How To Replace An Outlet | Ungrounded to Grounded

[@aaronfixesstuff]

There were a lot of people ask me what to do if the box is not grounded. I made a video that shows the solution in that case. Thanks for the comments and feedback. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GVcnyfpqqqgMk

[@rrfields65]

What you are doing is called a "Bootleg Ground" , even through it may be conduit back to the main panel ... if it has 3 wire service { 2> 120/240vac Hots & Neutral } it still is not grounded per NEC with a "Neutral bonding jumper" and outside grounding rod & waterpipe grounding! Putting in new 3 plug receptacle without marking it with the " No Equipment Grounding" sticker is ILLEGAL !!!

[@Wanderlust1972]

@@rrfields65 isn't the owner allowed to take off the sticker though

[@rrfields65]

@@Wanderlust1972 : No! if someone uses it and gets electrocuted to death thinking it was GFCI , you can be arrested for manslaughter at the minimum and maybe even 1st degree murder if the prosecution can stick depraved intent !

[@Wanderlust1972]

@@rrfields65 whenever I go over my friends houses I always take off those stickers without them knowing because it's funny

[@rrfields65]

@@Wanderlust1972 : well some kind of friend you are! I hope they see this and kick your ass but good!

[@maxcamden3947]

Many valuable bits of information; like how to bend the wire; to me , unskilled, is absolutely priceless. Thank for your time and efforts .

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Awesome! Thank you so much for the good feedback!

[@joecompston4712]

Bro. You are straight to the point, informative and clear. I love your videos. They are extremely helpful. Thank you for posting.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks Joe! I appreciate your feedback!! Happy 4th!!

[@CaseyNeuville]

99.9% of the time, residential houses do not have metal conduit that runs back to the AC panel. Just because there's a metal box doesn't mean it's ground. 🤔

[@jeff5279]

Two things, 1) You want about 6 inches of wire stretching beyond the edges of the box. That gives you plenty of working room. 2) Attach that pigtail to the box regardless of the metal sheathing. There is a lot of paint on that box. I, personally, would NOT trust an old, painted over, probably somewhat corroded, box to permit a proper ground connection. Kudos on the use of the electrical tape. This will guard against arcing and the risk of shorting the screws against the box when you pull that outlet out and put it back. However, grab that roll of tape and wind in around that outlet a couple of passes. This lessens the chance that the tape will just fall off as the glue ages and will give you a thicker layer of protection. Good work. Be safe.

[@deadontarget8503]

Came to say the same thing about 6" of excess to be up to code. I also agree on using the pigtail to ensure a good connection. Wrapping the outlet is optional and more of a preference thing. I personally in the industrial field usually don't tape my outlets as I hate working with outlets that have old gooey tape. But it does serve as an layer of protection from shorting. So each their own on the tape.

[@hernanv.2526]

Good two points! 3. Also make sure to remove the square washer on that outlet mounting screw before screwing it in in order to make the metal-to-metal connection, i.e. truly self-grounding.

[@FireAlarm225]

He should replace that backbox with a new one that one looks like it’s 50 or 40 years old

[@bob19611000]

Clean the crude off the metal box face so you get a good ground when using this approach and as noted this only works if the box is connected to GROUNDED conduit. Frankly the GFI approach seems better if you put it as the lead outlet, this will protect all down stream outlets (just make sure you add the GFI protected and no equipment ground stickers to all the outlets protected).

[@aaronfixesstuff]

I posted another video that explains the process using a GFCI. I agree with you that that is a good solution.

[@Robmancan1987]

Definitely a GFCI with a ground pigtail to the box (Of course only use the pig tail if the box is grounded through conduit and you for sure know the conduit is grounded) is the way to go. If you have enough room for it. Those old boxes can be a little tight lol.

[@mannyfresh7065]

@@aaronfixesstuff for someone like me who isn’t the most handy. I have the metal box conduit and just found out my 3 outlets in my office aren’t grounded. Is doing the “easy” and not gfi still ok?

[@aurvaroy6670]

Then why did the tester show the receptacle is grounded if the metal isn't clean?

[@larrypollard8116]

I had an electrician tell me I had to rewire the whole house even tho I had metal boxes. Thanks for the video, you confirmed what I already knew.

[@arianagm2332]

I mean well obviously you COULD rewire the whole house... And it would be very safe! 🤷🤷🤷

[@basilbaker6025]

Having metal boxes doesn't mean you can simply replace the outlet and connect the ground to the box, you can only do that if you have metal conduit running to all boxes in the house connected back to the panel and then grounded to earth at the panel. In most cases and probably in your case you'll have a NM Cable (Non Metallic Cable) running to all the metal boxes, which means that even if you do install a ground to the box it is not actually giving any protection since it cannot run back to the panel and into earth. That means you'll have one of two options to get your home up to code. You can either protect all of your outlets with ground fault circuit interrupters, or you can completely rewire the home.

[@yoztruli6990]

The metal box has to connected to an equipment grounding conductor per 250.148 of the NEC code. Metal raceways can qualify as an ECG (250.118) but if you have old NM cable that's like Romex without no ground feeding the box then you wouldn't have the effective ground fault current needed to carry current from the point of the ground fault to the source to open the over current device.

[@OilyAnimal3]

New Mexico? I'm in new Mexico trying to figure out my two prongs so I can upgrade to a three but I'm struggling

[@willdorten6867]

Yea, I think I'd just install a GFCI receptacle on an old house instead. I'm not an electrician, but I've worked as an electrician's helper. Just my opinion. From what I've learned, I would rather if at all possible, go the full distance, and run two ground rods outside, 6ft apart I think is the rule. Of course you would likely have to change the whole service panel, unless it is fitted with an option to upgrade. See this is where I couldn't really be certain. I could probably tell when I looked at it. For most, it's more trouble than it's worth. Yes, old houses have less sophisticated electrical wiring, which can be dangerous when it wears from old age, a technical glitch occurs, or a bad storm hits, particularly if lightening strikes, but for the most part, if it ain't broke, why fix it i guess... On the other hand, i've seen what lightening can do to the wiring of a house that isn't fitted with the latest wiring techniques. It's pretty bad, and quite expensive to have repaired. Electricians aren't cheap. I think lead electrician's make around $60/hr. but the equipment costs are factored into that, so technically they aren't bringing that much into their wallet i guess. Am I right? Isn't that about right? Not sure, but I know it's something along those lines. I've been thinking about getting back into that type of work, but I have a lot to learn. Interesting stuff though.

[@detroitos]

Correct. Without a ground path this application would only create a false ground. Professional circuit testers will identify a false ground but the cheaper small testers will not.

[@noconsentgiven]

Checkout Electrical code coach. He just did a video on five ways to wire two to three prong according to nec.

[@LMike2004]

Beat me to it.

[@mikeyd717]

You'll need to see if your metal box has metal conduit of some sort attached. If it doesn't then the box isn't grounded. In which case You can replace the outlet with a GFCI outlet which will gain you some protection from stray current

[@litedesign82]

Worth mentioning that the convenient gold "self-grounding" tab (or "The little guy," as you called it) will only work if the box is metal and grounded, *AND* if the box is flush to the wall. If the box is recessed into the drywall, even a little bit, the clip won't get pressed against the metal box. In that case, you need to screw a pigtail between the hole in the box and the grounding screw on the outlet.

[@gnoong5262]

How can I tell if the box is grounded?

[@alanyoder7629]

The conduit is attached to the breaker box which grounds it. Simply check and verify it.

[@litedesign82]

@@gnoong5262 Use a multi-meter to test the voltage between hot and neutral. Then test between hot and the box. If the voltage is the same, then the box is (probably!) grounded back to the panel.

[@transgreaser]

Thank you!

[@TomCee53]

This is not allowed everywhere. Actually, though, I’m surprised that the outlet didn’t show as grounded to begin with. Every three prong outlet I’ve ever seen has the ground tied to the frame. The brass clip was added because paint or corrosion could get in the ground path. Not everywhere allows grounding through conduit.

[@savoirfaire8979]

This is one of the best videos I have seen thus far on the topic.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

I appreciate the kind feedback!!

[@surferdude642]

Aaron, good job getting a successful outcome. I'm not an electrician either, but my bet is you would get a ground with the old receptacle by removing the paper keepers on the back. Then sand the paint off of the receptacle and the box. You did the right thing by replacing the cruddy receptacle with a quality commercial grade receptacle with a brass spring clip to enhance grounding. I would have left a couple of inches more of wire, might be desirable in the future and there is plenty of room. I would also add the ground wire from the receptacle to the box, there no reason not to. Btw you could have done that to the old receptacle to get your ground. Good point about wrapping electrical tape around screws.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks for the feedback Ted! Funny, a lot of comments said about cutting the extra wire. There was still like 8” in the box, but the camera did not pick it up unfortunately. But I totally agree with you.

[@surferdude642]

@@aaronfixesstuff ok, got it. My house is old (1950) and I recently upgraded the receptacles and noticed some of the wires way too short and hard to work with. In a couple of cases I added length by using a push in connector like a Wago lever lock. I like the Leviton commercial grade receptacles like you used.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@surferdude642 yeah for sure. Those are my favorite!

[@michelleengland5201]

Thanks so much! You learn something new every day, and I learned a couple things watching this video.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Glad to hear!!

