As someone who just added gfci to all my first runs this was a very helpful video. Would have been good to talk about adding the gfci to the first in line so folks don’t buy gfci’s for every outlet.
@@bigbeef8935 If all the receptacles on a circuit are daisy chained, which is common, you only need GFCI on the first in the chain. It will sense a hot/neutral differential in any downstream receptacle and trip. Installing more than this is unnecessary and wasteful. Also, if any circuits have a refrigerator or lighting on them you should only have GFCI protection after the fridge or lighting devices.
The house I grew up in had 3-4 2-prong outlets left after the previous rennovation, along with some knob & tube that was still in use. To sell it we had to have the knob & tube replaced (which went to 3-prong outlets with no ground) and found that the wire behind the 2-prong outlets was modern romex with ground conductors that had simply been cut short so they didn't have to spend $10 on 3-4 new 3-prong outlets. Not as insane as having 3 circuit breakers feeding various wires into a standard 4" box but close.
I have a 1950's house with a mix of two prong outlets and three-prong outlets from a previous remodel. I won't lie, I did replace a couple of two-prong outlets with GFCI outlets for a home office. Not ideal, but much cheaper than trying to rewire the entire house.
I fully-grounded a metal-sheathed houseful of receptacles by ensuring the anchor & grounding of box the metal sheathed cables and GFCI/AFCI receptacles as replacements in first positions and in areas of possible humidity & moisture, then pigtailing ALL downline receptacles to their metal boxes grounding to the box, through the circuits and back to breakers.
Good video. Wish you'd have gone over 2-to-3-prong adapters though - those little $1 plugs that let a 2-prong outlet accept a 3-prong cord. They seem like most peoples' first choice in this situation and it'd be nice to talk about the safety risk of essentially ignoring the grounding wire.
The only way those adaptors serve any purpose other than smearing lipstick on a pig's face, is if the house is wired with AC cable, also known as BX, and metal boxes, found in some homes in the 40s and 50s. In that case, you may have what are known as grounded two slot receptacles. Though in that instance you might as well install a 3 slot receptacle than use a jumper from the Grounded box to the receptacle and avoid the adapter altogether.
I think what alder is saying that he wanted the video to talk about those adapters to explain why they are dangerous. Not everyone is going to know the reason why not to use them.
If you add downstream outlets that are protected by the GFCI receptacles you can add a little arrow to the "Protected by GFCI" sticker indicating which way to go to find the GFCI device to assist others in finding it when trips.
Technically by code you have to, if your circuit has no ground. You also technically have to add the "No Equipment Ground" sticker as well. (if your house has a ground the code has no sticker requirements)
Great alternate for those of us in jurisdictions *cough* Chicago *cough* that require all electrical wiring to be in conduit. Now the already huge task of requiring means running conduit throughout the walls as well. This is a budget saver option for the first receptacle in every circuit!
Besides being a suitable ground in most instances, the conduit makes rewiring much easier. There is less of a need to open walls when you can just pull it theough the pipe. I pulled hundreds of feet of brittle, cloth covered wire out of my house in Chicago .
My home falls into the category of partially up to date, but much of it needs rewiring to include ground conductors. I wonder if they would ever do a video commenting on the right way to do so, so we consumers know what to look for, etc, in paying to have that work done. For instance, I always wonder what (if anything) NEC says about doing so if you aren't wanting it willing to open up all your walls. In my case, I've wondered if it would be possible to fish new conductors through the wall spaces from my basement... Anybody out there faced a similar situation?
Some times you can fish new wires it just depends on the run. I once repulled romex trough a wall. But the next run I would have to open up the wall. It just depends
Spending next week in a home built in 1969 with all ungrounded 600v rated pvc NM cable. Has to be one of the newest homes I seem without equipment grounds.
In my bathroom I have a motion sensor light switch. That switch uses the ground to make sure the sensor can operate with the light turned off and be able to turn on the light automatically. I have it because I am disabled and cannot always take my hand to turn it on with crutches or my hands full. I also care for a young child who is a primordial dwarf who can't reach the light switch so when he walks in the light will automatically turn on without touching the light switch. I also have a pocket door that goes into my bedroom and by current code, there should be a 3 way switch to have 2 light switches to turn on the light in 2 separate areas. The motion sensor light switch resolved the code issue there.
The switch uses neutral, not ground, to operate when light is off. If it is operating on ground, then the installation was wrongly performed. This is known because these switches clearly indicate on their package that a neutral conductor is required when installing.
@@PatrickDeschamps Without the ground wired up, the sensor will NOT work or turn on the light automatically. It will turn on without the ground if you manually turn it on with the built in switch. The directions on the package, plus consultation with a licensed master electrician says the ground is used for the sensor portion of the switch to ensure the sensor has power with the light off; it must be connected to ground to operate normally. The motion sensor is built into the switch. It is not a separate unit outside of the light switch.
@@PatrickDeschamps Actually, that isn't always the case. There are many listed and approved occupancy sensors that use ground for neutral current. This is perfectly acceptable and within code because it is a level of current that does not pose any risk of electrocution. The Lutron Maestro is perhaps the most popular of these. That said, NEC 2020 eliminated this exception, but many states are not even on NEC 2020 yet. So it's a relatively recent thing that this was eliminated.
