First Class No Ground Gfci Outlet
A gfci simply trips when a fault is detected on the neutral wire.
No ground gfci outlet. In your situation as you ve described it the ground path ends at the gfci outlet. It must also have a label that says no equipment ground. Yes a gfci outlet can be installed even if a ground wire is not available in the existing electrical circuit.
That outlet will get ground fault protection from the gfci. This method is legal and compliant with the electrical code. You can wire a three prong outlet to the gfci by connecting it to the load terminals.
I never commit my clients to grounding outlets. A gfci without ground wire isn t ideal but it s better than a 2 prong outlet. Gfi outlets monitor the difference between current flowing in the hot and neutral wires and when a difference of more than 5 milliamps is detected a breaker trips and power is disconnected.
One possible fix is to add a ground fault circuit interrupter gfci. If the outlet shorts out for any reason it will still trip for safety even without ground. A gfci outlet or breaker can detect when more current is coming in on the hot wire than is exiting on the neutral wire and will shut off the circuit quickly before the current can stray to alternate paths.
A gfci outlet will work without a ground wire and it s legal. When a gfci is installed in the electrical box without connecting the ground screw as there is no ground wire a label that says no equipment ground is placed on the gfci outlet and all downstream outlets. I am a 28 yr real estate broker 10 years prior to that in building supplies if you have a 3 prong outlet that isn t grounded you can t easily ground it replace with a 2 prong outlet.
An ungrounded gfci is acceptable. A gfci does not need a ground wire in order to trip properly. The gfci outlet must be marked with a provided label that the outlet is not grounded.