[@1999jimi]

You learned how NOT to ground an outlet. Find another CERTIFIED electrician.

[@ALKBeauty]

Thank you so much for this video. I’m closing on a house next month that has quite a few ungrounded plugs and your instructions will really help!!

[@fischb22]

this will likely not help

[@ALKBeauty]

@@fischb22 actually it did. I was able to get all of them switched out, had an electrician check them out after and they were done perfectly…but ok.

[@telundholm]

Thank you! I'm no electrician either but this helped me immensely.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Glad to hear! If you don’t mind hitting that subscribe button, it helps me at no cost to you :)

[@elizabethrogers6897]

I totally got it!!! Great video and very easy to understand. Thank You for sharing this!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Awesome! I’d appreciate if you subscribed (if you haven’t already). It supports me at no cost to you :)

[@elizabethrogers6897]

@@aaronfixesstuff I already subscribed👍🙂

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@elizabethrogers6897 thanks for the support 😎😎😎

[@robertbeyers1308]

I felt this guy give a very good example. The one thing that was not explain which I will explain to you in this post. Is how to ground it from the the grounded metal box if the plug not properly cut into the metal box. You got to make sure the plug is tightly secured to the Box. If you use the breakable outlet cover. You will need that grounding screw to bring the box to the plug. The unbreakable cover you could turn the plug all the way down and still have no ground wire tied to it and use the groundIng the Box. But the number one practice is add the brown wire to the box and to the plug directly to you could confirm you got a proper ground connection. If your box is using a metal plug cover for the plug cover you can skip putting an extra grounding wire from box to plug. When the plug is sticking outside the wall at all times. So I suggest that you use a grounding wire when using a plastic wall plate. Due to you don't know how good that ground connection is going to be. So just use a grounding pigtail it's the best fix.

[@randybeaumier]

I don’t think this is code compliant.

[@Freesingskills19]

you are a super good teacher

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks for the kind feedback!!

[@NLL230]

That was wonderful. Love the electical tape at the end as well and which products to buy

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks! Glad to help!!

[@tevman69]

The key here, I guess, is that the box is connected with metal conduit from the Main Power Panel.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

That is correct.

[@tevman69]

@@aaronfixesstuff - Thanks

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@tevman69 here is a link to a video I made that shows how to fix if the box is not metal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GVcnyfpqqqgMk

[@corygillyard1455]

So the house was wired with AC/BX cabling, I'm I right? If so it should have been grounded automatically unless the bond back to the junction or service panel was broken or loose.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@corygillyard1455 close, in conduit. So that outlet was grounded at one point, but the outlet got messed up.

[@warminster1005]

Thanks, now I can use my grounding mats. Excellent.

[@BigDaddyDax]

Those Milwaukee gloves are some of the best electrical gloves I've ever had... only thing is the wear out quickly

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Agreed. And if you upgrade to the cut level 3 or 5, they are too thick.

[@spencerwyche2552]

Exactly,Milwaukee needs to male a thin glove that can take the wear and tear of a basic electricians day.

[@itzgametimevip1111]

But the outlet is not fit but it's to stuck outlet because of the cover.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@itzgametimevip1111 I’m not sure I understand your question.

[@timbo86051]

Good job,, Love the nylon plates and the black tape is because the box is grounded and we don't want the black screw shorting itself out on the box./mudring

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Exactly!!

[@stevekorte5815]

smart guy useing the sqaure bit on millwakee screwdriver!

[@sidd804PTI]

Thanks Such a nice and simple way to fix open ground problem. I have other question me trailer shows open ground and my exhaust fan dose not work please response Thanks

[@adde9506]

Thanks for mentioning the grounding pigtail. That's a big help. Do you have any tips for cutting/stripping cloth wiring? (Our house has much older greenfield wiring. It is well done and definitely grounded, but we still have some 2 prong outlets.) This was much better explained and demonstrated than the video from Leviton. 😁

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Wow! I really appreciate the feedback! As far as the stripping and cutting, it is the same process as newer wiring. Sometimes a strand will not fully cut, so you can get it with a blade. Let me know if you have any other questions I can help with!

[@adde9506]

@@aaronfixesstuff Thanks!

[@emgeesea3983]

Great job! One question: in older houses (pre 70s), where the box is metal, can you assume that conduit was used and the box is therefore grounded so that using a preferred outlet will work, as described? Or is it the case that the box may still not be grounded even though metal?

[@tomasherrera4994]

Bro that’s was exactly what I was looking for, thanks bro

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Glad to help my guy!!

[@deborahfairbanks4012]

Excellent teacher!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

That means a lot! Thank you :)

[@tedlahm5740]

Not excellent, no explanation where/how the ground became connected to the receptacle?