I have an old house from the 1960s. The outlets in the house are a triple stacked 2 prong outlet. The top one is for plugging in floor lamps. The other two are for other stuff. How do I change them out for the new code 3 prong outlets? I can’t find any videos on how to do it.
My 1953 house has grounded wire run to all of the outlets, but it appears the electricians must have grabbed onto it and ripped out / broke off the light gauge ground wire somewhere down inside of the sheathing while installing the receptacles. Gotta love it. Put gfci/afci breaker in for now but will need to cut the drywall out and replace it all one day.
He forgot to mention that many of the two pronged receptacle outlets are grounded at the box by the BX cable and then all you have to do is switch the 2 prong receptacle to a regular 3 prong receptacle.
@@5_fun_facts123 it’s not one the thin ground if it’s BX the whole entire steel jacket is the ground and the mounting screws ground the device to the metal box
I wouldn't say he forgot to mention it. This was 5 minute segment about a solution, not a course on all available options depending how the home is wired.
Good video. I don’t think it was mentioned if every single two prong receptacle HAS to be replaced with an AFCI/GFCI three prong receptacle. Would it be best if the new code compliant receptacle be installed on the most upstream outlet of the circuit and have the rest of the receptacles on the load side? In doing so, one would be saving a lot of money…or is it best to replace ALL receptacles with an gfci/afci? Thank you.
You only have to replace the first receptacle in the line/circuit it can be hard to find but you can save alot of money by putting it's first all the wires coming in is called the line all the wires carrying over to the other plugs is called load
You can do just the first outlet in the circuit but wiring them for downstream protection is *different* than wiring them for simple use as a normal receptacle.
@@Vanilla_Icecream1231 Like they were mentioning in their conversations, get the TERMINOLOGY RIGHT ! Don't call a RECEPTACLE a PLUG !..... The receptacle RECEIVES the plug that you are plugging in....
Metal conduit wouldn't be as much of an issue since it becomes the ground. You just have to make sure that there isn't a break in the conduit somewhere first
While code technically says you must use AFCI when modifying any part of a circuit, in practice that's not always in the budget..so getting a 10 pack of GFCIs only for the same 50 bucks might be a better bet. It still addresses the primary safety issue (lack of grounding). Plus even if you install an AFCI receptacle the home run is still unprotected.
@@thomaslcook1998 Just bought a 120 year old house, would love some tips on what is most important to update first, thanks for sharing about the outlet situation
@1:30: It's confusing to refer to the Earth ground (or equipment grounding conductor) as the "grounding conductor", given that the NEC refers to the neutral as the "grounded conductor".
Yeah I'm going to tell my customers who have old wiring and plastering that's their solution is to install 15 dollar each GFCI in all their outlets . Sounds expensive but compared to cutting the walls etc . Not everyone can afford this especially with the prices they got now .
Talk to an electrician first please you don’t need to change all the outlets just the first one then load the rest off of the gfi. If you don’t understand this you can cause a bigger mess
GFCI and AFCI are totally deference in function..So just skip the receptical and install an Arch Fault Breaker. As you can at least use the pigtail to a grounding bus bar. That makes it back to the source. That being the Transformer..
VERY good explanation but at the end of the day if the house was installed after 1960 theres most likely a ground wire, They used to cut it at the box back then.. therefor installing a regular 3 prong receptacle is just fine
@@zunedog31 your house was built in the 50s or 60s. You have metal conduit and metal boxes. The conduit is attached to metal fuse box. The metal acts as an earth or green wire. If you remember those adapter to go from to prong to three had a wire you were supposed to screw to the cover plate. That would complete the circuit. This won't work on new houses with plastic
Or just install a AFCI/GFCI breaker. A lot easier and is legal with the electrical code. Just label your outlets, no equipment ground. This will also protect all the outlets on that circuit.
@@surferdude642 agreed. I'm in this situation and need a stop-gap before I can upgrade the panel. putting in a few GFCI outlets is cheaper in the short run
It would protect all the outlets on the circuit and the breaker for that circuit would flip any time a ground fault was detected anywhere in said circuit. Great if you're on a budget and/or if your panel is easily accessible. Inconvenient if it's in a garage at one end of a ranch-style house and you are drying your hair in the bathroom at the other end and have to walk all the way across the house with wet hair to go reset the breaker (that's one of the reasons why they want GFCIs for each outlet in the bathroom).
It would provide protection to that circuit, and allow you to change 2-prong receptacles to 3-prong receptacles as long as they're labeled as having no equipment ground.
You just need to change the first receptacle in each circuit to a GFCI and you're good. Don't need to change all of them. And technically you are supposed to put the stickers on all of them too, though that doesn't really matter
@@mr.g937 That won't work in knob and tube installations, or where 2-wire pigtails are used. You cannot label a standard duplex receptacle as "ungrounded".
If you have uninterrupted metal conduit you don't need to worry. The conduit can act as a ground as ling as it is not broken anywhere. The tabs on the outlet can act as the pigtail in some jurisdictions.
@@jsimanella I can't speak to knob & tube, but a GFCI-protected 3-prong receptacle in a 2-wire system is code permissible and supposed to be labeled as having no equipment ground.
I mean if we want to get technical as long as you don’t have a sub panel in your house the neutral and ground go back to the same exact bus in the main panel so they’re really the same the ground is just a redundancy
They're not the same. Neutral is a current-carrying conductor under normal operating condition. Ground should never carry current other than in a ground fault condition. Two different purposes which were explained in the video.
