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Wiring Ground Fault on 2 wire system ALE 05-21-2007
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Posted by ALE on May 21, 2007, 12:16 pm
I have a older home with a mostly 2 wire (no Ground) system.

The city says I have to have ground fault outlets in all the basement
outlets.

How can I install ground fault outlets if I don't have a ground?



Posted by Doug Miller on May 21, 2007, 12:54 pm
>I have a older home with a mostly 2 wire (no Ground) system.
>
>The city says I have to have ground fault outlets in all the basement
>outlets.

Probably, the requirement is to have ground-fault *protection* on all outlets,
not a ground fault circuit interrupter at each outlet. The difference is that
a single GFCI can protect multiple outlets on the same circuit.
>
>How can I install ground fault outlets if I don't have a ground?

Same way you would if you did.

GFCIs does *not* need a ground wire to operate. They work by sensing an
imbalance between the currents on the hot and neutral wires; those currents
should be equal, and the assumption is that if they are not, some of the
current must have faulted to ground (i.e. it's returning to ground through
some path other than the neutral wire).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Posted by Mark Lloyd on May 21, 2007, 1:04 pm
wrote:

>I have a older home with a mostly 2 wire (no Ground) system.
>

Mine is like that too. The only grounded outlets in the whole house
are in the bathrooms and laundry room.

>The city says I have to have ground fault outlets in all the basement
>outlets.
>

They do provide additional safety, and are a good idea anywhere where
contact with water is possible.

>How can I install ground fault outlets if I don't have a ground?
>

Using a GFCI has nothing to do with the ground wire. It does not use,
nor provide ground. The safety benefit of a GFCI is in sensing an
imbalance between current in the hot and neutral wires.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"How could you ask me to believe in God when there's
absolutely no evidence that I can see?" -- Jodie Foster

Posted by Terry on May 21, 2007, 1:24 pm
wrote:

>I have a older home with a mostly 2 wire (no Ground) system.
>
>The city says I have to have ground fault outlets in all the basement
>outlets.
>
>How can I install ground fault outlets if I don't have a ground?
>

I haven't priced any electrical equipment in a while. I do know that
a GFCI breaker cost much more than a GFCI outlet.

If you can figure out which device is first in the chain, all you will
have to do is replace that outlet with a GFCI. It will protect the
rest of the chain.

I would take my best guess (the outlet closest to the panel) and pull
out that outlet and break the circuit there.

If all the other outlets go dead, you are in good shape. If any are
still on, then it is one of them.



Posted by ALE on May 21, 2007, 11:03 pm
Thanks for all the replies. It doesn't sound so bad after all.

> wrote:
>
>>I have a older home with a mostly 2 wire (no Ground) system.
>>
>>The city says I have to have ground fault outlets in all the basement
>>outlets.
>>
>>How can I install ground fault outlets if I don't have a ground?
>>
>
> I haven't priced any electrical equipment in a while. I do know that
> a GFCI breaker cost much more than a GFCI outlet.
>
> If you can figure out which device is first in the chain, all you will
> have to do is replace that outlet with a GFCI. It will protect the
> rest of the chain.
>
> I would take my best guess (the outlet closest to the panel) and pull
> out that outlet and break the circuit there.
>
> If all the other outlets go dead, you are in good shape. If any are
> still on, then it is one of them.
>
>



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