[@DanSwanson2070]

Congrats on your extended contract with The Packers

[@aaronfixesstuff]

LOL! The contract terms aren’t that good. As you can tell, I needed to start a KZbin channel in order to make some extra $$$ on the side🤣🤣🤣

[@kennethvergado893]

Underrated comment

[@ertanbezen]

That video and this person really helpful. Make me save a lot of money. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that!

[@lordmxm]

How did you get the 2 yellow lights without grounding the outlet? Is that how it’s done? Because I have an older home that has no ground wires and I need to change the outlets.

[@WesterlyPrune99]

So how do you tell if a box is grounded? I’ve seen in my bathrooms electrical box where the light goes there is a white wire connected to a screw in the box I’m assuming that means that it’s the ground wire and it’s grounding the box?

[@rborroto]

If you use a volt meter and test the hot connection in the outlet (smaller of the two holes) with the center screw hole in the box and you get 120 volts, then the box is grounded. The white cable is NEUTRAL, not ground.

[@bertharuiz1225]

Thanks! Good to understand connecting what where n why. I appreciate!

[@mauriceurias6659]

greatly done, thanks man.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thank you sir!!

[@donaldbadgett5971]

Appreciate your video yet if you have N/M romex " without " ground conductor AND plastic boxes would you still get your " grounded condition

[@IcelanderUSer]

I’m in the process of replacing knob and tube in my old house. What surprises me about knob and tube is how there are no junction boxes or even wire connectors at all the different connection points. Just heavily taped.

[@doneyuno_K9]

You still did put that ground wire in it’s just the hot and cold no ground that was a if you show there what you did was just put hot and cold that’s it lol I was just going to do the same but checking on the net to see better but it’s just one thing give it power 🤩 great video thank you

[@nikkomanuel6201]

does the bottom screwhole of the outlet need to be touching the metal box or as long as it is screwed to the metal box will be ok?

[@njsongwriter]

I would have cleaned the paint off the box to be sure but since the tester said it was good, it was good.

[@joelroblin4665]

So I have an outlet that doesnt seem to be grounded. It has a metal box, but is using these thick wooden cylinder spacers. Im guessing this is why its not grounded. Can I simply add a pigtail to solve this from the receptacle to the metal box? It looks like at some point the ground area of the receptacle was kind of sitting on a little tab for the box and maybe thats how it was being grounded? Either way, I am hoping this solves an issue I am having where only 20v is coming in from the hot power source. Although I am not sure how far along the circuit this outlet is... Thanks!

[@SergioLopez-lo5rk]

Arreglé mi basemant gracias al video, i fixed my basemant thanks to video, i apreciate,

[@keithcurry3502]

Very good video and informative Is it possible to ground a ungrounded receptacle at the breaker box? My house was built in 1951 but has a circuit breaker panel but I I just discovered that it was never grounded correctly. Thank you for sharing and any information you can provide.

[@ductran8128]

Thank you for the great video. Could you please confirm that you can only use the self-grounding clip outlet because your housing box is a metal box already, right? If the housing is plastic, it won’t work. You will need to replace the plastic box to metal box to make it works, right? Thanks

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Hi Duc, thanks for the feedback. If the box is plastic, replacing it with a metal box most likely won’t work. Your question was so popular, I made a video that addresses what to do if you have a plastic box. Here is a link to the video: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GVcnyfpqqqgMk

[@JLT1003]

Very helpful video, but it leaves open a big question. I do have a metal box, but no ground wire; how do I know if I have a conduit? Video says this won't work otherwise.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

If you have a voltage meter you can test it. If you have a metal box you likely have conduit as well. But worst case, I made another video that shows what to do if the box is not grounded.

[@doubledforge]

Very helpful, thank you for sharing!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback!

[@unclefreddieDied]

@@aaronfixesstuff if i don't have the metal conduit or metal box... can i jump a ground wire from a different nearby circuit? all coming from the same panel. or... here's what i want to do. install an outlet under the sink.. gonna have to use a gfci anyway. should i just install it ungrounded?

[@AwesomeFuture777]

I have installed a couple of motion auto light switches, single pole. My house light switches don't have a ground. These switches say they don't require a ground, but after installing them, my led light fixtures flicker randomly. I only have a two wire with no ground system. White and black. On one switch the hot is black and the other switch the hot is white. I think wires are crossed somewhere along the line. My question is 1, the black being HOT, is the white considered neutral? I've heard it was, but the switch has terminals marked hot and load. Is load neutral? I see switches on Amazon that say requires neutral but not ground needed. Will these "neutral required" switches work with my wiring? Thanks in advance for your.

[@woofinu]

Good job. Thanks. I learned a few things.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Glad to help!!

