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Only 2 Wires??

2K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Leah Frances 
#1 ·
Hi guys, I'm replacing some lights. I have an old house and I've only got 2 wires in my fan box in the ceiling, a hot and a nuetral, no ground. How do I ground my fan? Do I twist the neutral and ground together like in a stove outlet? Obviously black to black.

Thanks!
StevieL
 
#2 · (Edited)
NO, do not twist Neut & grn together, never, ever!!!! How old is the house?? Are you sure there is not a ground connected to a screw in the box?? If there are only two wires, you can't connect a ground, that is allowed in old wiring. Since it is a ceiling fan, not having a ground is not essential, for other things like appliances, that is another story.
 
#4 ·
If the fan is wired with BX cable (as is usually the case in an old house) it is probably grounded through the cable's metal jacket. Take a tester and put one probe on the hot and the other on the metal box of the fan. If it's grounded, the tester will show it.
 
#5 ·
In my house, around 50% of the time the ground is actually there. It was just cut flush with the sheathing by the previous "electrician". Look carefully where the two wires exit any sheathing - use a flashlight and look really closely.
 
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