Impressive Grounding Two Wire Outlets

Recognize that the electrical circuit has just two wires and no electrical grounding conductor.

Grounding two wire outlets. First with the power disconnected replace the two prong outlets with three prong. Steps for replacing two prong electrical outlets. This provides ground fault circuit interruption to the branch circuit and must be identified as no equipment ground if your older wiring only has two wires black and white with no grounding wire the box is not grounded and you will have to replace the cable with the.

In outlets built since 1962 u s. If you have only two wires and a 2 prong receptacle you can attach a gfi or gfci receptacle. If you have three wires in the box black white and copper you will need to attach or tighten the grounding wire.

In most cases grounding a receptacle means running new wiring with a ground wire in it. Disconnect the hot wire which is black from the existing outlet and connect it to the brass line terminal on the gfci. It must be connected to this terminal not to the load terminal or the gfci won t offer any protection.

Run the nm cable from the panel to the location of the outlet. To replace your two prong outlet with a gfci start by turning off the breaker controlling the outlet circuit and unscrewing the outlet from the electrical box. Both of these issues have to do with the fact that the wiring in two prong outlets isn t grounded.

Make sure the armored cable is firmly attached by a metal clamp inside the box. This process could result in a wide variety of obstacles including getting the cable through floors and behind walls or in this case running the cable across basement joists and stapling them in place with electrical staples and a hammer. Connect a green jumper wire which you can buy with a screw already mounted in it at hardware stores from the green grounding nut on the new receptacle to the box.

Electrical code has required all outlets be constructed with a ground wire. There are two risks associated with two prong outlets. Start by cutting power to the main electrical panel.