[@jameshicks8872]

Thank you my friend

[@butrosmasarweh519]

Awesome video I’ve had a few outlets in my house smell like there burnt and the feel hot I disconnected them so would they be just a bad outlet ther very old as well or should I be worried it something else

[@PilotPlater]

Be worried it's something else, sounds like the beginning of a "this is how my house burnt down" story. Get a pro in there

[@Thumbsdwn]

Are the ends of the wires silver by any chance?

[@gypsystar8006]

Where in the box should you connect the screw ?? Is that the best thing to use ?

[@mikem8443]

Well done, thank you.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thank you!!

[@esam2017]

Thank you so much for the video 👍👍👍

[@tanyaortega5291]

how does that new outlet get ground out of thin air?

[@hansski1995]

It’s grounded to the metal box by the receptacle’s screw and grounding clip on the yoke. Only some receptacles have this grounding feature-they are called “self-grounding” receptacles.

[@tanyaortega5291]

@@hansski1995 i mean you said the old house isnt grounded, there is no ground wire, so for the metal box to be grounded it need to be touching wire or metal thats touching the ground rod buried under the ground. i cud be wrong but thats the way i understand it, so if the receptacle is grounded to the metal box, and the metal box isnt grounded to anything would that be enough to safely ground an appliance? i think that metal box if it isnt grounded to anything else would just provide about 5 volts of coverage

[@Thumbsdwn]

@@tanyaortega5291 he mentioned in the beginning that the wire is run via conduit, therefore being connected to the metal box provides a path to ground, assuming the conduit is properly installed. The method in this video will not work if there is a metal box but no conduit, in that situation the easiest solution is to install a gfci, which he has a video about I believe

[@tongoso]

Hey, I love this video, learned a lot! one quick question, I wanna try to replace an old 2 prong outlet like you did, same thing only 2 cables inside, is there way to know or make sure if the metal box is grounded or not?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

If you have an outlet tester it will tell you. They are pretty cheap and super useful. Glad you found the video helpful!

[@samual8299]

@@aaronfixesstuff what will the outlet tester say if the box is grounded?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@samual8299 what mine shows. The two orange lights will be lit.

[@juantoledo8541]

if you have a multimeter connect one of your leads to your hot wire and the other to the metal box.. if you're showing voltage then the box is grounded

[@jessm1638]

@@aaronfixesstuff replaced a 2 prong outlet with the outlet you mentioned, and tested with multimeter, as Juan Toledo suggested (1 lead to the hot wire and the other lead to metal box) to see if the box was grounded, and it showed voltage, but when I screwed the outlet to the box and tested it…it still shows open ground. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Bluecollarworker]

Without running a separate ground to a chandelier on a 3 way dimmer switch, how can I ground the chandelier? There is no ground wire at the chandelier junction box. just black and white wire..... i need to ground cause led dimmer type

[@edwardhutchinson1093]

Thanks for the info!!

[@junyongzhang]

so just clear to make sure the most important is buying (self ground outlet)like the one you have to replace the old outlet, correct?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Jun Zhang it will only work if you have a metal box and conduit. If not, you can install a GFI.

[@junyongzhang]

@@aaronfixesstuff great thanks

[@junyongzhang]

got it to change last night it works thanks again

[@gegeschannel8836]

Thanks. Bought a house built in the 60s and have a lot of plugs to replace

[@aaronfixesstuff]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@nancyingram966]

What does it mean when the little tester center light comes on and the other light comes on VERY dimly? My tester does that at some receptacles and others it's on or off......not one in dim way. My house was built in stages, originally in 1948, then ??, then another room in 1979. At least three stages. Because the house was added onto, it's possible that some of the walls will have to be demolished, right? I do know that two of my interior walls were exterior walls at some point. Talk about a PAIN!! I think I probably have some metal and mostly plastic boxes for outlets.

[@Dominick_84]

Please update this video and explain to your viewers that the reason your method works that your box is grounded. Also 6 inches of wire is minimum requirement out of the box. Other then that good information video

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Unfortunately you can’t update a video once it’s posted. If you look at the comments, I’ve said that there was more than 6” of wire left after I cut the extra. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@mikelarkin741]

Great video....thanks!

[@jamalbebe1763]

Good video very explanatory

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Awesome! Thanks for the kind feedback!!

[@TheBodrey]

Aaron: If the existing cable has a ground wire would you connect it to the green screw on the receptacle anyway? I ran into a situation today where I'm trying to daisy chain off of a receptacle to add a new one. Problem is, when I plug in the circuit tester it says there's an "open ground". So, I'm wondering if these Leviton 'preferred" receptacles will solve the problem?

[@surferdude642]

The original receptacle must be grounded to the electrical panel and if it has a metal box, it must also be grounded. If not, you'll always have an open ground. No receptacle will solve the problem.

