Fix An Ungrounded Outlet | Easy DIY Resolution
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- čas přidán 28. 11. 2020
- #DIY #Electrical #Howto
In a previous video, I showed how to ground an outlet. This video will show how to solve for the lack of ground. Comment with any questions or comments.
Link to the tester I use:
www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...
![Complete Guide On Replacing/ Upgrading old 2 Prong Outlets [Short Wires, No Ground and more!]](/img/n.gif)
This is an upgrade to an older 2 prong outlet and is allowed by code however; It does not “fix” the ungrounded outlet as it will still be ungrounded, it does protect people because the GFCi monitors the difference between the grounded (aka neutral) and the ungrounded conductor or the hot. But you wrongly said you don’t need to know the difference between those two conditions when terminating the receptacle but you would absolutely need to wire it correctly for it to work as designed. The hot conductor can be found with a proximity tester (tic-tracer) a $20 and very useful tool. Hope that helps
Best and most descriptive, to-the-point video!
Thank you!! I aim exactly for that with all my videos!!
Thank you for sharing, very educational with clear explanations!
Thanks for commenting on both videos :)
I appreciate the support!
Thanks for explaining it so clearly and quickly.
I try to do that with all my videos. Glad you found it helpful!!
Very good Tutorial. Quick, Clear and Direct.
Thanks man, I’m a new homeowner and this video helped a lot.
Glad to help! I’m gonna make a whole series of videos for homeowners. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to request any video ideas!
I found your video very clear and precise. Thank you so much!!!!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear that!!
Great video and thanks! Very clear and concise.
Thanks for the kind feedback!!
Thank you for these videos! I'm buying an ooold house soon, and I don't really have fam to help me learn, well, anything you explain, so it's been very educational! I appreciate you!
Awesome! I’m starting a whole homeowner series, which will have all sorts of useful videos. If you have ideas you’d like to see more of, let me know :)
@@aaronfixesstuff I would like to see how to add a wall switch (in my case to control a new bathroom fan) to an ungrounded circuit that supplies a nearby light
Awesome!! Thank you. Super easy to follow.
Awesome! I strive to do that with all my videos!!
Very cool man, you explained in 5 minutes what other videos try to explain in 10! And this was clear as day🤘🏼thank you!
Hey! Thanks for taking the time to give good feedback. I appreciate you, and glad to help :)
@@aaronfixesstuff of course!
Yup...makes sense now👍
Love you bro, about to hire an electrician to just run a ground wire. You saved me $$$
This will keep you from getting shocked, you can not run a surge protector on it and it will NOT protect electrical equipment. It is NOT a replacement for a grounded outlet.
Thanks! Exactly what I needed
Glad to help!!
Very helpful appreciate you doing these videos 👍
awesome! Thanks for the feedback!!
Excellent video !!
Really informative video, thanks
Glad to help!
Great video, thank you sir...
Glad to help sir!
It is a wonderful video and i really enjoy it. 😘😘😘
Keep up with good performance of video and don't give up.👍👍👍
Practice makes perfect. 👍👍👍👍
Helped so much man! Ty!!
Glad to help!!
Hi Aaron. I have a 1963 house with the two-prong plugs in plastic boxed. Thanks for this video.
Awesome! I’m glad to help! Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback :)
Perfect explanation! Thank u
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed!!
Great video, thanks!
It make totally sense thank you this is very helpful
Of course! I have a bunch of other videos, you can check them out as well!
Best video explain everything. I wondering what to do if the first power come in to the light switch?
Thank you, I just had electrical work done in my house. I missed one receptacle that I needed replaced >_< now I need to figure out when I can change out plugs...
Good luck and reach out with any question!
Important to note that the GFCI will not protect any of your devices. It will just protect you.
Yes, you should avoid connecting a PC to anything grounded like TV (antenna) or do it while it is powered down. Also It is good to use a single power strip to which one connects the equipment instead of using two different sockets. The power strip levels the potentials between the devices.
A PC case will get half the mains voltage when not grounded, that is 60 V in the US and 115 V in Europe. The current is limited to 0.5 mA or under so it is not dangerous but you can feel it if you are grounded and touch the case.
In Europe people routinely use devises like PCs on ungrounded sockets without any protection like a GFCI. The protection is based on the fact that there is nothing grounded on the rooms. (OK, there is often a radiator but the world is not perfect)
Thank you!