Even if you have a sub panel they are eventually connected. But there are safety implications to running normal operating current through the equipment ground (or eliminating it and bonding neutral to frame). Sure, an equipment ground and grounded conductor (aka neutral) can both operate an appliance or provide a low resistance path for fault current, but with an open neutral just about anywhere, that old set-up becomes a problem real fast.
My wife got in the habit if breaking off the ground of the plugs. Drives me nuts…not to mention unsafe! I didn’t know about those afci devices. They are probably expensive I’d imagine…lol
Those old schoolers didn't leave a lot of slack to work with either (in my house anyway) It was an absolute BEAR to swap out the old 2 prongers with standard 3 prongs, just leaving the ground with nothing attached 😬
If they are all two pronged, then yes. If all the receptacles are already three pronged on the circuit, you only need GFCI on the first in line of the circuit. If you don't know which receptacle that is, you can do testing on your own by disconnecting all the receptacles and then reconnecting them and use process of elimination. That could take some time. Might be easier to just replace all with GFCI.
@@nutkizzle Dear Jeffrey, thank you very much for the info. I will check this out because there are some three pronged outlet but not sure if those are properly wire it. Regards
@@nutkizzle GF/AFCI receptacles are $25-30/each. So if you've have several receptacles per room, it'll get expensive very quickly. It's much cheaper and faster to add a GF/AFCI breaker at the panel and protect the whole circuit.
Glad I had my 1940 place fully rewired when we moved in. Was pricey, but now I have (what feels like) a modern house with the modern amount of outlets and amperage. Could do without the AFCI breakers that trip every time I use my sewing machine though...
@@STXVIEC thankfully I had the house done just under the wire re:AFCI becoming mandatory everywhere so now I only have to run an extension cord from the living room to my office.....
@@STXVIEC AFCI breakers don't cause any problems. Malfunctioning wiring & devices cause problems. If a device keeps tripping AFCI it has an electrical fault and either needs to be repaired or thrown out.
@@STXVIEC Correct. Kitchen appliances that were not manufactured properly, or have worn components to the point of being unsafe. If the AFCI trips, the kitchen appliance is UNSAFE.
@ 4:36, It seems he neglected to identify replacing the receptacle outlet with not only AFCI and GFCI protection, but also Tamper Resistant per NEC® 406.4(D)(5).
I am a contractor and have wired many new and old construction. One thing I have always noticed is that your neutral at some point, usually in the braker box, is tied into your ground
@@5_fun_facts123 I know enough to do all mine and all the wiring for my customers and never have an issue. Its not rocket science. And never had a house with a sub panel. That just really isn't a thing where I live
Lets clear something up. That is not the outlet. That is the receptacle that is attached to the outlet. See NEC definitions for receptacle. Receptacle: A contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug, or direct connection of electrical utilization equipment designed to mate with the corresponding contact device. Lets say that again, it is a contact device installed at the outlet and not the outlet itself. Receptacle Outlet: An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.( not the receptacle itself, but the outlet the receptacle is attached to)
I would still want a ground line. The problem with ungrounded GFCI/AFCI is that an appliance chassis can be hot right up to the moment you touch it. That means YOU trip the GFCI in a fault event. Depending on current path it can still be a lethal shock; these things are mechanical switches and they do have a reaction time.
@@rupe53 If the current traverses your heart, it's not going to matter how little the current is. Milliamperes will do it. Your heart is going to get disryhtmia and you may need defibrillation to put it back. At 177V pk-pk, a current of a few mA is unavoidable. Even for milliseconds, the current is going to be too much. I mean, would you lick a GFCI circut? It's still going to shock you during the time it takes to open the interrupter.
I agree with you, but GFCIs are calibrated to a level that poses no risk of harm. So as long as the GFCI is working it truly is safe. The thing is GFCIs can malfunction or stop working, and like you said it's not good to have metal appliances just sitting there energized.
@@thesmallterror ... yet this technology was brought into code almost 50 years ago and saved countless lives from shorts in their pool or out on the patio. Personally I don't wear shorts in my yard, but that's another story.
@@thesmallterror That's 100% true, the amount of current that takes to stop your heart is way lower than what any interrupt device can prevent. They are only designed to prevent continuous or high current electrocution.
There was wrong info in this video. Electricity does not "take the path of least resistance". If that were true we could not have more than 1 house on a circuit powered up at a time. It takes all paths proportionately to the resistance.
On a side note, (great video by the way. My last house was cursed with those horrible "receptacles"), I would actually pay good money to see Kevin O'Connor do a Donald Trump impersonation!
Hi, I watch a lot of you tube and I am always horrified when I see two pronged outlets being installed, here in the UK we went over to three prongs in the 1940’s and although the shape of the prongs has gone from round to rectangle we still have the ground wire and take the added protection of using a cover for anywhere the ground is open like to a switch etc. although I think the use of three wirers is better I still see two pronged outlets being installed in new builds.
Sure but for Europe (or France anyways) it’s been mandatory for all new construction since forever, and very much recommended when you sell a property, (since when it’s not done, the price can be bargained). My guess is, and I’m sorry to get geo-political, the accidents and care for injuries cost a lot of money to the social security system, so that’s why legislation is past to advice on solutions. In the US, the insurances are almighty, the state has difficulties voting laws about the an individuals obligations.