[@danmidkiff5416]

Looking for education. How can you measure/verify that the metal box is actually grounded if there is no ground wire coming into the box? How would you connect your meter leads to make the measurement? I have changed ungrounded 2 prong outlets in an old house, but code says they can only be replaced with GFCI outlets. They cannot be replaced with a 3 prong receptacle without a ground being present. Also, i have just recently learned about the grounding tab on outlets, so that is probably a lot of the answer. Thanx!!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Hi Dan. The easiest way to verify that it is grounded is to get a receptacle tester. It will show two orange lights when grounded. In this situation I did not need a gfci because the box was grounded. You are right about not being allowed to simply use a 3 prong to replace a 2 prong. I made a video to show how to bring it to code if the box is not grounded. Just go to the description box and find the link. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@danmidkiff5416]

@@aaronfixesstuff thanx, Aaron! But, how do I check that the BOX itself is grounded? That's got me stumped.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@danmidkiff5416 put one prong on the hot, one on neutral. That will show 120. Then put one prong on the hot, and the other on the box. If it shows 120, it’s grounded. If not, it’s not grounded.

[@danmidkiff5416]

@@aaronfixesstuff you solved a mystery for me! Thank you! I had my head wrapped around checking resistance, not voltage!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@danmidkiff5416 glad to help!!

[@Redneckhiatt]

This may be a old video but hopefully you reply, ….if I find the “lead/first” outlet and am able to run a ground wire to it to either the ground bar on the box or like a copper grounding rod hammered into the ground in my crawl space then install a gfci with this ground wire attached will this ground all of the outlets following or only the one?

[@surferdude642]

Only the one and never mind the ground rod, you don't connect it there.

[@wholio50]

Yup, i agree with a couple of comments posted. If the GND screw is used, then the box should be grounded as well, right?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Correct. If the box is not grounded, using a pigtail is not gonna do anything. I posted a video to demonstrate what to do in that case.

[@wholio50]

@@aaronfixesstuff yup...i noticed that after i watched the first video. i checked it out..👍

[@tanyaortega5291]

do all old electrical systems have the boxes grounded? how? how is that box grounded , by a grounding wire coming all the way from the main panel?

[@Thumbsdwn]

Not necessarily, but in this case the wire was run via conduit, therefore providing a necessary equipment ground when connecting the ground from the receptacle to the metal box. Since the metal box is connected directly to the conduit, the NEC allows for it to be used as a path to ground.

[@gardnetbush9768]

Wow your information was plan and simple 👏

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thank you!!

[@markmurto]

Not really. He left more real info out than he showed.

[@gardnetbush9768]

@@markmurto ok fill me in cause still have not solved my problem thanks

[@markmurto]

Read all the comments on the video and the solution you may find. Lots of good advice in comments.

[@leroydavis8860]

I have a couple outlets which are in plastic boxes, both are using pigtails connected to the green screw on the outlet, and I'm still getting an open ground. What should I do?

[@athiesen2]

That creates a possible shock hazard as it turns the box into a path for current to flow or be energized waiting for someone to touch it and complete the circuit. Connecting the ground wire to a metal electrical box will energize the box in the event of a short circuit. The box could overheat and start a fire, or someone could get a shock from touching it. There should be an actual ground wire that goes back to the panel that is connected to the metal box and the outlet. New construction requires a metal box to be grounded and the outlet also (see NEC 250.148).

[@bethanyolson6974]

I’m about to update my new home that isn’t grounded or up to code with electrical. It was built in ‘55 and does have copper wiring. Can I do this, before I have my box grounded so it can be out of the way, or should I wait until they come and ground it to replace/update all the outlets. And does it matter which wire goes into which side? Like does the neutral have to go on the left of the outlet or does it matter?

[@surferdude642]

Bethany Olson, based on your 2 questions, I would say no, let them do the whole thing. In the meantime you can educate yourself on residential electrical wiring. There is an enormous amount of information on your smartphone.

[@Paco-hh4jd]

So it doesn’t matter if you connect to the top or bottom screws?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

It does not. It would only matter if you had a light switch that controlled one of the parts of the outlet.

[@Paco-hh4jd]

@@aaronfixesstuff So if I were putting a socket as an end run receptacle I could use the top or bottom screws?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@Paco-hh4jd that is correct. And I recommend closing the other screws and taping the outlet as well.

[@Paco-hh4jd]

@@aaronfixesstuff Thank you so very much!

[@jakeliftsnshreds6670]

If I'm getting buzzing in my guitar amp and recording equipment due to ungrounded outlets, will this cure that?