Glad to help!
Thank you for that you just solve my problem..
Good deal,,,thanks
I love this lay out. Very helpful. Can u show us how the non grounded one will trip the gfci. I've heard others say it won't, but maybe they put it in wrong spot?
Its tricky to test. You would have to carefully connect a lightbulb from the hot terminal to a different ground, like a water faucet, hopefully not through your body. 😊
The clearest explanation I've seen of this! Could you explain how the GFCI protects outlets down the line? My understanding is that it measures electricity coming to the outlet through the black wire and leaving through the neutral. The GFCI outlet trips if it measures a difference in those two values--meaning electricity is going somewhere else. How does it differentiate between a your computer happily charging and a dangerous situation, especially for other outlets in the circuit?
Current 'flows' through. Don't think of current as being 'used up' when its doing work. If 1 amp leaves, 1 amp returns. The GFCI is just looking for the difference.
Charging? Do you think that in charging the current somehow goes to the battery and stops? No it does not the current in the circuit is same no matter what the load is. There is no fundamental difference between an incandescent bulb and a charger. A load is a load. If the current in one wire is higher than in the other then there is a ground fault and the GFCI cuts the power.
To simplify things a charger is simply a transformer and a rectifier. That is the current from the mains goes through a coil that induces a smaller voltage to the other side. That is no current escapes or stops. (Modern switching mode PSUs are more complex but that does not change the basic principle that current does not escape or stop)
You can see the GFCI socket as a combination of a GFCI and a socket so there is no fundamental difference on whether the fault happened in the socket in question or any chained socket that is after the GFCI.
It seems to be a very common misconception that devices consume current. I do not where it comes from. The word "current" comes from water flow. If you put a water wheel or any such device into a river to take energy from the flow, does that consume the water. If there less water below than above it?
If at any point in a river the flow is less than above it means current (water) leaks somewhere outside the river. It is no different from in an electric circuit. In electricity that is known as a ground fault and a GFCI detects it and cuts the circuit.
GFCI installation to replace ungrounded receptacle increases safety to prevent electrical shock. I understand that, I think. But what is the thought about using higher amperage appliances (three prong plug) in GFCI ungrounded receptacles? Can we replace ungrounded 2 prong receptacles with ungrounded GFCI 3 prong receptacles in order to use 3 prong plug appliances and equipment?
When you go over the amperage the gfci will shut it self down, or when there's a problem, like water on it. It Will shut itself off.
First the plug type has nothing to do with the amperage the device uses. The purpose of this modification is that you can use three prong plugs so asking if one can do it is strange. That is like if you buy shoes and ask can you walk with them.
We just upgraded our electrical panel box in the garage, it's an older house and has 2 prong outlets..2 wires...will upgrading the main electrical panel like we did, mean that it's grounded?? I use grounding mats for health ...earthing mats, you just have to touch the mats with your skin to ground yourself...many health benefits to grounding..ie. earthing....will my earthing mat be grounded?
So if I understood correctly, if bringing a ground is not possible we can put a gfci outlet and it will be protected?
(Story time)
We just moved into a 1962 home, and the electrical is.. well.. questionable. We just swapped out the old 100a fuse system with a new 200a mast and 200a breaker panel. Now I am working on swapping out these old, painted outlets and switches. Just finished finding where each breaker goes to what outlets and lights with my klein tool. Upon doing this I found several outlets with open ground. We plan on tearing down all the walls in the basement (getting rid of this horrendeous pre-fab walls, and putting up gip when the job is complete) and obviously before closing, will be doing the wireing CORRECTLY. 50% of the outlets down here don't have ground to them... as the previous owners just dropped 2 wires from upstairs to the plugs. So I plan on passing new wires from the panel (got pleanty of empty breakers) and giving each room their own breaker.. so the gfci would be a temporary fix till we can afford the basement overhaul.
When you remove an outlet with more outlets down the line, there is a set of line wires and a set of load wires. How do you identify which is which? You explained what each is but not how to differentiate them. Great video.
Thanks for the feedback. Great question. There are several ways to know. First off make sure the switch is off. If you have a non contact voltage tester, it will beep and light up when you touch the line, but not the switch leg. If you have a voltage meter, put one of the prongs on one of the wires, and the other on the ground. The line will show 120, the switch leg won’t.
First, turn off power. Disconnect one of the black wires, and insulate it with tape. Re-install the outlet (cover plate not required). Plug in the outlet tester. Turn power back on. If the outlet is hot (outlet tester reports energized outlet), the wire still connected to the outlet is the line wire. If the outlet is not hot (no power indicated), the insulated wire is the line. Then turn off the power.
@@brettd5884 Makes perfect sense. Thanks.
If I have a metal conduit box do you recommend getting GFCI on that outlet? I guess to Aarons point I gotta do it at the load line right?
@@mannyfresh7065 I recommend calling a qualified electrician whenever you are uncertain. Unfortunately, do-it-yourselfers do not usually have the training or experience to correctly explain electrical problems and techniques. I can’t count the number of CZcams videos with incomplete or misleading information. No offense intended, just better safe than sorry. Ask around for someone who knows a licensed electrician. Mistakes can be dangerous.
i have 2 main old fuse boxes, maybe 6 wires going into old farmhouse, if I follow all wires, am I correct that the first outlet is replaced with a GFCI, that should take care of all outlets on that line? Thanks in advance
Great clear video. I have a question. In my home its an older home and no ground wires, so when I do replace the old plugin with the new gfci plugin and then wire the next new outlet on the load side, using my 14/2 wire, what do I do with the ground wire? Do I not attach it to the new load plugin?
If you put a gfci, you should not need to run new wire to the next outlet. The next outlet on that breaker will be gfci protected. Feel free to reply if you have any questions :)
You do not put the ground wire at all. Remember to mark the normal socket both with "No equipment ground" and "GFCI protected". The GFCI socket of course doers not need the latter as anyone can see it is protected,
Per NEC the GFCI can be installed if it is first receptacle from the main panel that doesn't have a ground. Or rather, another code delegation says to install a GFCI breaker. Go through all the code instances rather than the ones that accommodate your issue.
GFCI does not prevent stray currents, assuming you mean a live wiring touching the case of your equipment. It does detect that stray current and disconnect the live wire to attempt to protect a human touching the case.
Hi Arron
I have a GFI outlet that reads no ground and doesn’t have power to it checking it with a multimeter.
What could be the issue?
Thanks
Hi if the load is protected by the gfi do you have to put the stickers on the Receptacle or just the gfi
A gfci doesn't give a pathway for stray voltage [ridding it] but just trips if it detects it? Right? Though it protects a person, it does not solve a stray voltage problem [or am I not understanding]? In fact, a gfci might not even work if there is stray voltage on a system. I'm guessing on all this and looking for a true grounding solution to a room that provides a pathway back to the mains. Stringing new wire looks like only solution for me [I think]. How might one use grounding rods on one's system to save perhaps on new wiring [that could be a nightmare in old walls and attics etc]. Thanks for your help though. GFCI surely protects people.
Thank you for your videos. Two questions, 1. It sounds like installing a GFI receptacle will protect you as 'if' the receptacle was grounded but if inspected it'll still show as non grounded, correct? 2. If it does protect you, including any 'equipment' you may use plugged into that GFI outlet, then what is the purpose of the sticker that says no equipment ground? Thanks
It will protect you but not as if it was grounded. It protects differently, in some aspects worse, in others better. You still may get singed if it fails. Also GFCIs can fail so they should be tested regularly. The test buttons are for a reason. Note they can also fail because they are not tested.
The purpose of the sticker is so that anyone testing the outlet knows that open ground is expected and not an error.
question:
can I plug in strip surge protector into GFCI which will have my PC. printer plugged into? I was told that it will be dangerous because it is :confusing"?
THANK YOU!
Thank you for the video! A question about your tape comment. I have seen MANY times in other videos, regular people like me and alleged electricians alike, say NOT to use tape, for various reasons, etc. So I've seen proponents on both sides. Is this simply a preference sort of thing, depending on the person and their experiences, whether they want to use tape or not?
Thanks for the comment. I don’t think it is a code requirement, but honestly I don’t see why not to use tape. It takes 30 seconds, and makes sure the exposed ground wire won’t contact the hot side of the outlet. Especially when the box is crowded.
@@aaronfixesstuff that makes a lot of sense, thank you!!
