DIY & Home Improvement

JoeyT

(6,785 posts)

6. He's right.

Sun Mar 9, 2014, 12:06 AM

Mar 2014

The two holes are hot (energized wire) and a neutral (return) wire. The ground is that third (round) hole on the plugs.

Grounding isn't entirely about lightning, by the way. It's about (Among other things) the hot leg breaking or otherwise screwing up and grounding out to the case and you becoming the conductor. I've done the 60 cycle shuffle before, and it wasn't fun. If you've got a ground and that happens, the load should blow the fuse or trip the breaker/GFCI in a newer house.

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23 replies

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Electrical question [View all] Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 OP

He;s right. ret5hd Mar 2014 #1

Thank you...this is astounding to me Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #2

The prime question is what is the wiring from the breaker box to the outlets? PoliticAverse Mar 2014 #3

The wiring is original, Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #4

Your husband is correct BillZBubb Mar 2014 #5

Wrong, sorry... Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #18

Nope, you are wrong. BillZBubb Mar 2014 #22

Yes, you're technically correct. Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #23

He's right. JoeyT Mar 2014 #6

Yikes...I suppose the only fix is Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #7

You've got a few options. jeff47 Mar 2014 #9

Thank you so much for taking the time n/t Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #10

He's right Warpy Mar 2014 #8

Thank you - you won't believe where the fuse box is - Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #11

Are your wires in conduit, flexible metallic cable or non-metallic cable (romex)? Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #12

The current wiring is 2 wires, Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #13

Just to be clear. Are you talking about the coating on the wires themselves or how the .... Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #14

This is the most important answer... Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #17

do you think s house built in 1959 Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #19

My parent's house was a 50s house with cloth wire in thin wall pipe. Cook county Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #20

Thanks bin sober, thats interesting Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #21

Jeff47's option 3 is a common cure. Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #15

If you go the route of grounding selected outlets Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #16