Shock hazards, safety and manufacturers warranty issues. If you live in an older house, you may be shocked literally, to discover that your "grounded" (three-pronged) electrical outlets are not really grounded, after all. This article describes why that’s a dangerous situation, how to tell if your outlets are really grounded, and what to do if they’re not. The electrical term, open ground, describes a situation, possibly where someone has installed a three-pronged outlet, but the electrical wiring cable serving that receptacle outlet (plug) still contains only two wires, a hot and a neutral, and no ground wire. The three-pronged (grounded style outlet) gives the mis-leading appearance of an upgrade, but the outlet is not really grounded. This unsafe wiring practice is wide-spread by many do-it “yourselfer’s” and is very, hazardously mis-leading and can be bad news for many reasons including voiding out your manufacturers warranties.
Shock hazard
This should be your first primary concern, and it's a real one: a receptacle that is not properly grounded is a safety hazard to you and your family. A shock from an improperly grounded 120-volt outlet can cause serious injury, even death! And take note those receptacle "cheaters," those little, grey three-hole plugs with the tab on them that you screw into the plate? They don't work, and they can present a hazard to you and the equipment you plug into them!
Warranty issues
The following appliances require a grounded receptacle, for both safety and warranty reasons:
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•Refrigerators
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•Dishwashers
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•Washing Machines
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•Computers
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•Televisions
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•Any piece of equipment with a 3-pronged male-end plug
Plugging any of this equipment into a receptacle that is not grounded can present a shock hazard, can ultimately cause damage to a product, and can void the product warranty.
Computers have especially sensitive voltage requirements. Note that surge protectors will not work properly unless a proper ground is present. These appliances and pieces of equipment are not small investments; protect them by using only properly grounded outlets. Where necessary, call in a qualified electrician to run you a new wire and be assured a piece of mind.
How to tell if your outlet is really grounded
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•You can buy a small, inexpensive, plug-in tester at your local home center or electrical supply store, generally speaking, they fairly reliable.
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•You could try cutting the electricity off at the breaker, pulling off your outlet cover and having a look, but you may or may not be able to see the cable feeding the outlet. The older the house, the more likely it is to be dark and dirty and hard to see behind the outlet cover. It might be necessary to unscrew and pull out the outlet. Note: this is not recommend as a beginner’s (DIY) project because of the safety hazards involved.
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•Why take chances? Hire San Francisco Electrical Experts. If you have any question whether your outlets are properly grounded - or for that matter, if you have any questions about your wiring or your breaker or fuse box - we come out and take a look.
What to do if your outlet is not properly grounded
If the tester gives you a negative reading, there may be other outlets in the house that aren't grounded as well. We strongly recommend that you bring in a qualified electrician to assess the situation and make some valuable recommendations. The next steps could possibly involve running new electrical wire or a installing a complete electrical circuit.
In some circumstances, the electrical code requires G.F.C.I. (ground fault circuit interrupter) protection (meaning the installation of a G.F.C.I. outlet) where there is no ground; however, the code has very specific requirements about how this must be done, including language that must be displayed prominently on the outlet cover. We do not recommend this as a beginner’s (DIY) project because of the potential safety hazards to you and your family, and the warranty issues with your electrical and electronic equipment, as discussed above.
More about wiring in older houses
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•A good rule of thumb: If you see wire and it has fabric covering, by all means, have a qualified electrician check it out. This is usually an older, out of date style electrical cable.
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•The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Utility Companies recommend panel maintenance every three years. Generally, maintenance involves pulling the panel cover, inspecting all breakers and wiring, re-torquing connections, replacing breakers where necessary, and making recommendations about any further service that may be necessary or desirable. Routine electrical maintenance can avoid a lot of electrical problems and is highly recommended.
For local homeowners with older electrical wiring, one option to increase overall safety, is to replace certain electrical breakers with an A.F.C.I. (arc fault circuit interrupter) style breaker. This is a "breaker with a brain" for fire protection technology that works just like a regular electrical circuit breaker but also electronically detects any type of arcing conditions. For new electrical construction and significant remodeling, the (A.F.C.I.) is now required for all circuits leading to bedrooms.