What if I just want to add a ground wire to all my outlets that dont have a green ground wire connected. Is there any reason not to do that? And if thats a good idea, can I use any copper wire to ground it ? Thanks
Hi there. I’m in very remote place and here, there are only two wires coming from the electric post. They set it up that the neutral is also connected to the ground. I’m recording music and I want to add a grounded conductor to all my outlets to lessen the noise/hum, but I’m on a budget right now. Instead of changing all the outlets and having all the wires fixed, can I just replace the first outlet with a GFCI one and just connect a grounded conductor to it? Will it lessen the noise in my PC? Thank you in advance.
The GFCI does not ground the socket. It is only for safety purposes so it does not solve the humming but you should do it anyway as it sounds you have some questionable connections - how else could you use the three prong plugs?
For humming you might look galvanic isolators. I do not know your system but it looks like it is grounded some way. Antenna? There are galvanic isolators for antenna cables.
You could also connect all your grounded equipment to one power strip. That equalizes the potentials even if it does not ground.
Thanks laddie. But every outlet in my flat tests as "open-ground." I've both two and three-holed outlets. I'm at a loss as to how to proceed.
If you don’t have a metal box that is grounded, this video should show you how to resolve it.
Would this method pass a home inspection? I'm in NYC.
Thanks. What if... you have a light switch closest to the breaker box? Will the GFCI always be the outlet in this scenario? Or could it in fact be the light switch that needs a "GFCI light switch"?
I have a breaker box unfortunately located in a bedroom. We'll call that room #1. The next closest room is the bathroom, room #2. The bedroom on the far side of that is room 3. All in a house built in 1961.
Well, in room 3, I plugged a computer power cable for a new computer and it took out the following (with no breakers tripped): The light switch and all sockets for room 3. The lights only, for room 2 (bathroom. Socket outlet still works) and the lights only for room 1 (breaker box room. Socket outlet still works. Now that I must fix it, I figure it's a great time to get these outlets grounded. I expect to find a burned outlet in room 3 where the computer power cable incident happened). Since room 1 IS where the breaker box is, and the nearest problem fixture is the light switch, would THAT need to be a special GFCI light switch? Then everything "downhill" from there would just need a GFCI protected sticker on it? Many thanks in advance
Just ignore the switch. Remember you do not have to change anything you do not want. You could change just one socket, change two or change all as long as you follow the rules on those you change. If there is an outlet where you know you will not need a three prong plugs you can leave it alone. If you protect it with the GFCI you could put the GFCI sticker as information.
The GFCI needs to be the first you change. You may have sockets closer but if you leave then two prong you do not need to worry about them so if you just cage one you do not need to worry.
After yu are done you should test the GFCI and verify that all the thee prong sockets are dead.
What is a GFCI light witch and how is it relevant? This has nothing to do with light switches.
But will the tester say the outlet is grounded or not?
The other out lite work fine tested 120 I checked the coper wire it has 120 should I up date out lits ? House was built in 1994
Aaron please correct me if I’m wrong. If I’m switching a 2 prong plastic box outlet to 3 prong all I need to do is install a gfci? But if the box is metal, I need to pigtail a ground wire to the box and outlet?
If the box is grounded then you should be able to ground through it. There are self-grounding receptacles. If the box is metal and not grounded it is best to change it.
If using gfci outlet on line, can the downstream outlets use a 14-2 with ground and be attached to the first gfci? Will this provide any benefit?
No, connecting the ground is explicitly prohibited. Also why would you rewire things? This allows changing sockets. To my knowledge it does not allow adding them.
Very Helpful Video... But it doesn't solve the initial question of making a grounded plug from no ground as explained in the previous video with conduit. Please show a video on that which is what we all mainly expected to see
As explained, it does not ground the outlet. It simply “replaces” the need to have a grounded outlet, as stray currents are detected at the gfci.
Thank you 4 the video....makes sense. (Question): Assuming that i have a GFCi installed on the closest outlet to the breaker box. If i add a surge protector to any continuous non GND outlets, will that surge protector work ?
No. Surge protectors (well, as far as I know) rely on a ground wire to shoot the electricity away.
@@mikesartorii234 k. Thanks. I added a GND wire to that room outlet, i was just concerned in the opposite wall outlet on that room which is Not grounded, but, it's on the same circuit
Yes to my knowledge, surge protectors connect all the three wires with varistors that let the surges pass through. It may work better with a ground but it should still work without one as the varistor prevents high voltage between line and neutral and that is all the equipment sees. Though there might be a problem if the equipment is grounded by some other means like antenna or data cables, but surge protectors never are foolproof anyway.