@@filmdetective France mandated it in 1991, the US in the 1960s. The difference is that in Europe you can use grounded plugs in ungrounded outlets so there is no issue.
What a lot of complicated nonsense for something that merely requires an obvious and simple fix --- just drill a round hole into the outlet below the slots! :P :P :P
@@shockcoach Ok, false. It's why they SELL the grounding clips. Many/most 2 prong boxes are actually grounded, given their construction and that many/most of them used the old metal wrapped wires. Honestly, why do you think they even sell them? LOL
@@allenellisdewitt clips work only if the box is grounded. If you have a 394 wiring method, your box is very unlikely to be grounded. Therefore a clip to a three prong receptacle creates a very dangerous situation. Also, if you have the first generation NM with no ground, you end up in the same boat. Just because they sell something, doesn’t mean it’s a cure all.
I still think of British has the best and safest plugs and sockets in the world and there is no needed America is way behind in the electrical industry
@@robertgrlic6505 just watch videos on UK electrical installations then u will understand what I mean or are plugs a fused a plug sockets have shutters and switches on them so you don't get electrocuted we have one of the most safest electrical systems in the world
Don't be like my brother in law and just pry the ground prong off the plug. Use a ground lifter instead! It isn't safer, of course, but hey, ya know, this isn't horticultural advice.
![Complete Guide On Replacing/ Upgrading old 2 Prong Outlets [Short Wires, No Ground and more!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gwFTBDo9pKE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Complete Guide On Replacing/ Upgrading old 2 Prong Outlets [Short Wires, No Ground and more!]](/img/tr.png)
This guy is a good addition to the TOH team. He explains very clearly a subject matter that many have a hard time conceptualizing.
For sure. Now, I feel confident in replacing some of my two-prong receptacles.
I love this! This is a specific definition in NEC that's important to understand, especially for residential applications.
As someone who just added gfci to all my first runs this was a very helpful video. Would have been good to talk about adding the gfci to the first in line so folks don’t buy gfci’s for every outlet.
sounds like you should’ve left the electrical to an electrician
@@bigbeef8935 If all the receptacles on a circuit are daisy chained, which is common, you only need GFCI on the first in the chain. It will sense a hot/neutral differential in any downstream receptacle and trip. Installing more than this is unnecessary and wasteful. Also, if any circuits have a refrigerator or lighting on them you should only have GFCI protection after the fridge or lighting devices.
My 1961 on slab home in Thousand Oaks had two prong receptacles. Installed GFI's on two wire wiring.....Worked fine, in the electrical code
What a great episode!! Great info. Great questions and great answers. Thanks so much!
The house I grew up in had 3-4 2-prong outlets left after the previous rennovation, along with some knob & tube that was still in use. To sell it we had to have the knob & tube replaced (which went to 3-prong outlets with no ground) and found that the wire behind the 2-prong outlets was modern romex with ground conductors that had simply been cut short so they didn't have to spend $10 on 3-4 new 3-prong outlets. Not as insane as having 3 circuit breakers feeding various wires into a standard 4" box but close.
I have a 1950's house with a mix of two prong outlets and three-prong outlets from a previous remodel. I won't lie, I did replace a couple of two-prong outlets with GFCI outlets for a home office. Not ideal, but much cheaper than trying to rewire the entire house.
I fully-grounded a metal-sheathed houseful of receptacles by ensuring the anchor & grounding of box the metal sheathed cables and GFCI/AFCI receptacles as replacements in first positions and in areas of possible humidity & moisture, then pigtailing ALL downline receptacles to their metal boxes grounding to the box, through the circuits and back to breakers.
Thank you for an informative video. Now I feel comfortable upgrading. But do I upgrade all or just first in line? How do you identify first in line?
Good video. Wish you'd have gone over 2-to-3-prong adapters though - those little $1 plugs that let a 2-prong outlet accept a 3-prong cord. They seem like most peoples' first choice in this situation and it'd be nice to talk about the safety risk of essentially ignoring the grounding wire.
The only way those adaptors serve any purpose other than smearing lipstick on a pig's face, is if the house is wired with AC cable, also known as BX, and metal boxes, found in some homes in the 40s and 50s. In that case, you may have what are known as grounded two slot receptacles. Though in that instance you might as well install a 3 slot receptacle than use a jumper from the Grounded box to the receptacle and avoid the adapter altogether.
I think what alder is saying that he wanted the video to talk about those adapters to explain why they are dangerous. Not everyone is going to know the reason why not to use them.
I have a bunch of those adapters, I lived in a older house that had all 2 prong receptacles
Added to my list of things to do. luckly most outlets were redone with 3 wires. but some have old 2 wires still.
Such clear explanation! Thank you!
If you add downstream outlets that are protected by the GFCI receptacles you can add a little arrow to the "Protected by GFCI" sticker indicating which way to go to find the GFCI device to assist others in finding it when trips.
Technically by code you have to, if your circuit has no ground. You also technically have to add the "No Equipment Ground" sticker as well. (if your house has a ground the code has no sticker requirements)
Excellent information as always, thank you
Great alternate for those of us in jurisdictions *cough* Chicago *cough* that require all electrical wiring to be in conduit. Now the already huge task of requiring means running conduit throughout the walls as well.
This is a budget saver option for the first receptacle in every circuit!
