Hi,
I just wanted to know if I can switch out my old 2 slot outlets with the 3 slot? I checked and I have grounded electrical boxes in the ones I want to replace. Can I just ground the outlet to the box?
Thanks,
Mike
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You need to be sure that the box is really grounded, not just that it appears to be grounded with a test light. If in doubt, install a GFCI outlet.
Dan,
Thank you. What's the test?
Mike
A proper test is complicated, but you should first verify that there is either a visible copper wire or metal conduit connecting the boxes together -- if there's "no visible means of support" then don't trust them.Even if the boxes LOOK like they're grounded, it doesn't prove they are all the way back to the panel, so a test can be done with a large [eg, 150 watt] incandescant bulb connected between your hot and the purported ground. The bulb should glow with full brightness and, with the bulb connected, you should still measure something less than 5v between neutral and the ground. IMPORTANT: While running this test make sure that no one else in the house is touching either something that might be "grounded" via the electrical system or touching something connected to the plumbing.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Edited 7/28/2006 10:41 pm by DanH
Is this wired with romex, flex, or conduit? A high impedance volt meter or neon test light may falsely indicate that floating conduit is grounded. If you test with a 15 watt incandescent, only a real ground will make it light up.
With flex or conduit, the first class approach is to pull in a separate green ground wire. If you have old time loomed wire, replace the whole mess. This can be one of those jobs that just keeps growing.... ;-)
-- J.S.