Do you live in an older home? Two wire outlets can be replaced with a similar outlet or they can be upgraded. National Electric Code does not allow you to change a two wire (old) receptacle to a three wire (new) receptacle. But there is a solution to this problem. I recommend changing them to a ground fault circuit interrupter commonly called a GFCI or GFI. It is the easiest way to replace a two wire receptacle with a three wire receptacle.
Before you do anything, always turn off the electricity to that receptacle or group of receptacles you will be working on or changing out. You can test a receptacle with a metering device or just use a lamp. Make sure that the receptacle is off before attempting to change.
The white wire should be connected to what is called the line side of the GFCI on the silver screw. There may be more than one white wire. Connect them both to this silver screw. Screws should be color coated to know which ones to use for which side (white and black). Some GFCI may be marked white for the white wire as electricians refer to it as the ?grounded conductor.? In some receptacles, you may have more than one wire because it may feed other receptacles from those wires. White wires should be on the side of the receptacle with silver screws.
Black wires should be on the gold screws. If there are two black wires, attach both of them to the gold screws. This is easy to remember. Black to gold: white to silver. This is important because it is what electricians call ?keeping your polarity correct.? This means white wire on the outlet is the wider part of the prong. The white wire is the widest part of the wire known as the ?grounded conductor.?
GFCI monitor a circuit or current flow within itself. That is why it is possible to replace a two wire receptacle with a GFCI. You can not just replace with a three prong receptacle because it does not have a grounding conductor. If you have equipment that faults or fails, it will go through to its nearest path which may be you. Be safety wise, it?s best.
The experienced crew of New Orleans Electrical and Electrical provides quotations and every home electrical service you would like, from solving various electrical problems, motor outages, to putting in ducts in your household for your convenience.
Posted by Dan on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 3:01 am?
Filed under Electrical ? Tagged with Black Gold, Black White, Conductor, Current, electric, Electrical, Electrical Receptacles, Electrician, Electricity, Gfci, Gold Silver, Ground Fault, home improvement, Live Wire, Monitor Circuit, National Electric Code, Polarity, Prong, Receptacle, Screws, Silver Screw
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