[@ryanwilson5936]

If any of your gear has a ground loop switch/button, try messing with that. But yes, properly grounded outlets should help your issue dramatically. If after you’ve plugged into a properly grounded outlet and you still have issues after messing with the ground loop switch/buttons again, your dwelling may have poor wiring. It could be something as simple as a loose connection within the outlet and it just needs to be tightened down (that also could be the case with your current outlet). If you don’t have experience with working with your homes electrical system, do not attempt anything. Contact someone that can help you before you touch anything. It isn’t hard work, but it isn’t work for the inexperienced. Basic electrical knowledge is important. I mean, you can change the face plate but don’t go poking around the outlet box with anything. Especially anything conductive like metal (also known as a screwdriver) without first turning off that zone of your homes electrical supply via the fuse box/breaker panel.

[@Johnramusic]

Make sure your cables are balanced and not crossing unbalanced cords. I notice this being the problem 9 times out of 10 when recording bands. Also could be the amp or the guitar itself.

[@alexrios4468]

Thank you for video dude !!!!

[@Mrdealornodeal618]

So the outlets has to say preferred? I replaced a few outlets and they went from grounded to ungrounded and I've used PVC electrical boxes to replace the metal ones. I did ground it to a nearby junction box where i did the splicing but that's apparently not enough. I do notice i have new levinton outlets but they're definitely not preferred.

[@surferdude642]

I think the word "preferred" is a Leviton description. Other vendors may use another term. The thing to look for is "spec grade" a universal definition that is stamped on the receptacle.

[@vdsilva6806]

You are an electrician. Thanks.

[@MikeySocks]

How would the box be grounded but then there’s no actual ground wire as normal like a 14/2 ? What is the box grounded to then ?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

In some houses and apartment buildings the romex was run through conduit which acts as a ground. So if the box is metal you just need to attach to it. If you don’t have conduit, I posted a separate video with what to do. You can find it in the video description box.

[@MikeySocks]

@@aaronfixesstuff ok thanks for the info!!!

[@BobbaFett312]

does it matter if you connect to top screws or bottom screws on receptacle? on gfci it does matter, but how about this one?

[@tonytony6912]

Great video

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks Tony!! Much appreciated!

[@bkhoavo]

So how did you fix it? I couldn't find the part where you connect the ground wire to anywhere.

[@tamerthehun9536]

Hi Aaron, bought the same receptacle and didn’t ground it still shows open ground!?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

I am assuming that your box is either plastic, or there is no conduit. If that’s the case, in the description of the video I put a solution for that.

[@tamerthehun9536]

@@aaronfixesstuff it is metal. I see a screw at the end of the box, should I try to pigtail it?

[@estebanbaltierrez4549]

I learned the hard-way to use tape, I was working on a clusterF quad outlet and when pushed everything…. Pum

[@oswaldmazzetta2461]

EXCELLENT POST. VERY INFORMATIVRE.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thank you!

[@djjamminm]

I have a couple outlets that are grounded and some aren't, I bout a house last year, and I want to get the outlets grounded that are not grounded, if some are and some aren't does that mean the self preferred grounding outlets will work like in your video? if some are grounded wouldn't the metal box be grounded? thanks

[@surferdude642]

No, the metal box has to be grounded already.

[@itsjrj]

Might be a silly question but do the gloves stop you from being shocked?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Not silly at all! They do not, as they are not insulated. That’s why I recommend that people should not work on live wires. They protect you from minor cuts and scrapes however. There are different levels of protection gloves provide based on the coating they have.

[@itsjrj]

@@aaronfixesstuff Thank you

[@wcottee]

We have an outlet where the bottom plug is OK but the top shows an open ground. Am going to look into it tomorrow (probably replace the outlet).

[@maxheadroom8857]

When that happens, it means the receptacle is worn and ready to be replaced, as the ground terminal in one outlet on the duplex is stretched and loose.

[@DuyDepTraiPhoBaTrieu]

Hi, so the ground is the green screw that is it? No extra wire is required?

[@VinSpacker]

You used that test plug to verify ground connection, but is it possible to use a multimeter to test for ground? If so, how?

[@surferdude642]

Yes, one probe in the hot slot and the other in the ground opening. If you read approximately 120v AC, then ground is verified.

[@surrealartisan4625]

I have no ground wire. So should I get a metal electrical box and a preferred outlet? I was a bit nervous about this because I have a tv to it.

[@mxed1916]

If you are not sure what kind of installation you have, just buy a GFCI outlet. Cost just a bit more and has a similar function to grounded outlets.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Here is a video that might help you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GVcnyfpqqqgMk

[@riclf]

Sorry to be so lame, but how can I tell if the metal box has a metal conduit attached for grounding? My house was built in 1955 (versus 1970!). Seeing this video I'd like to use this technique if it were possible. How can I verify my box can be used as a ground without removing it from inside the wall hole?

