House electrical questions

[dakels]

I am going to rent in a space that has old electrical 2 prong plugs. I understand a proper conversion into 3 prong grounded plugs is big deal. How big of a deal is it? The house is a 3 floor house with a single breaker box.

What about GFCI options? Would they work here?

I have your typical AT member electronic package. A 700 watt PSU quad core comp that is critical to my work and 2 laptops, 46" LCD, surround speakers. Probably all in the same room. Do you think using 2 to 3 prong converters and a cheap power conditioner on the sensitive electronics would suffice? Would a cheap battery backup or voltage regulator or high quality surge protector be ok?

Would you suggest getting a cheap A/C tester to check out the lines? If so can you recommend one.

I know nothing about electrical so please speak layman and if you suggest something, please link a product or something.

thanks

 

[JDub02]

do what the rest of us do ... snip the ground prong off.



but since i now own this thread, the discussion is about bacon and waffles.

or i warped. op \/

 

[Vette73]

You need a proper ground wire to do a 3 prong outlet. Pull the outlet out of the wall and see if it has 2 wires (1 white 1 black) or 3 (2 color plus 1 bare copper).

If only 2 then you need to run new wire to be 100%.




Holy timewarp batman, OP below.

 

[DontMindMe]

lil info

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/elect.../part1/section-33.html

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: DontMindMe
lil info

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/elect.../part1/section-33.html

Good stuff. I'd also use a power conditioner or UPS on old electrical wire.

 

[dakels]

I think finding a a proper ground wire is highly unlikely and a cold water pipe is not going to nearby for most outlets. Maybe we can install GFCI's and I can buy a power conditioner for the computers and TV.

 

[edro]

The easiest way is to replace them with GFCIs. Cheap GFCIs will trip periodically though.

You can also install a GFCI breaker to make the entire circuit GFCI capable and replace the outlets with standard 3 prong outlets. You have to mark each outlet with a label saying "GFCI Protected. No Equipment Ground."

Edited.

 

[Paperdoc]

I posted this elsewhere -hope it helps.

http://www.tomshardware.com/fo...poor-electrical-ground

2-to3-prong adapters do no good except allowing you to plug in with NONE of the protection in place. There is even the possibility that you could connect the power backwards and end up with "live" exposed parts on a few items. Similarly, replacing 2-prong outlets with new 3-prong ones does exactly the same, which is why electrical safety codes severely restrict such moves.

Power conditioners and battery-based UPS's are mainly for reducing surges and sags in the voltage supplied to your equipment. They do not provide the safety functions of a 3-wire grounded supply cabling system. Some may not even work without a Ground available at the wall outlet. A surge protector simply limits any HIGH voltages between Hot and Neutral (does not deal with sags), and gives no safety functions for circuit malfunctions.

One thing you have not mentioned. In older buildings with 2-wire cabling, sometimes not very many individual circuits supply a given area of the building. for example, the room you plan to use for all this equipment may well be on one fuse or breaker, maybe even sharing that fuse / breaker with another room. And all you have available to you on that circuit is 15 amps. You will have to be careful how much stuff you try to connect on that one circuit.