![]() ![]() Unorganized, messy wires – In many older homes often times there is a combination of ungrounded and grounded outlets present.Home and property loss – When ungrounded outlets are present, equipment, electronics and appliances plugged into these ungrounded outlets can short out resulting in damaged or worthless items.Electrical fire hazards – If an outlet is not grounded, sparks could occur as well as arcing and electrical charges that can ultimately result in fires along the walls where the outlets are installed or to nearby furniture, fabrics and other fixtures.Health hazards – Ungrounded outlets can present with a serious risk of shock to persons who are operating electronics or appliances that are directly plugged into them.They can increase the overall risk of both property and personal damages and injuries and present with a variety of hazards including: Ungrounded outlets are incredibly dangerous and can pose serious risks to not only your home but your family as well. The role of the ground wire is essential to protecting against electric shocks and to avoiding fires and other hazards in the home. These ground wires allow electricity to then travel along the specific ground wire back into your home’s electrical panel. Ground wires are tied to the neutral vertical slot of the outlet in case of any issues with the outlet, such as a short. The two vertical slots of a grounded outlet represent what is referred to as the hot wires and the neutral wires. All modern homes are built and equipped with outlets that are properly grounded since they are required by safety standards for all homes, businesses and any other type of structures built in the mid 1960’s going forward. Outlets that have three holes, rather than just two, with two vertical holes and one located beneath the vertical holes are grounded outlets. We are 100% focused on your safety and employ only best practices when upgrading your system.Identifying a grounded outlet is quite easy. If you’re working with outdated outlets, contact our team at Prairie Electric today. Your best alternative is to replace the outlet in question with a Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor breaker outlet, which, as described above, stops a wayward current dead in its tracks, preventing potential disaster. While seemingly convenient, these adapters do not connect to the electrical ground and thus do not provide the intended safety built into grounded outlets and plugs. Three-prong adapters, also known as “cheater plugs,” are not a safe option. Renters should speak with their property managers about updating their systems. This is an investment that could save your life. If you currently live in an apartment or house without grounded outlets, it is 100% worth your while to speak with an experienced electrician about upgrading your system. What If I Move Into a Home Without Grounded Outlets? However, using a grounded plug and outlet, the electricity flows from the wire into the ground, every time, which trips the breaker in the break box, stopping the circuit and preventing electrical accidents. However, if you were to plug a metal appliance into a two-pronged outlet, and a hot wire comes loose inside that ungrounded metal appliance, the metal casing would instantly become hot, delivering a fatal electrical shock. The appliances you choose to plug into the outlet completes this circuit, allowing electricity to flow through your appliance to heat coils, run a motor, etc. How is this accomplished? Because electricity always flows in a circuit, power in an outlet flows from hot to neutral. Grounding through use of these types of outlets is intended to protect individuals who use metal-encased appliances from severe electrical shock. Two vertical slots, the left called “neutral” and the right called “hot,” and a hole at the base called “ground.” New plugs are engineered to fit into these upgraded outlets. New, standardized 120-volt outlets in the US have three holes. Two-pronged outlets are referred to as “ungrounded,” while three-pronged are grounded. ![]() You may be wondering what all the change is about why haven’t manufacturers stuck to the “old,” two-pronged format and made life easier for everyone? ![]() If you currently live or have lived in a home with outlets that accept only two-pronged plugs, you may have had to purchase an adaptor to use some of your more modern appliances that feature three-pronged plugs.
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