If it’s armored cable or bx the armored metal can be used as a ground if it’s properly tied in
Besides being a suitable ground in most instances, the conduit makes rewiring much easier. There is less of a need to open walls when you can just pull it theough the pipe. I pulled hundreds of feet of brittle, cloth covered wire out of my house in Chicago .
My home falls into the category of partially up to date, but much of it needs rewiring to include ground conductors. I wonder if they would ever do a video commenting on the right way to do so, so we consumers know what to look for, etc, in paying to have that work done.
For instance, I always wonder what (if anything) NEC says about doing so if you aren't wanting it willing to open up all your walls. In my case, I've wondered if it would be possible to fish new conductors through the wall spaces from my basement...
Anybody out there faced a similar situation?
Some times you can fish new wires it just depends on the run. I once repulled romex trough a wall. But the next run I would have to open up the wall. It just depends
I just started to replacing all the old 2 prong receptacles in my house and to my surprise there are ground wires bonded the the metal boxes
If the box is metal, will the receptacle be grounded if I connect it to the back of the box with a jumper and green grounding screw?
Spending next week in a home built in 1969 with all ungrounded 600v rated pvc NM cable. Has to be one of the newest homes I seem without equipment grounds.
In my bathroom I have a motion sensor light switch. That switch uses the ground to make sure the sensor can operate with the light turned off and be able to turn on the light automatically. I have it because I am disabled and cannot always take my hand to turn it on with crutches or my hands full. I also care for a young child who is a primordial dwarf who can't reach the light switch so when he walks in the light will automatically turn on without touching the light switch.
I also have a pocket door that goes into my bedroom and by current code, there should be a 3 way switch to have 2 light switches to turn on the light in 2 separate areas. The motion sensor light switch resolved the code issue there.
The switch uses neutral, not ground, to operate when light is off. If it is operating on ground, then the installation was wrongly performed. This is known because these switches clearly indicate on their package that a neutral conductor is required when installing.
@@PatrickDeschamps
Without the ground wired up, the sensor will NOT work or turn on the light automatically. It will turn on without the ground if you manually turn it on with the built in switch. The directions on the package, plus consultation with a licensed master electrician says the ground is used for the sensor portion of the switch to ensure the sensor has power with the light off; it must be connected to ground to operate normally.
The motion sensor is built into the switch. It is not a separate unit outside of the light switch.
@@PatrickDeschamps Actually, that isn't always the case. There are many listed and approved occupancy sensors that use ground for neutral current. This is perfectly acceptable and within code because it is a level of current that does not pose any risk of electrocution. The Lutron Maestro is perhaps the most popular of these. That said, NEC 2020 eliminated this exception, but many states are not even on NEC 2020 yet. So it's a relatively recent thing that this was eliminated.
That's dope. I'd love a leprechaun!
I have an old house from the 1960s. The outlets in the house are a triple stacked 2 prong outlet. The top one is for plugging in floor lamps. The other two are for other stuff. How do I change them out for the new code 3 prong outlets? I can’t find any videos on how to do it.
Can you explain two prong receptacles that are grounded and the center screw?
Thanks, Sam.
My 1953 house has grounded wire run to all of the outlets, but it appears the electricians must have grabbed onto it and ripped out / broke off the light gauge ground wire somewhere down inside of the sheathing while installing the receptacles. Gotta love it. Put gfci/afci breaker in for now but will need to cut the drywall out and replace it all one day.
He forgot to mention that many of the two pronged receptacle outlets are grounded at the box by the BX cable and then all you have to do is switch the 2 prong receptacle to a regular 3 prong receptacle.
Yes. Some of the older houses had the "continus ground wire" that joined the whole house with one thin ground wire
@@5_fun_facts123 it’s not one the thin ground if it’s BX the whole entire steel jacket is the ground and the mounting screws ground the device to the metal box
@@TheBooze13 Never seen a house wired completely in BX. Now if we were talking commercial you would be correct.
I wouldn't say he forgot to mention it. This was 5 minute segment about a solution, not a course on all available options depending how the home is wired.
Good video. I don’t think it was mentioned if every single two prong receptacle HAS to be replaced with an AFCI/GFCI three prong receptacle. Would it be best if the new code compliant receptacle be installed on the most upstream outlet of the circuit and have the rest of the receptacles on the load side? In doing so, one would be saving a lot of money…or is it best to replace ALL receptacles with an gfci/afci?
Thank you.
You only have to replace the first receptacle in the line/circuit it can be hard to find but you can save alot of money by putting it's first all the wires coming in is called the line all the wires carrying over to the other plugs is called load
You can do just the first outlet in the circuit but wiring them for downstream protection is *different* than wiring them for simple use as a normal receptacle.
@@HaploBartow I know they need to be wired to the load side and the incoming wire from the panel needs to go in line
@@Vanilla_Icecream1231 Like they were mentioning in their conversations, get the TERMINOLOGY RIGHT ! Don't call a RECEPTACLE a PLUG !..... The receptacle RECEIVES the plug that you are plugging in....
@@troybush5899 I usually call it receptacle I don’t even know why I wrote plug
Would have been nice to explain what the acronyms gfci and afci mean to the average person.
Im 41 and this is the first two-plug outlet ive ever seen in my life.
If the wiring is metal clad meaning ground can be put on the metal meaning you can use a gfci with extra protection with the ground
Metal conduit wouldn't be as much of an issue since it becomes the ground. You just have to make sure that there isn't a break in the conduit somewhere first
@@jrgmty7685 hah sure, ground is horrible. How dare we prevent your metal appliances become hot and shock anyone who wants to use it etc.
As an electrician I've explained this to so many people the exact same way. Most people don't get it.
How much does one cost? Saying as a1940’s house owner.
@@thomaslcook1998 Thank You! I think all things the same rewiring is in order. I can only imagine what you’ve been through with such al old house
While code technically says you must use AFCI when modifying any part of a circuit, in practice that's not always in the budget..so getting a 10 pack of GFCIs only for the same 50 bucks might be a better bet. It still addresses the primary safety issue (lack of grounding). Plus even if you install an AFCI receptacle the home run is still unprotected.
@@thomaslcook1998 Just bought a 120 year old house, would love some tips on what is most important to update first, thanks for sharing about the outlet situation
Is it ok after install that with a outlet tester it still shows up as open ground?
Can I plug the in my computers and laser printer in these?
when you instal a GFCI make sure to put on every outet thats protected No equipment ground
Those chunky GFCI/AFCI receptacles don’t fit well into older metal j-boxes
If anyone upgrades to a GFCI or AFCI receptacle, they should pretty much expect to be changing to a plastic box if they currently have metal boxes.
@1:30: It's confusing to refer to the Earth ground (or equipment grounding conductor) as the "grounding conductor", given that the NEC refers to the neutral as the "grounded conductor".
Yeah I'm going to tell my customers who have old wiring and plastering that's their solution is to install 15 dollar each GFCI in all their outlets . Sounds expensive but compared to cutting the walls etc . Not everyone can afford this especially with the prices they got now .
Talk to an electrician first please you don’t need to change all the outlets just the first one then load the rest off of the gfi. If you don’t understand this you can cause a bigger mess
Excellent!
Will adding a GFCI outlet provide for using a serge protector on that outlet?
No, not unless the GFCI has a ground wire.
@@surferdude642 Incorrect! A surge protector has varistors between al contacts.
Ty for this..
GFCI and AFCI are totally deference in function..So just skip the receptical and install an Arch Fault Breaker. As you can at least use the pigtail to a grounding bus bar. That makes it back to the source. That being the Transformer..
VERY good explanation but at the end of the day if the house was installed after 1960 theres most likely a ground wire, They used to cut it at the box back then.. therefor installing a regular 3 prong receptacle is just fine
What about if you have a a/c plug to a to prom outlet and you still change the outlet to a three prom
@3:15: It doesn't beg the question, Kevin; it raises the question. (To beg the question is to assume the conclusion in an argument.)
Nobody cares, Mr. Well Actually.
@Caderic Oh, good! I've been hoping to meet the person who speaks for everyone! What an honor.
If the electrical boxes are deep enough to accommodate a GFCI receptacle.
My house built in 1960, unfortunately no.
Found my boxes were grounded, but I had two-prong plugs. I screwed new outlets in and tested it with a multimeter. They are all grounded
That's some awesome luck
@@zunedog31 your house was built in the 50s or 60s. You have metal conduit and metal boxes. The conduit is attached to metal fuse box. The metal acts as an earth or green wire. If you remember those adapter to go from to prong to three had a wire you were supposed to screw to the cover plate. That would complete the circuit. This won't work on new houses with plastic
@@lawrencebraun7616 1964... and it's cool, but doesn't make up for the asbestos in the glittery popcorn ceiling in the basement.
In an area that Is open the cables. It is preferable to have two ways to prevent a shock.
Washing machines had a grounding screw that allowed a wire to be run to a metal cold water pipe.
Or just install a AFCI/GFCI breaker. A lot easier and is legal with the electrical code. Just label your outlets, no equipment ground. This will also protect all the outlets on that circuit.
If the electrical panel is also older, AFCI and and GFCI breakers are most likely unavailable.
@@surferdude642 agreed. I'm in this situation and need a stop-gap before I can upgrade the panel. putting in a few GFCI outlets is cheaper in the short run
just replace the breaker with a GFCI breaker no?
This will be alot cheaper than replacing all the wiring in my old house.
How would a gfci arc breaker inside your breaker box work for protection of non 3 prong receptacles?
It would protect all the outlets on the circuit and the breaker for that circuit would flip any time a ground fault was detected anywhere in said circuit. Great if you're on a budget and/or if your panel is easily accessible. Inconvenient if it's in a garage at one end of a ranch-style house and you are drying your hair in the bathroom at the other end and have to walk all the way across the house with wet hair to go reset the breaker (that's one of the reasons why they want GFCIs for each outlet in the bathroom).
It would provide protection to that circuit, and allow you to change 2-prong receptacles to 3-prong receptacles as long as they're labeled as having no equipment ground.
My house i live in was built in 1964 and has 3 prong outlets.
Wish I had seen this before I replaced all the RECEPTACLES in my house with 3 prong, just foregoing the ground 😬
You just need to change the first receptacle in each circuit to a GFCI and you're good. Don't need to change all of them. And technically you are supposed to put the stickers on all of them too, though that doesn't really matter
@@mr.g937
That won't work in knob and tube installations, or where 2-wire pigtails are used.
You cannot label a standard duplex receptacle as "ungrounded".
If you have uninterrupted metal conduit you don't need to worry. The conduit can act as a ground as ling as it is not broken anywhere. The tabs on the outlet can act as the pigtail in some jurisdictions.
