two-pronged electrical outlets vs. three-pronged electrical outlets (us stylee)

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so i moved into an apartment that doesn't have a grounding system, thus there are only two-pronged electrical outlets. however my computer, surge protectors, extension cords, etc. etc. have plugs that are strictly three prongs. everything i've read says it's unwise to use adapters to plug three-pronged appliances into two-pronged outlets--but do i have any other choice?

this has got me thinking that seemingly even the most recent constructions seem to have been put together presuming a much lesser use of electricity than is probably standard by now. it always seems to be a struggle (everywhere i've lived) to find enough outlets for all the stereo and computer stuff (the latter includes the computer, a printer, an external h.d., a dvd burner...).

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 6 August 2006 18:43 (nineteen years ago)

i have the same problem. my computer (surge protector) is plugged into an adapter in the ungrounded outlet. i have to get another one because i can't plug in my computer in the bedroom. it is a bad idea though, because it doesn't create a ground, it just allows you to plug the thing in. i don't know about this stuff really but i think the only other choice is to ground the outlet, which is not such a quick fix maybe?

― nazi bikini (harbl), Sunday, 6 August 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

oh you can ground those adapters i guess but they still aren't good. you can get a ground fault circuit interrupter for each outlet though!

― nazi bikini (harbl), Sunday, 6 August 2006 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

It's important to attach a wire from the screw eye on the adapter to something grounded, especially for sensitive electrical equipment (computers/stereo equipment) - not doing so can cause ground loops and on some equipment can set you up for a nasty 120 v shock, especially from equipment with metal cases. Usually (but not always), you can find a decent ground on under-sink plumbing (only if you have metal pipes and can scrape away chrome plating - galvanized is okay, as is copper). Or, put GFICs in, like nazi bikini says - they will prevent the shock hazard but do nothing for ground loops.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 6 August 2006 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

talk to your landlord/super and get it replaced. Maybe they'll do it for free. We paid our super 30 bucks because most of our outlets were grounded except one that was near a computer desk.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 6 August 2006 20:43 (nineteen years ago)

This is something I check for and ask a potential landlord every time I have to look for a new place to move to (which isn't too often thankfully)... if they don't have grounded outlets, and they don't express interest in replacing them for anything less than a small fee, I say "well, see ya k thanks bye".

― dottie nuttie dach nach dtnt hhhhhhhh (donut), Sunday, 6 August 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

You have to be cautious with "replacing" the ungrounded outlets - it's easy to put a 3 prong outlet in the same space, but not wire up the ground wire. Adding grounding and upping the amp load of circuits means pulling new wires in the walls.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 6 August 2006 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

So, make sure the work is done by a licensed residential electrician - they will lose their license if they don't work to code.

― Jaq (Jaq), Sunday, 6 August 2006 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

yeah i doubt my landlord would rewire the apartment--it's the second floor of his own house. he might--might--put three-pronged outlets in, which (as noted above) won't actually be grounded but will allow me to plug stuff in, at least.

i know to get adapters that you can attach to the little screw in the outlet. not sure what that does exactly--someone gave a potted explanation above but i'm not sure i get it.

It's important to attach a wire from the screw eye on the adapter to something grounded

sounds good but practically how do i do this if my desk is rooms away from any kind of exposed metal piping?

what is a "ground fault circuit interrupter" and can i eat it? no, i mean, is it something that can just be added to an outlet from the outside, or does it require some handywork? and does it cost much? and what exactly does it do? disallow the possibility of bad loops?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 7 August 2006 00:05 (nineteen years ago)

sorry i'm electrically illiterate.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 7 August 2006 00:07 (nineteen years ago)

i am not really sure when you get a ground loop problem and when you don't, or is it always? this happens when you have a bunch of stuff plugged in to different things, right? like they aren't grounded to the same exact voltage so the potential difference makes current or something? what if this is my current setup: adapter plugged into ungrounded outlet (with no wire in the hole! bad! but this i can fix...), power strip plugged into that, and in the power strip there is my laptop, the window box a/c unit, and my small computer speakers. if i only get a GFCI for the outlet and don't make my landlord rewire it, will it be ok?

― nazi bikini (harbl), Monday, 7 August 2006 00:14 (nineteen years ago)

ah, here's a gfci:

http://www.home-werx.com/gfci.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 7 August 2006 00:35 (nineteen years ago)

wait, i have more questions. i know that is one kind of gfci, but if you just get a portable one, can it be plugged into an ungrounded outlet? that wouldn't make sense. i am stupid. i don't know anything about house wiring, i only know about circuits drawn on paper and doing V = IR and maxwell's equations.

― nazi bikini (harbl), Monday, 7 August 2006 01:17 (nineteen years ago)

The GFI circuit compares the hot and the neutral legs of the AC power - if they differ, it trips, because that means some current is leaking to ground somewhere. So, it will protect you from electrocution, but it won't keep the hum out of your speakers or protect any sensitive equipment.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 01:38 (nineteen years ago)

Nazi bikini - what can happen is the ground "floats" (meaning there is no solid ground, so one is continually sought), and you can get a partial ground between different pieces of equipment, even if they are plugged into the same power source. Sometimes, there's no problem at all, but sometimes there is and it causes issues.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 02:58 (nineteen years ago)

A surge protector needs a ground, that's where they dump the surge to. Its useless to have one with no ground.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 7 August 2006 07:46 (nineteen years ago)

This shit is so standard in the UK that no one ever thinks about it, is that right? UK : plumbing :: US : electricity

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Monday, 7 August 2006 10:15 (nineteen years ago)

OTM, I have to say when I was in NY that was the one thing that gobsmacked me, these awful fucking plugs that spark everytime you plug something in, in the so called "land of the free". FOR SHAME.

Just joking tho it was quite annoying.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 7 August 2006 10:25 (nineteen years ago)

A surge protector needs a ground

The better ones do - they use MOVs (metal oxide varistors); the cheap ones just have a fuse on the hot leg that blows if too many volts are pulled across it.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 12:02 (nineteen years ago)

sounds good but practically how do i do this if my desk is rooms away from any kind of exposed metal piping?

Is there a window nearby? Is the electric or gas meter near it? Does the house have lightning rods? The conduit up to the electric meter and the pipes running to and from the gas meter will be grounded as will the wiring from the lightning rods. Get some 12 or 14 gauge solid copper wire and run it from those pipes or the ground rod connection for the lightning rods up through the window, then attach the other end of wire to the screw for the 3-prong adapter. You could put in a grounding rod below the window and run wire up from it, but they have to be installed at least 8 feet straight down and so are a pain.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

i am intrigued by the idea of running a wire from an electrical adapter to a water pipe. it sounds.. exciting.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

i mean it sounds as though it's got a lot of .. POTENTIAL.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

(groan)

My uncle built a house and did the wiring himself, neglecting to verify that it was indeed the GROUND wire hooked to the water pipes. Nasty nasty shocks every time you tried to turn the shower off.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

If my experience with failing to persuade my mobile telephone to charge was anything to go by, there's not much need to earth your American electricity because it dribbles out of your American sockets with a miserable lack of oomph.

In the so-called home of the BRAVE.

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

It is terribly weedy, takes forever to boil the electric kettle.

― Jaq (Jaq), Monday, 7 August 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

at least our tvs don't flicker!

― Machibuse '80 (ex machina), Monday, 7 August 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

how come?

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 7 August 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

they flicker, just marginally faster. At least ours can display without super-saturating the colour.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 7 August 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

my LCD screen doesn't flicker.

although sometimes it does flickr.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 7 August 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

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