GFCI receptacle questions

Users who are viewing this thread

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
Hi all, Today I finally got the chance to take a look see at this 2 bedroom/ 1 bath duplex for sale. It all looked to be in good shape inside and out, for being built in the late 50's,It has numerous upgrades, but the thing that seemed odd was at all of the 14 outlets per 2 bedroom was a GFCI receptacle. After some more poking & looking around I found there was no ground wire at any of the 14 GFCI outlets either.(just a black hot wire, and a white neutral wire) Does anybody out there know if a ground wire can be run from a bus bar in the fuse box to each GFCI receptacle? or Is a label needed like GFCI PROTECTED OUTLET/NO EQUIPMENT GROUND or something to let a user know what he or she is going to plug into. Thank you
 

Stuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,221
Reaction score
130
Points
63
Location
Pennsylvania
You are correct that the stickers need to be applied since the GFCI has no real grounding conductor. Yes, you can run a grounding wire back to the main panel but usually the effort involved is almost as much as running a new 14-2 w/g cable.

For bedrooms, etc. it would have been cheaper and code compliant (for most locations) to buy some two prong receptacles.
 

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
Thank you , Stuff and Houptee for your replies to my GFCI question.

Stuff, in answer to your suggestion about installing 2 prong outlets. The GFCI outlets replaced 2 prong outlets the owner told me.

Houptee,That was a great read about grounding and GFCI outlets you sent me. Many thanks
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,041
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
quote; For bedrooms, etc. it would have been cheaper and code compliant (for most locations) to buy some two prong receptacles.

ANd then buy a bucket full of "3 to 2" prong adapters and cut the ground wire off of them. MUCH Safer, right?
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,770
Reaction score
1,190
Points
113
Location
New England
I replaced nearly all of the 60-year old 2-prong units at my mother's house with quality 3-hole receptacles...with enough GFCI versions to cover all of them in the house...I think it ended up needing about 7 gfci units and about 20 'normal' ones. It took some detective skills to see which ones were on which legs, and to find the first one (last is always easy!), but by doing that, saved a huge amount by using the daisy-chain protected output of the GFCI units. There were a few places where there were ground wires (like when they updated the kitchen), but I replaced them anyway...years of in/out and some heavy current uses had made them poor connections. When new, the armored cable may have provided a reasonable ground, but buried in the plaster and decades of seasonal changes, and that was essentially useless. So, the only way to plug in typical grounded plugs was an adapter, and less than reliable safety. The GFCI protection is much better than nothing, and much less than a major rewire.
 

Cacher_Chick

Test, Don't Guess!
Messages
5,458
Reaction score
213
Points
63
Location
Land of Cheese
Installing a GFCI in the place of a 2 prong receptacle is code approved. In the case that there are multiple receptacles on the same circuit, it might be cheaper to install a GFCI breaker on the circuit if the panel will accept one.
The ungrounded receptacles should be labeled as such.
 

Stuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,221
Reaction score
130
Points
63
Location
Pennsylvania
hj - Outside of kitchen and basement there are few devices that have a third prong/grounding pin. Even most modern power tools are double insulated and have two prong plugs.

The MUCH Safer thing to do is re-wire the entire house.
 

Speedy Petey

Licensed Electrical Contractor
Messages
1,108
Reaction score
9
Points
38
Location
NY State, USA
hj - Outside of kitchen and basement there are few devices that have a third prong/grounding pin. Even most modern power tools are double insulated and have two prong plugs.
Well.....most cheap power tools.
Almost all my Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable & Bosch tools have 3-prong plugs, with a few DI thrown in.

But you are right, VERY little in a home will have 3-prong these days. I say leave the GFI's and be done with it.
 

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
I got some side info. on the GFCI outlets. The owner had the receipt of the 14 GFCI's he had gotten at lowe's (most were in a 3 pack) for 14 cooper GFCI outlets he paid $37.67!
 

DonL

Jack of all trades Master of one
Messages
5,205
Reaction score
72
Points
48
Location
Houston, TX
A GFI does not require a ground. But the ground wire provides a path to trip the breaker in event of appliance failure, If it has a three prong plug.

Not much comes with 3 prongs, Most all computers do. Under water stuff will have a real ground also.


The Ground may provide better protection for a device, but may not help when it comes to a Human electric shock, unless the neutral becomes open, Then it should not put out power if it is a good GFI.
 
Last edited:
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks