's a new breaker.biggins said:
Don't assume that a three hole outlet is properly wired.
You can buy a cheap tester for grounded outlets that'll tell you if it's wired correctly.
You can buy a cheap tester for grounded outlets that'll tell you if it's wired correctly.
J
JRB
Guest
hmmm - I guess I should, but it was done by professional electricians.johnbryanpeters said:
Oh, I forgot, professionals never make errors or cut corners. Sorry.
J
JRB
Guest
Point taken. Do you have a name for said tester??? Maybe it will be free, since Lowe's doesn't ever ring anything up for its actual value.johnbryanpeters said:
Yeah, it's called an outlet tester. Looks like a plug with three neons on the cord end and a little chart to explain meaning of light codes.loco said:
J
JRB
Guest
Cool - thanks guys.
another thing that wasn't mentioned was the type of wire you have!!! in the 50's and into the 60's they were using aluminum wire. Have a look at the wire itself either in your master panel or pull a plug outlet out of the wall and look at the type of wire you have... if you are just remotely thinking about having new wiring run, and you find out you have aluminum wiring, it may be the time to call and get someone out to rewire for you... aluminum cable usually oxidizes where it is exposed (and that is usually at recepticals etc) , and just like a car battery's terminalls this corrosion causes resistance which causes heat. In a bunch of cases that I am familiar with this was the explanation of the cause of "electrically tiggered" house fires in houses from the 50's & into the sixties.loco said:
J
JRB
Guest
Good idea, brungeman. I guess I need to get in the attic this weekend, before it gets hot.
As was referenced by Narlus, all new installations require an effective and code-compliant ground path.TN said:
Older, non-grounded systems may utilize modern grounding outlets, switches and fixtures containing metal parts as long as they are ground fault protected.
...dammit, my code book is in the van. I'll look up the specific section and post it tomorrow.
D'oh. It's listed in Narlus' reference --
"The NEC also has provisions that permit the use of grounded-type receptacles in nongrounded wiring (for example, the retrofit of 2-wire circuits) if a GFCI is used for protection of the new outlet (either itself or "downstream" from a GFCI). Art. 406.3(D)(3)."
The section basically allows use of new equipment in older installations as long as the proper GFCI protection is in place (either a GFCI receptacle, GFCI circuit breaker or other GFCI means).
Additionally, all new equipment must be marked (a sticker on the coverplate will suffice) indicating that there is no equipment ground and the circuit is CFCI protected.
GFCI receptacles are always packaged with a buttload of those stickers.
"The NEC also has provisions that permit the use of grounded-type receptacles in nongrounded wiring (for example, the retrofit of 2-wire circuits) if a GFCI is used for protection of the new outlet (either itself or "downstream" from a GFCI). Art. 406.3(D)(3)."
The section basically allows use of new equipment in older installations as long as the proper GFCI protection is in place (either a GFCI receptacle, GFCI circuit breaker or other GFCI means).
Additionally, all new equipment must be marked (a sticker on the coverplate will suffice) indicating that there is no equipment ground and the circuit is CFCI protected.
GFCI receptacles are always packaged with a buttload of those stickers.
Loco. You're looking for one of these --
J
JRB
Guest
Cool - thanks lux.