Only 2 wires, on a outlet?
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Yes in most cases, it will be ungrounded but will prevent against shocks. Idk about 50's wiring though. Insulation must be crumbling off the wire by now.
how did you ever get an insurance company to insure the house? lol.
I'm sure the house has been rewired at some point . so you should be fine.
Yes there are plenty of videos out there showing how to do this step by step.
how did you ever get an insurance company to insure the house? lol.
I'm sure the house has been rewired at some point . so you should be fine.
Yes there are plenty of videos out there showing how to do this step by step.
GFI receptacles have a line and load terminal. They must be connected correctly. Line is the " hot" side. If there are additional receptacles on the circuit a GFCI receptacle can protect downstream receptacles. That way you don't need to install GFCI receptacles in all locations.
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Oldmaster is exactly right. Identify hot and neutral and connect accordingly.
Same, but i have a metal shield on it that is grounded (BX?). there's no bare wire but there's still a ground.
You may have BX or armored cable. If it is terminated correctly you my have a functional ground. With a voltmeter check from the hot wire to the cable sheath. If it's a metal box and the cable is under the cable connectors you may be good. Worth a try.
SeeThis1!:
The other thing you should be aware of before it drives you nuts is that if you are installing GFCI receptacles and they will not be grounded (which is perfectly fine and they will function to protect from personal injury) keep in mind though that if the GFCI is not grounded using a plug in tester will not trip the GFCI. This is normal if the GFCI is not grounded. Pressing the test button on the GFCI itself will test it. So if you use a plug in tester and it won't trip the GFCI don't think you did something wrong. As long as the test button trips it you are good.
The other thing you should be aware of before it drives you nuts is that if you are installing GFCI receptacles and they will not be grounded (which is perfectly fine and they will function to protect from personal injury) keep in mind though that if the GFCI is not grounded using a plug in tester will not trip the GFCI. This is normal if the GFCI is not grounded. Pressing the test button on the GFCI itself will test it. So if you use a plug in tester and it won't trip the GFCI don't think you did something wrong. As long as the test button trips it you are good.
Even AC without the bond wire will show as a ground. Without the bond wire AC is not an acceptable grounding means.
The armor is only an egc if the bond strip is in place. The resistance can be too high without it.
Wrong. .
Early versions did not have it. Newer versions do have the bond strip, even today.
You should be aware of the difference between GFCI and "grounding". I once had an electrician, who referred to himself as a "master electrician" (whatever that is), tell me the GFCI won't work without a ground wire. Just shows you can't always trust an electrician either.
GFCI can't "make up" for a missing ground wire. It can't turn an ungrounded outlet into a grounded outlet.
What grounding does is supply a path for electricity to flow if it finds its way out of the normal path in a fixture. For example, if you have a lamp or power tool plugged in, and there is an internal failure, for example a loose wire inside touches the exterior metal part of the lamp, then that current will be shunted down the ground wire, if the lamp is properly grounded.
A different situation is when there is something external - such as water for example - that can be a path for electricity. For example you're standing in a puddle in your lawn and you touch a hot wire, or a metal casing on a tool that is touching a hot wire. In this case the GFCI circuit will detect that more current in coming into the hot side than is leaving the neutral side, and it shuts it off. Grounding will not protect you in this case.
GFCI will not protect you from getting electrocuted. It only protects you from current leaving the circuit. For example if you stick a key in the right slot of an outlet and a key in the left slot, and then grab on with your right and left hands, the GFCI is not going to turn off because current in = current out.
I'm sure you can imagine other scenarios and all points in between, but the bottom line is the GFCI and "grounding" do 2 different things.
GFCI can't "make up" for a missing ground wire. It can't turn an ungrounded outlet into a grounded outlet.
What grounding does is supply a path for electricity to flow if it finds its way out of the normal path in a fixture. For example, if you have a lamp or power tool plugged in, and there is an internal failure, for example a loose wire inside touches the exterior metal part of the lamp, then that current will be shunted down the ground wire, if the lamp is properly grounded.
A different situation is when there is something external - such as water for example - that can be a path for electricity. For example you're standing in a puddle in your lawn and you touch a hot wire, or a metal casing on a tool that is touching a hot wire. In this case the GFCI circuit will detect that more current in coming into the hot side than is leaving the neutral side, and it shuts it off. Grounding will not protect you in this case.
GFCI will not protect you from getting electrocuted. It only protects you from current leaving the circuit. For example if you stick a key in the right slot of an outlet and a key in the left slot, and then grab on with your right and left hands, the GFCI is not going to turn off because current in = current out.
I'm sure you can imagine other scenarios and all points in between, but the bottom line is the GFCI and "grounding" do 2 different things.
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