DIY & Home Improvement

Holly_Hobby

(3,033 posts) Sat Mar 8, 2014, 09:50 PM Mar 2014

Electrical question [View all]

Our house was built in 1959 and still has fuses vs. circuit breakers, 100 amp service. My husband insists that none of the outlets in our house are grounded except for the outlet near the sink in the kitchen because he grounded it himself when he replaced it by attaching a wire to the plumbing. Actually, we had to replace all of the outlets in the house because there were only 2 holes instead of 3 and none of the newer plugs would fit. So he says they're not grounded because old plugs only required 2 holes and there was no ground wire to attach. That can't be right, can it?

Will be buying a tester next week to see if he's right. In the meantime, anyone know about older wiring and grounding?

23 replies

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Electrical question [View all] Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 OP

He;s right. ret5hd Mar 2014 #1

Thank you...this is astounding to me Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #2

The prime question is what is the wiring from the breaker box to the outlets? PoliticAverse Mar 2014 #3

The wiring is original, Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #4

Your husband is correct BillZBubb Mar 2014 #5

Wrong, sorry... Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #18

Nope, you are wrong. BillZBubb Mar 2014 #22

Yes, you're technically correct. Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #23

He's right. JoeyT Mar 2014 #6

Yikes...I suppose the only fix is Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #7

You've got a few options. jeff47 Mar 2014 #9

Thank you so much for taking the time n/t Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #10

He's right Warpy Mar 2014 #8

Thank you - you won't believe where the fuse box is - Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #11

Are your wires in conduit, flexible metallic cable or non-metallic cable (romex)? Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #12

The current wiring is 2 wires, Holly_Hobby Mar 2014 #13

Just to be clear. Are you talking about the coating on the wires themselves or how the .... Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #14

This is the most important answer... Callmecrazy Mar 2014 #17

do you think s house built in 1959 Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #19

My parent's house was a 50s house with cloth wire in thin wall pipe. Cook county Hassin Bin Sober Mar 2014 #20

Thanks bin sober, thats interesting Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #21

Jeff47's option 3 is a common cure. Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #15

If you go the route of grounding selected outlets Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2014 #16