@@jsimanella I can't speak to knob & tube, but a GFCI-protected 3-prong receptacle in a 2-wire system is code permissible and supposed to be labeled as having no equipment ground.
@@JH-ms3ny
That is true, which is why I said "standard duplex receptacle"
I mean if we want to get technical as long as you don’t have a sub panel in your house the neutral and ground go back to the same exact bus in the main panel so they’re really the same the ground is just a redundancy
They're not the same. Neutral is a current-carrying conductor under normal operating condition. Ground should never carry current other than in a ground fault condition. Two different purposes which were explained in the video.
@@JH-ms3ny so you read a book without actually understanding congrats
Even if you have a sub panel they are eventually connected.
But there are safety implications to running normal operating current through the equipment ground (or eliminating it and bonding neutral to frame). Sure, an equipment ground and grounded conductor (aka neutral) can both operate an appliance or provide a low resistance path for fault current, but with an open neutral just about anywhere, that old set-up becomes a problem real fast.
4:37 - Not in Michigan you don't. Michigan doesn't use AFCI at all in standard residential.
My wife got in the habit if breaking off the ground of the plugs. Drives me nuts…not to mention unsafe! I didn’t know about those afci devices. They are probably expensive I’d imagine…lol
Home Depot near me sells them 22 a piece or about 17 a piece in a 10 pack. It's a lot cheaper than a insurance claim though I suppose
Cutting off those grounds is a good way to get shocked when you touch a metal encased appliance.
Don't you also have to add a sticker that says "No equipment ground" if there is no ground in addition to the labelling he mentions?
If you can fit them outlets in the box there a lot deeper than those two prong outlets there usually in a pretty shallow box
Those old schoolers didn't leave a lot of slack to work with either (in my house anyway)
It was an absolute BEAR to swap out the old 2 prongers with standard 3 prongs, just leaving the ground with nothing attached 😬
I thought those GFIs won't reset without a good ground?
GFCI's (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) do not require a ground to work.
Those GFCI outlet are 15 bucks a A piece to put them all around your house will be really expensive
No mention that plastic items aren't the same as metals like the washing machine????
This GFCI receptacle it should be install on every room outlet?
Yes if you want to safely use three prong devices. These only work, or rated for the individual receptacle.
If they are all two pronged, then yes.
If all the receptacles are already three pronged on the circuit, you only need GFCI on the first in line of the circuit. If you don't know which receptacle that is, you can do testing on your own by disconnecting all the receptacles and then reconnecting them and use process of elimination. That could take some time. Might be easier to just replace all with GFCI.
@@nutkizzle Dear Jeffrey, thank you very much for the info. I will check this out because there are some three pronged outlet but not sure if those are properly wire it.
Regards
@@nutkizzle GF/AFCI receptacles are $25-30/each. So if you've have several receptacles per room, it'll get expensive very quickly.
It's much cheaper and faster to add a GF/AFCI breaker at the panel and protect the whole circuit.
@@s.n.9485 You're right.
The correct answer would be re-wire and replace!
Glad I had my 1940 place fully rewired when we moved in.
Was pricey, but now I have (what feels like) a modern house with the modern amount of outlets and amperage. Could do without the AFCI breakers that trip every time I use my sewing machine though...
Yep those AFCI breakers cause more problems then prevent them lol
@@STXVIEC thankfully I had the house done just under the wire re:AFCI becoming mandatory everywhere so now I only have to run an extension cord from the living room to my office.....
@@STXVIEC AFCI breakers don't cause any problems. Malfunctioning wiring & devices cause problems. If a device keeps tripping AFCI it has an electrical fault and either needs to be repaired or thrown out.
@@jblyon2 Not exactly. many kitchen appliances just hate being on an AFCI breaker.
@@STXVIEC Correct. Kitchen appliances that were not manufactured properly, or have worn components to the point of being unsafe. If the AFCI trips, the kitchen appliance is UNSAFE.
I assumed they were called receptacles because they receive a plug.
@ 4:36, It seems he neglected to identify replacing the receptacle outlet with not only AFCI and GFCI protection, but also Tamper Resistant per NEC® 406.4(D)(5).
I am a contractor and have wired many new and old construction. One thing I have always noticed is that your neutral at some point, usually in the braker box, is tied into your ground
Only on the main service. Sub panels have the neutrals and grounds separated. You sound like you have no clue of household electricity
@@5_fun_facts123 I know enough to do all mine and all the wiring for my customers and never have an issue. Its not rocket science. And never had a house with a sub panel. That just really isn't a thing where I live
Lets clear something up. That is not the outlet. That is the receptacle that is attached to the outlet. See NEC definitions for receptacle. Receptacle: A contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug, or direct connection of electrical utilization equipment designed to mate with the corresponding contact device.
Lets say that again, it is a contact device installed at the outlet and not the outlet itself.
Receptacle Outlet: An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.( not the receptacle itself, but the outlet the receptacle is attached to)
I would still want a ground line. The problem with ungrounded GFCI/AFCI is that an appliance chassis can be hot right up to the moment you touch it. That means YOU trip the GFCI in a fault event. Depending on current path it can still be a lethal shock; these things are mechanical switches and they do have a reaction time.
GFCI trips an a level that's WAY below lethal so not to worry.