@@okaro6595 Ty. I just went on and grounded both outlets on the room... Making extra sure 🧐
@@okaro6595 Surge protector varistors do require a ground to work.
aaron...great tutorial. i have a quick question. i just want to make sure that if i did install a gfi pug that that would mean that i do not actually need a ground wire attached to it. if that is the case it sounds like a great solution. please confirm this. again, great tutorial.
Hi. That is correct. The gfci will protect from stray currents. Thanks for the feedback!
If you have an old home with no ground wire and two pin sockets then you do not need the ground wire. Just put the sticker: "No Equipment ground" so that anyone testing it will consider the open ground a fault.
If you already have three prong sockets and ground wires but want to add GFCI or replace a broken one in a location where no GFCI is required then of course you need to connect the ground wire.
very good, but a newbe may not know if white is hot or neutral
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i have 2 wires and ground cable but tested open ground how to fix open ground ?,i like to put GFI but only 2 cables black and neutral.
Installing a GFCI will negate the need for the ground wire.
When you add the first GFCI outlet does it show up on the tester that that specific one is grounded? Or do you need to put the stickers on that one as well?
It will not show that it is grounded. The GFCI “replaces” the need for a ground wire.
Very informative video. I am running your exact scenario but getting an error when testing using the 3 light tester. I have an outlet with only 2 wires inside (hot and neutral, no ground wire). I replaced it with a GFCI, with LINE connecting to the 2 wires and added a new outlet upstream which I connected to LOAD. Everything is wired up correctly, but when I plug in the tester, it shows me open ground for both the gfci and the upstream, and if I press the GFCI test button on the tester, it shows hot/neutral rev. I confirmed they are not reversed, and even intentionally reversed them to test on the GFCI LINE and got the same results. The GFCI outlet itself seems to work fine and will trip when I press Test and come back when I press reset. It even kills power to upstream when I press test, just not sure why it says hot / neutral rev when pressing gfci test on the 3 light tester.
I have the same issue. DId you figure out what the problem was? Our appraiser wont pass it because we arent getting 2 lights on the tester. Not sure what to do.
You still don’t have a ground wire. It will always show “no ground “. But the circuit does protect against shocks. The inspector should pass it but you have to have the “GFCI NO GROUND “ sticker on the GFCI cover plate and on all downstream outlet covers connected to the “Load” side of the GFCI.
@@miriammjjuarez-bermudez3930 if your inspector won’t pass you, there may be a local restriction requiring an actual ground connection. The bad news is that it requires pulling new wire, sometimes requiring tearing into and repairing walls, requiring not just an electrician, but a carpenter/painter.
There is no ground so it is open. That is why you put the sticker so that the one testing can expect an open ground. Without a round reverse polarity cannot be detected and any detection is unreliable so the reverse polarity indication is meaningless. If you want to check for polarity use a non-contact voltage tester.
@@TomCee53 More likely there is simply an incompetent appraiser.
So... once the gfci is installed... am I good to use grounded power tools, or not a good idea?
Yes you can as the GFCI will detect an imbalance of power and trip if there is an issue.
I pulled out an old electric outlet, to replace it with a GFCI.
I accidentally touched some part of the old outlet while removing it on the metal box, and saw a small spark. (I thought the fuse was out, but maybe I had the wrong fuse out).
Now, I am reading 14 volts from hot to neutral, and from hot to the metal box(ground). I've pulled every fuse in the panel, and still see 14 volts!
Note, the outlet was working fine before my accident (although the hot/neutral were reversed).
What did I do break when that old receptacle sparked? Did I burn/short a wire, or junction? How do I find the problem. I cannot use continuity tests since I have 14 volts present. Help!
Always verify it is dead. Also use some non-contact voltage meter as in old installations there can be unexpected things.
1: Does the Test Button work on your installed GFCI receptacle WITHOUT ground?
1: Does a Hand Held (plug in) GFCI tester work with no ground in the circuit?
Yes and no.
Hardest and least expensive way is deterring witch outlet is the first inline outlet from the AC panel.
Will this also work on a panel with the screw in fuses? My house has the screw in fuse panel.
Anyone...?
If you change the socket it has nothing to do with fuses.