[@maxheadroom8857]

If you have a tester such as the one shown and you have a 2 prong outlet, get a 3 prong adapter, remove the face plate hold down screw, and plug the adapter in. Screw the tab down wth the wall plate screw. Test the outlet with the tester. If it shows ground, the box has a ground wire behind it, grounding the box to the panel. In such cases on an older home with an older metal box, you can jump a ground pigtail to the receptacle from the box, using a grounding clip to attach the pigtail to the box. My house was built in 1955. I used a grounding pigtail clipped to the box to legally ground the GFCI in my bathroom when I replaced my grounded outlet.

[@weareantiestablishment]

Does this help with sleep and overall leading a happier and healthier life? As electronics become much more prevalent in society, it feels as though the weight of the world is getting heavier with all the frequencies at play. I remember much simpler times where i’d wake up feeling light and now it feels like I have to move through a ton of toxic emf waste just to get my eyes to open.

[@seanstransformationjourney2682]

May be a dumb question. If you cut the power to that outlet, what did u test at 3:20 ?

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Not a dumb question at all. That beep indicates that there is no high voltage running through the voltage meter. So in other words, just making sure that there is no 120 at the outlet. Another safety measure.

[@surferdude642]

It looks like you connected your meter to the hot and the neutral and got a beep. A beep usually means voltage is present. Please explain.

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@surferdude642 can you comment with the time you have a question about?

[@surferdude642]

@@aaronfixesstuff at 3:20

[@aaronfixesstuff]

@@surferdude642 that beep indicates continuity. If there were 120, the meter would indicate that.

[@tedlahm5740]

The old duplex receptacle had an equipment ground prong. Why was it not grounded ( from the metal box) as the new receptacle is? thanks

[@aaronfixesstuff]

I’m not sure why it wasn’t, that’s a great question!

[@ryanwilson5936]

Speaking from experience, more than likely ignorance.

[@tedlahm5740]

Ryan Wilson A wild guess would be. The old duplex receptacle was an Isolated Ground IG type, although never connected as such. Thank you.

[@tedlahm5740]

@@aaronfixesstuffIsolated ground receptacle.

[@tedlahm5740]

@@aaronfixesstuffIsolated ground receptacle.

[@joanbarber5384]

Can I replace 13 outlets in my house that has all 2 prong ones with GFCI outlets??? They will all be grounded then right?

[@surferdude642]

No, they should protect individuals from serious shock, but if there's no ground wire, there's no grounding.

[@joanbarber5384]

Okay now I understand. I went on amazon typed in grounded outlets. It showed the one you had. Thanks because the ones I was going to get cost tons more.

[@dutchleussink156]

Thank You Sir 👍

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Glad to help

[@SuperCuttysark]

I am confused about the ground. With will grounding it to the box energize the box if something goes wrong? or will the circuit trip first when it detects something and the box energizes rather than whats plugged into it?

[@eugenewong2982]

"Will grounding it to the box energize the box if something goes wrong?". The short/simple answer... Yes. The box will be "energized", BUT only for a moment while it carries the current then causing the circuit breaker to trip. In this video, the box in the wall is metal, and it is connected back to the electrical panel with metal conduit, which presents a solid grounding path. By connecting the grounding terminal of the outlet to the wall box with a pigtail (which is required by N.E.C.), the ground path is assured, AND any 3-prong corded device (in proper working condition) that is plugged into this outlet will be connected to this grounding system. This grounding path is a low resistance secondary path which will trip the circuit breaker if/when a fault situation occurs (i.e. voltage leakage to the metal box or metal conduit). Of course, there is more to it, but this is what it boils down to. I will also add... please do not assume that just because you have a metal wall box, and what may look to be metal conduit coming into it, means that you have a reliable/solid grounding path available. To confirm this, a professional electrician should be consulted.

[@SuperCuttysark]

@@eugenewong2982 HAHAHA Thanks I asked a "professional" about the metal box not having a ground back to the panel, but he told me it was okay to ground into the metal box alone.

[@macjeffff]

Excellent video!

[@aaronfixesstuff]

Thanks Jeff!!

[@ScipioAndycanus]

Did you remove the paper square behind the self-grounding tab?

[@markmurto]

Actually, the $4 outlet he used has only the paper on the top screw, and a metal retainer on the bottom by design. But you are correct about that if using a $1 outlet. Remove the paper screw retainer for better contact.

[@ILikeRagtime]

Great Video! I think I would have mentioned that the white wire with the Black paint on it indicates a HOT wire. Real Good Video....keep posting.

[@MichaelNY78]

Hi. How to ground this outlet if you don't have a metal box Inside?

[@tedlahm5740]

Can not. need to replace with a GFCI receptacle.