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Cool. You know the rule... when playing with really high voltage, one hand in the pocket.
I think the original poster should not have too much of a hard time upgrading to 3-prong outlets, as long as he has the ground wire running to each box. To digress, let's not go down the knob-and-tube conversion. Open bare wires sort of creeps me out. (Been there, done that).
The information is out there for those wanting to do things the proper way...
As a child, I was given several Reader's Digest Books on Home Improvement and Appliance Repair... Also have them from Ortho Books and some for Automotive.
I still have these books today...
Even a simple receptacle change isn't that simple if you don't know what you are doing and can be downright dangerous...
[quote=Ultrarunner;27366711]The information is out there for those wanting to do things the proper way...
As a child, I was given several Reader's Digest Books on Home Improvement and Appliance Repair... Also have them from Ortho Books and some for Automotive.
I still have these books today...
Even a simple receptacle change isn't that simple if you don't know what you are doing and can be downright dangerous...[/quote]
Yes, it can be. But the learning curve on how to do this won't top 15 minutes.
I too was given the Reader's Digest books... I now use them to support a few loudspeakers, as the content of them can be learned in about an hour, and except for an absolute beginner, have little value. Just my opinion.
The information is out there for those wanting to do things the proper way...
As a child, I was given several Reader's Digest Books on Home Improvement and Appliance Repair... Also have them from Ortho Books and some for Automotive.
I still have these books today...
Even a simple receptacle change isn't that simple if you don't know what you are doing and can be downright dangerous...[/quote]
Yes, it can be. But the learning curve on how to do this won't top 15 minutes.
I too was given the Reader's Digest books... I now use them to support a few loudspeakers, as the content of them can be learned in about an hour, and except for an absolute beginner, have little value. Just my opinion.
Have to start somewhere...
When my brother added on to him home... he wanted to put in 4 switches to control one light switch...
I tried to explain it to him several times without success.
I then went to my Ortho Home Improvement book and scanned the page with a color coded picture showing how the wires, number of wires and type of switches he needed to make it work...
That picture was worth more than a thousand words...
I had a friend come over the other day to get me started upgrading to 3 prong; he suggested using a non-contact voltage sensor pen and a lamp to test each outlet before performing any work. Turns out the ground cable is present in each box as I expected but is grounded to the metal outlet box. All I had to do was hook the white and black wires to the 3 prong in the same fashion they were connected to the 2 prong. These outlets all test as being "properly grounded" now however I'm sure being grounded to the metal box isn't up to today's standards. I have also been reading that it's best to install these 3 prongs "ground up" however I don't believe this is in any residential electrical codes. So far everything is working as expected; changing the outlets really cleans up the look of each room. I've only got about third completed but am in no hurry now. Thanks for the tips everyone.
...however I'm sure being grounded to the metal box isn't up to today's standards.
Nope. It's just fine like that.
But do NOT disturb that existing ground connection. (really)
If you have the box open anyway...
and some spare ground screws and wire nearby...
then sure, by all means add that additional screw to the back of the metal box
and then (with another wire) run a new ground wire to the receptacle.
Quote:
...to install these 3 prongs "ground up"
however I don't believe this is in any residential electrical codes.
I would suggest calling an electrician. As for the people making comments regarding electrician's abilities, apparently some aren't aware that in most states they are now required to go to school while also working in the field (in my state electrician's are required to go to school for 4 years while also working for 4 years, my hubby also happens to be an electrician). IMO electrical is not something to mess with if you aren't 100% sure of what you are doing.
I forgot which hotel it was but a fire started when a letter opener fell behind a desk landing perfectly across the neutral and ground shorting them.
Ground up prevents that from happening if something falls on the plug .
oops mean to say neutral and hot not neutral and ground.
come on guys you should have caught that typo, stay alert here ha ha ha
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You know the rule... when playing with really high voltage, one hand in the pocket. 