So if i had a metal box i can get a pigtail and just ground the wire to the box and the switch.
Which one do you screw it into if you don’t know if it’s the load or not?
I’m not sure I understand your question. Can you point out the time in the video you need help with?
Problem with GFCI's is that if yours is ungrounded you must place ugly stickers stating do on every outlet on that line. Also, not of them come is certain colors like dark brown. Or orange. Or red.
You generally can only get white, almond, and gray.
Clashes with historical decor severely, both the outlets and the stickers you have to plaster on all the outlets.
Yeah I hate those stickers honestly!! Totally agreed!!
@@aaronfixesstuff Why can't they make 2-prong GFCI's?
No sticker needed.
Look at the things you plug into outlets. How many actually have 3 prong plugs?
@@aaronfixesstuff And if the sticker falls off then you have a code violation? Who the heck wants to babysit stickers? Especially if they have kids around.
My outlet is grounded but it keeps saying it isn’t and it’s affecting the lights from working as well in the laundry room.
Something is wrong! You'll have to troubleshoot, and repair it or get someone who can. If you don't understand PLEASE get help!
@@r.clydelockley5839 we’ve done a lot of electrical work in the last home but this was a mystery. We finally quit and brought in an electrician and even he could not figure this mess out for a day. I told them to connect the outlet giving the grounded error to an outlet in back of it in my dining room to remove the outlet from the equation. The outlet and lights were wired together so when we’d turn on the lights the outlet would power. Super weird. The seller of our house was the builder gen contractor and lived in this house for 10yrs. I don’t know why he’d allow connecting lights and an outlet together on the same line. Once the outlet was no longer the issue they then had to figure out why the lights wouldn’t turn on. They bought a 2/3 connector switch (forgot the term) removed a wire and voila finally the lights in the laundry room were on.your video is still helpful but I was dealing with an electrical csi case lol!
The grounding conductor does not send the stray voltage to earth. It all goes back to the source. The grounding conductor wiil only have voltage or current when there is a fault.
^ This
But if you need a ground ; my car charger won’t work with an ungrounded outlet , can I just run a copper wire to a ground rod or does it have to ground to main box ?
I'd like to know as well!...
It has to ground to the ground/neutral bus bar in the main box. The neutral wire returns current to its source, the transformer on the power pole. In the event of a ground fault, the excessive current will trip the circuit breaker as the neutral and ground wires are bonded in the main panel. If you were to go from the receptacle ground directly to a ground rod somewhere in the earth it will not trip the circuit breaker. The resistance between the ground rod and the ground rod from the power pole will very high, so burying a ground rod will do nothing. The ground rods purpose is to dissipate static electricity and lightning strikes in which the source is the earth. The important point to understand is that the electricity always attempts to return to its source.
Copper water pipes must be grounded to the electrical system, so you may be able to ground your receptacle by clamping there.
Don't you have to replace your breakers to gcfi breakers as well?
No, those are alternative methods. You need a GFCI to protect the sockets. It can be either in the breaker, on the receptacle or in a receptacle upstream.
How do you test if a box is grounded?
If I don't have power in a house (and can't get power until the house is fixed up), how can I find out which outlet feeds all of the other outlets in a room?
That’s tricky. I don’t know of a sure way to. I would assume that the one closer to the panel, but I’ve also seen some funky wiring. So that’s not a sure bet unfortunately. Maybe someone else knows and will comment here?
That’s tricky. I don’t know of a sure way to. I would assume that the one closer to the panel, but I’ve also seen some funky wiring. So that’s not a sure bet unfortunately. Maybe someone else knows and will comment here?
What is that tester called?
why isn't my outlet tester tripping the gfi?? They aren't grounded so I replaced them with GFCI but when I use the tester and push the button, it is still not tripping and showing open ground
Because the ground is open. The GFCI does not ground the outlet so the ground will show open. This is not an error if the outlet has the sticker "No equipment ground". The tester diverts some current to the ground, if there is no ground it cannot do that.
There is a simple fix: use the test button in the outlet. It diverts the current to neutral bypassing the GFCI so it works without the ground wire.
The GFCI will trip when using the test button on the GFCI is it's correctly wired.
