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Of course you do.
Ignore all the other comments about that topic altogether.
If you're concerned... hire someone to verify something along the lines of this diagram exists.
That "to ground" (in 1960) meant a solid copper wire to a ground rod and the water pipes.
Thanks for the reply. I went and looked and DO have a cable coming from the powerpole down to the ground (looks like a metal wire with a yellow plastic casing). It's in the exact same form as the "ground" cable in your diagram. I believe that is the "bare" wire coming into my meter (1 of the 3 is just a metal wire). I wonder if the wire connected to my baseboard water pipe is something else then? Can I just hook up 3 prong outlets (And of course connect the copper wire) and be good to go?
I wonder if the wire connected to my baseboard water pipe is something else then?
Can I just hook up 3 prong outlets (And of course connect the copper wire) and be good to go?
Based on your initial post... your house was wired with cable that has ground wires.
They just weren't used with the 2 prong outlets you're now replacing.
As mentioned way back... get someone competent to VERIFY all this...
and especially to be sure that the OTHER end of these cable is properly terminated.
(That should be INSIDE the circuit breaker box)
Based on your initial post... your house was wired with cable that has ground wires.
They just weren't used with the 2 prong outlets you're now replacing.
As mentioned way back... get someone competent to VERIFY all this...
and especially to be sure that the OTHER end of these cable is properly terminated.
(That should be INSIDE the circuit breaker box)
Sounds good. Any reason why they wouldn't have just installed 3 prong in the first place? Were prices much higher back in the 60's?
Any reason why they wouldn't have just installed 3 prong in the first place?
Because they weren't required to and wouldn't be for another ten years or so.
Few customers would be looking for grounded devices then...
because few (if any) residential appliances had the 3rd prong.
The 6-32 screw through the receptacle into the metal box was/is more than adequate.
Of course you do.
Ignore all the other comments about that topic altogether.
If you're concerned... hire someone to verify something along the lines of this diagram exists.
That "to ground" (in 1960) meant a solid copper wire to a ground rod and the water pipes.
'splain to me Lucy', where the local code requires a grounding rod near an outdoor Jacuzzi, and there is a already a single central grounding rod for the entire house. Let's call it 'ground loop city'.
Grounding to water pipes works (sort of) if you aren't on a well, which may have plastic piping going out to the well, so then it doesn't.
Ignore all the other comments from MrRational, until he gets his PhD in electrical engineering. Delta vs. Wye?
as they say its never what we don't know that gets us in trouble. it's that which we think we know that aint so.
i deal with electricians all day long and electricians are far from engineers in many areas. what they think they know is very different from the way things are.
after our engineering department corrects their stuff they are blown away by how wrong they were.
most electricians are wire and pipe slingers . they know little about high tech products and controls.
thats a good thing as for 40 years now i have had an endless supply of work doing things for them, designing and correcting.
an un-educated consumer is my best customer.
Last edited by mathjak107; 12-16-2012 at 06:27 AM..
'splain to me Lucy', where the local code requires a grounding rod near an outdoor Jacuzzi,
and there is a already a single central grounding rod for the entire house.
Like garages and other outbuilding sub panels USED TO be done with? Codes change. ---
Back on point:
The OP has a plain vanilla 1960's install. PoCo -> Meter -> Panel ...using a grounding scheme
(with ground rod and water pipe) that was appropriate then and still works just fine today.
Aside from wanting to replace his 50 year old 2P devices he wouldn't be here.
You don't serve him by worrying him with issues beyond his concern or need.
The answer is this isnt the 1960's world anymore with your fathers electronics.
Todays world has different problems and just because you may not be aware you were a victim of even one of them doesnt mean a reasonable person shouldnt protect their equipment from them.
Case in point are surge systems and power conditioners for home use. these require much better grounding technique then our fathers systems.
our fathers lighting systems were incandescent. Todays electronic ballasts are harmonic generators.
While new electronics are alot more durable then they were they are still quite sensitive in the scheme of things. Burned power supplies have caused the demise of more big screen tv's then anything else.
Nothing is ever a problem until its a problem.
Last edited by mathjak107; 12-16-2012 at 10:13 AM..
The answer is this isnt the 1960's world anymore with your fathers electronics.
Todays world has different problems and just because you may not be aware you were a victim of even one of them doesnt mean a reasonable person shouldnt protect their equipment from them.
Case in point are surge systems and power conditioners for home use. these require much better grounding technique then our fathers systems.
our fathers lighting systems were incandescent. Todays electronic ballasts are harmonic generators.
While new electronics are alot more durable then they were they are still quite sensitive in the scheme of things. Burned power supplies have caused the demise of more big screen tv's then anything else.
Nothing is ever a problem until its a problem.
Quite true. However, there are devices that I still run from my father's electronics day (got them at a Ham radio swap), that are Ferro resonant (i.e. CV transformers) that I run on a few circuits, to protect the equipment (TV's, sound studio, etc.) Geez, I paid $100 each quite a while ago... (1 kW units); new ones are something like $1600.... that is crazy. I know they aren't totally quiet, but since they are in the electrical room, I really don't care.
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