@@rupe53 If the current traverses your heart, it's not going to matter how little the current is. Milliamperes will do it. Your heart is going to get disryhtmia and you may need defibrillation to put it back. At 177V pk-pk, a current of a few mA is unavoidable. Even for milliseconds, the current is going to be too much.
I mean, would you lick a GFCI circut? It's still going to shock you during the time it takes to open the interrupter.
I agree with you, but GFCIs are calibrated to a level that poses no risk of harm. So as long as the GFCI is working it truly is safe. The thing is GFCIs can malfunction or stop working, and like you said it's not good to have metal appliances just sitting there energized.
@@thesmallterror ... yet this technology was brought into code almost 50 years ago and saved countless lives from shorts in their pool or out on the patio. Personally I don't wear shorts in my yard, but that's another story.
@@thesmallterror That's 100% true, the amount of current that takes to stop your heart is way lower than what any interrupt device can prevent. They are only designed to prevent continuous or high current electrocution.
How many of you just cut the ground off of the plug??
I hate the angry invisible pixies. I’ll just get someone to do it.
Did he just say “dagnabbit?”
If your house was built before 1968 then it wasn't required to have a grounding conductor.
There was wrong info in this video. Electricity does not "take the path of least resistance". If that were true we could not have more than 1 house on a circuit powered up at a time. It takes all paths proportionately to the resistance.
The world should just adopt the superior BS1363 standard 😎
He didn't even use an original 2-prong outlet
On a side note, (great video by the way. My last house was cursed with those horrible "receptacles"), I would actually pay good money to see Kevin O'Connor do a Donald Trump impersonation!
Hi, I watch a lot of you tube and I am always horrified when I see two pronged outlets being installed, here in the UK we went over to three prongs in the 1940’s and although the shape of the prongs has gone from round to rectangle we still have the ground wire and take the added protection of using a cover for anywhere the ground is open like to a switch etc. although I think the use of three wirers is better I still see two pronged outlets being installed in new builds.
Designed in the 1900’s and hardly any change in that design since then . And not much protection for the terminations.
Or be the person who worked on my house and say away screw grounds are for babies, getting shocked adds a little buzz to your day.
It’s only 110 volts though. A minor shock.
People are killed by electricity.
@@okaro6595 All electricity?
Just use a 3-Prong to 2-Prong Adapter. 😂
They already explained in this video everything about 2-prong outlets, so now a tutorial on “how to understand” is not needed anymore.
Much easier to just break the ground prong off those cords
🍿🙂👍🏻
Always amazing how the US is late on a lot of essential things… most of the rest of the world has had those for at least 30 years
So has the US. People are just slow to update old legacy receptacles
Sure but for Europe (or France anyways) it’s been mandatory for all new construction since forever, and very much recommended when you sell a property, (since when it’s not done, the price can be bargained).
My guess is, and I’m sorry to get geo-political, the accidents and care for injuries cost a lot of money to the social security system, so that’s why legislation is past to advice on solutions.
In the US, the insurances are almighty, the state has difficulties voting laws about the an individuals obligations.
@@filmdetective same in the US
This is about upgrading 50s and 60s homes. That is 60+ years old.
@@filmdetective France mandated it in 1991, the US in the 1960s. The difference is that in Europe you can use grounded plugs in ungrounded outlets so there is no issue.
What a lot of complicated nonsense for something that merely requires an obvious and simple fix --- just drill a round hole into the outlet below the slots! :P :P :P
I just cut the 3rd prong off the cord. problem solved.
How can you not talk about the grounding clips in the box?? That plus a new set of receptacles are WAY cheaper than a GFCI at every outlet point!!!!
Grounding through the box doesn't work if your wiring is not BX/AC or conduit...which many houses aren't
If the box is not grounded, which it wouldn’t be in a two wire system, a grounding clip does absolutely nothing.
@@shockcoach true, but it should be mentioned as a MUCH cheaper option, if the box IS grounded
@@shockcoach Ok, false. It's why they SELL the grounding clips. Many/most 2 prong boxes are actually grounded, given their construction and that many/most of them used the old metal wrapped wires. Honestly, why do you think they even sell them? LOL
@@allenellisdewitt clips work only if the box is grounded. If you have a 394 wiring method, your box is very unlikely to be grounded. Therefore a clip to a three prong receptacle creates a very dangerous situation. Also, if you have the first generation NM with no ground, you end up in the same boat. Just because they sell something, doesn’t mean it’s a cure all.
I still think of British has the best and safest plugs and sockets in the world and there is no needed America is way behind in the electrical industry
Please explain
@@robertgrlic6505 just watch videos on UK electrical installations then u will understand what I mean or are plugs a fused a plug sockets have shutters and switches on them so you don't get electrocuted we have one of the most safest electrical systems in the world
Don't be like my brother in law and just pry the ground prong off the plug. Use a ground lifter instead! It isn't safer, of course, but hey, ya know, this isn't horticultural advice.
why American doesn't use universal plug adapter instead of changing three prong outlets? Maybe their wire standard is different than Asian country.
Because adapters defeat the grounding and are not considered safe.
3d
What’s with the Heath haircut…..? A self cut Covid cut???
That is how he always looks and this video clip is actually about 3-5 years old.
First!
Amazing how no one cares
@@jonathanandersen5640 amazing that a random stranger on the internet feels superior by making unintelligent jabs 😂 real winner.
Second!
Did we really need an opening minute of useless information?
It's not useless to people who don't know.