Some appliances need ground to eliminate some/all of the radiation from the Electric Field. Those photons sneak up, accumulate, then headaches, fatigue, tinnitus, you know, chronic illnesses...Anyways I'd do this layout anywhere but the kitchen, living room and bedrooms. Good job though
Are you sure that satisfies code in every state?
You do not need to put the GFCI protected sticker on the GFCI outlet. Everyone will see that it is protected anyway. You need it on the normal outlets on the load side.
1. Older houses typically have fuse boxes, not breaker panels.
2. How does this solution actually create grounded outlets?
It does not create grounded outlets. It provides protection using an alternative method.
I have a plug tat has 2 back wires no Ground and no neutral wire
This is an improper use of a GFCI outlet. For example, your refrigerator is plugged into an ungrounded outlet, but then a short develops between the line (hot/colored) and the refrigerator enclosure. The enclosure is now hot, possibly with the capability to deliver full circuit current. A GFCI will do nothing to de-energize the circuit until/unless a connection between the enclosure and a grounded circuit. That connection could be a water line or a human. A breaker-protected grounded circuit would immediately de-energize the circuit. At best, the GFCI provides some protection while (ideally) the circuit is being repaired/upgraded.
Thank you for this comment! Here is a quick clarification. The condition you are describing creates an imbalance between the circuit conductor and the grounded or neutral conductor. When that balance is greater than 5 mA the GFCI trips. Therefore the installation in my video is perfectly safe and in compliance with NEC 406.4(D).
@@aaronfixesstuff Understood. I believe that limit is 20mA leakage from the line to (someplace other than neutral) for equipment protection, or 5mA for human protection. Normally Line and Neutral currents are equal but opposite, thus canceling out. When they are not equal, the GFCI trips. At best, this offers partial protection for loads that lose their neutral connection (i.e. it's better than nothing.)
(I noticed the EVSE on the garage wall behind you.)
@@brettd5884 the gfci will trip if you short out the hot on the frame of the fridge the spike from a short will cause the imbalence betwee neutral and hot, but it probably burn out the gfci, thats the reason a grounding conductor is needed.
@@thomasmarable6818 Burn the GFCI? You mean trip it? It will not burn. Do not speculate if you do not know.
The GFCI will still work without being actually grounded?
That is correct.
@@aaronfixesstuff the gfi will not trip
@@gregghollingshead613 that can mean several things. None of which I can help with through this platform unfortunately.
The receptacle will still work as a receptacle but will not have any "ground fault" protection without a ground wire, this will only give you a false sense of security.
@@gregghollingshead613 It would be better not to talk when you do not know. It is very common for Americans to make that mistake as there is the word "ground" in both. A ground fault means just that electricity escapes from the circuit to the ground. It could be through a ground wire but that would be a minor problem. The reason GFCIs are used is that the electricity might escape to ground through a person. A GFCI detects the ground fault by measuring the current in the line and neutral. If there is an imbalance of 5 mA or more it cuts the power (line and neutral) very rapidly. The ground wire is not involved in the detection.
Now having a ground wire will help creating the ground fault in case of an equipment case being energized. A GFCI will in such case trip immediately or a normal circuit breaker will cut the power. Without a ground wire the case might remain energized until someone touches it. He might feel a string but the GFCI will prevent real harm.
This solution is not ideal. It is best to have both grounding and a GFCI but this is a cost effective and reasonably good solution to old homes and it is up to code.
The major problems with GFCIs is that they may fail so they should be tested regularly, especially when there is no ground.
This method has one major problem. If there is an ungrounded metal box it is connected to the ground connector. If then the live wire gets loose or its insulation breaks it can energize the box and through the ground connector the equipment, the GFCI will not detect this as the fault happens before it. If there is a GFCI breaker or that happens on a downstream outlet then the GFCI will work. It would be better change such boxes into plastic ones.
Nice video...
But, I paid about $7 for my GFCI receptacle from home Depot... I haven't seen one that cost $15 or $20 😳
Let me know where you found them for $7 and I’ll buy 100 of them!!
@@aaronfixesstuff my local home Depot
While this is helpful, and a bit safer, having a true ground wire is by far much better! If you have surge strips, they all depend on the ground to bleed off surges. Using a flex bit, drilling a hole and pulling a ground wire is not that hard. Although I would suggest someone that has experience doing it.
