ground with a two prong outlet.

[colecifer]

My family just lost a few appliances to a electrical surge after our power went out. The people at best buy suggested we ground more of out stuff next time. I'm not exactly sure how to do it, or how it will help. I know the nice little adapters have a metal tab that you can rug a wire off of to ground it. How do i do that though? I don't know what to use to ground the plug. My parents just want me to do it so that everything we hook up to our surge protector will be properly grounded. I think i heard that i can run the wire to the screw that holds the outlet on, but that sounds a little fishy to me. Anyone know how to do this?

[Byte 2.0]

I am not an eletrician, and that is a place you really need someone that knows.

Ground can be done several ways. Some houses are grounded to copper water lines but I believe that is not recommended.

Another way is to have a Copper Spike drove into the ground and a wire run to it. However I believe that is also frawned apon.

In a home, you really need proper eletrical wiring, which I know isn't cheap to redo an existing home. Almost 2 years ago when I moved into my home, I found it was not properly grounded, my dad and I worked for a few days running new wires and grounding it.

So here probably remember me asking my questions about how big of a breaker it should use for 3-4 computers. That 20 Amp has worked great since.

[spyder003]

I live on a military base that provides us with older housing. All the plugs in my house are two prong. I just buy the grounding plugs from Lowe's for 50 cents. Yes, the screw for the outlet plate holds the grounding plug. Never had any problems with them.

[Byte 2.0]

One thing about that center screw. Not all homes are properly grounded. I have seen some where simply connecting to that center screw would not provide correct grounding. Other cases it is.

[colecifer]

One thing about that center screw. Not all homes are properly grounded. I have seen some where simply connecting to that center screw would not provide correct grounding. Other cases it is.
i'll try doing it with the center screw, there is a light that is suppoused to light up if the surge protector is grounded.

[SonicVanguard]

You can also install GFCI plugs where you have two conductor wiring. Just ground the GFCI plug to the metal box. A GFCI will stop most surges by tripping the internal breaker.

Dave.

[edfair]

Center screw grounding is only good if the outlet box is grounded. Lots of 2 wire installations don't have that ground available.
The electrical code at one time required that the house ground be to a minimum 6 foot section of buried copper water pipe. But that can create problems when the supply transformer isn't also grounded at the pole. The ground there was to be buried 6 feet.

[shazam]

I have been an electrican for over 40 yrs. What your saying is a bit haze. First if you do not know what you are doing do not do it. Getting a male plug with a ground wire on it and attaching it to the center screw does nothing if it is not a metal box and the box it self is properly grounded. Asking people at Best Buy is not the ans. Most of them know next to nothing. GFIs will not protect you against serges. If you are in an area where this is a problem go to the power company or call and notify them of your problem. They can install a serge protecter.I fine it difficuct to believe that is the problem. Also find a reputable elect. and have them check your service. Most homes in the last 20 yrs are 3 wire. Many homes have plastic boxes so the center screw does nothing. To ans another ? if you live in the (say) city and have citywater and the pipe is metal(a lot of towns have switch to plastic) you can ground to the water pipe. That also has to meet code. It is rare to have a serge that high and that long to do that much damage. In closing let me say this, there are many chimenys standing in fields all by themselves.

[Byte 2.0]

I totally agree with shazam.

[colecifer]

what i want to know is will there be a big advantage to grounding? because none of the appliances even have the 3rd prong. I wasn't at best buy when my parents bought the tv and they just wanted me to look into it. I said i would but i don't know if there is even any advantage to it. I just thought i'd at least check it out.

by the way i'm not exactly sure but from some of the posts its sounds like you guys are misunderstanding me. I'm not sure because i don't know much about electicity and i'm not even sure what you are talking about. But it sounds like you are talking about grounding the breaker box to me. The breaker box is fine some of the outlets in the house have a three prong type ground plug but not all.

[carlmccut]

Grounding is benificial due to the fact that it allows "stray" voltage from damaging your components and from damaging the person. Grounding allows a safe passage of electricity to ground rather than through a person, then to ground. Most grounding is to protect people. If you have a circuit that faults to ground or neutral it will trip the circuit. Surge protectors on the other hand will protect the equipment from voltage spikes. One CAUTION if you are unsure of what you are doing hire a trained electrician. Electricity can kill very easily. As with Shazam I too am an electrician. Your family's safety is nothing to take shortcuts with.

[shazam]

If you have 2 prong rec. you should have them up dated to 3 prong. I personaly would not use 2 prong. There is no safty factor. When I say updated I also mean the wiring, to 3 wire. I understand your ?. But with out seeing your home and the wiring it self it is difficult to give an ans. I am talking about your rec. and not your panel box. If you have a rec. box that is 2 prong it mean you do not hAve a 3rd wire. The 3rd wire a bare copper wire is the ground wire that goes back to the panel. If that does not exsist you have no means to ground that rec. Getting a 3 prong plug with a wire comming out of it to attach to the center screw does nothing because it does not have a path back to the breaker panel and to ground. This may not be the best example but the only one I can think of right know. Turn on your kitchen faucet with the drain plug removed. The water has a path to ground an flows. Now put the drain plug in an turn the water on. It has no place to go. The drain is the 3rd wire. I hope this helps.

[mbossman2]

don't the polarized plugs have any affect on grounding?

[Redfallon]

I thought polarized plugs were simply to make sure that the electricity is "flowing" through the device/appliance in the correct "direction" for lack of a better way to put it. Don't think it'd have any influence/effect on grounding.

[bailey]

there is no substute for proper 3 wire grounding for safty and protection of life of you and your appliances, all ground rods I have ever used were the copperclad steal 8ft long. one thing that is a cause for high voltage spikes is the lost of the netural at the power transformer its self, the connection there is just a crimp and can get corroded and loose. you must call power company for repaires on that.
two wire polorized outlets has nothing to do with proper grounding, its only pourpose is to help a non insulated device like a power hand saw from becomming hot in your hand if something should go wrong with the saw or device, water pipe ground is no longer reguarded as a proper ground. all grounds must go to one location, the ground rod for the power entrance. and no other ground is leagel. or safe.

[j4ck]

If I may offer my own two cents:

Clearly, colecifer, properly grounding your house wiring is a technical area that must be done properly if you don't want to risk damage to your appliances (and yourself), and it really sounds like you don't feel comfortable messing about with your home's wiring. Do you really think it is wise to try to attempt the job yourself? In my mind it is better to ask an expert electrician to take a look at the wiring. That route might be cheaper in the long run, and plus, you might learn something from watching him!

This is just my humble opinion. Good luck!

[shazam]

Polarized plugs have nothing to do with grounding. To make it simple it is directional flow. Sorry but grounding to a metal water pipe on the street side of the shut of valve is legal. Ground rods are not used every where. Houses and small buildings in cities and towns use metal water pipes. Please get an elect. to look at your home.

[TennBikeBerk]

I thought polarized plugs were simply to make sure that the electricity is "flowing" through the device/appliance in the correct "direction" for lack of a better way to put it. Don't think it'd have any influence/effect on grounding.

How is there a direction to AC electricity?

[carlmccut]

There is not any direction to AC. Voltage will travel from an area of higher potential (hot) to an area of lower potential (Neutral). The polarized recepticles and plugs just ensure that you do not energize the neutral (white) with in the equipment that is plugged into it. Some equipment have transformers or other components that can be damages if not properly connected.



Bottom line if in doubt hire a PRO !!!!!!!!!

[shazam]

What I was referring to in simple terms was current flows in the direction of ground.When someone knows little about elect. I try to explain things so they might understand. Telling the person that asked the ? that all energized rec. have a potental difference would mean nothing to him. But this is getting off the suject. Good luck in what ever you decide.