Steve can you refer me to a video that walks through what you are talking about? I'm not an electrician but I'm a high voltage vehicle technician and I feel comfortable doing this myself.
a " line in series"
Where do you get GFCI for 18 dollars let me know
In CO that’s about what they cost. I get mine at Home Depot
Zoom your camera closer to your table so that we can see the components.
What components can’t you see?
But I need it grounded for earthing mats!!
I'm not am electrician either but I don't think adding a pigtail to a metal box. that doesn't have a ground wire back to the panel will make the outlet grounded.
If the wire is run through conduit, it will. You can look at the other video I posted that shows this.
@@aaronfixesstuff My bad. Thanks for the clarification.
@@kevinwells4888 no problem at all, glad to help :)
It's not recommended to replace every non-grounded receptacle with a GFCI because: 1. it's a waste of money 2. the receptacles down the circuit might not work. Placing one GFCI at the beginning of a circuit will protect receptacles further down the circuit.
If you replace all you should pigtail and not put the on the load side. There are benefits in both. It would be nice if a computer did not lose power because some other outlet nuisance tripped. On the other hand testing dozens of outlets would be hard.
Why not pull another wire to be used as a ground?
Easier said than done my friend :)
@@aaronfixesstuff Depending on the individual house, how it was built, accessability, unfinished attic, unfinished basement, etc., jstins' idea is doable. My mother's 1947 house with knob & tube had no grounded outlets or boxes. I was able to run 14 gauge green insulated bulk wire from a couple of receptacles that needed to be grounded directly to the CB box ground bar. Replaced the ceramic outlet box with a plastic old work box. Since the wire insulation was all black once I determined the neutral wire I painted it white. Also, I love unbreakable box plates.
You only use one of those stickers.
The issue is the average outlet is around a dollar and a GFCI is about 20$.
It is not cost effective to replace all plugs with GFCI
That is correct, and that’s why I mentioned that in the video. I also mentioned that any outlet that feeds off the gfci will also be protected. So really you just need to replace the first one that is on the breaker. Hope this helps.
Ah those prices. Here a normal costs 5-15 € and an RCD one 100 €+.
I've been hearing a lot that GFCI outlets only protect humans against any excess current and not electrical equipment. If that is the case then, replacing the first outlet as a GFCI will only protect yourself against current but not your TV or your home computer or any expensive electronic plugged into those outlets. I feel as if this is a simple solution if you want to make sure you yourself are protected, but as for any electronics plugged into those outlets they're completely unprotected & very vulnerable to being damaged beyond repair. What do you think about this?
Sounds like you are in need of a surge protector. GFCI’s are to provide protection to humans.
You are correct if your gfci is not grounded. If it is, then use a surge protector and your tv, etc are protected. Bottom line is that a surge protector only works only if ground is present, regardless of whether your outlet is a gfci or regular one.
Well most TVs are double insulated so they do not care of the ground wire. Computers use grounding. It is good to connect all your computer equipment to a power strip. That equalizes the potentials even if there is no grounding. It also is good to make all the connections before powering the computer. I would advice against connecting the computer to the TV and use other methods like a Chromecast to view content.
A ground is design to open a circuit in a ground fault to protect people. A gfci protection without a ground will trip out faster then a standard breaker or fuse that has a ground conductor. The only way to protect electronics is through a surge protector.
@@okaro6595 how does that equal potential?
I tried connecting one and it didn’t work
I’m not sure I understand what you mean.
Wait, so the ONLY way to fix an ungrounded outlet; I need to go out and buy and install a GFCI outlet?
Well it’s not the ONLY way, but it’s probably the most cost effective and easy way to do it…
THIS IS NOT A "FIX" FOR ALL NEEDS FOR UNGROUNDED OUTLETS
Though a GFCI protects the user from ground fault based shocks it doesn't allow your surge suppressors to work as intended as they need a grounded circuit to work. As such, this video only partially addresses the "fix" for an ungrounded outlet.
If the gfi isn't grounded to the panel then it doesn't work.
That is just not true. Please check your sources.
@@bobraible Sources, what sources?
@@okaro6595 well the 2020 NEC for starters. There are also several reputable YT channels that reference this section of the code.
I have a 1961 home that has ground only in the kitchen from a remodel from the previous owner.
I’m currently getting quotes now to ground the rest of the outlets in rooms. Are you saying I could just follow this video and I should be fine? I will use electronics in all rooms.
most expensive fix I've ever seen. You must be rich