rubin@function.mps.ohio-state.edu (Karl Rubin) (08/09/90)
I have just moved into the third floor of an old house with very old wiring, and I would like to be able to plug in my computer. None of the outlets are grounded, and none of the outlet boxes are grounded. Question: How can I ground an outlet so that it is safe both for me and my computer? I will only be renting this place for a year, so I am not interested in major rewiring. It has been suggested that I could connect the ground wire to the neutral wire in the outlet. Will this be safe? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks for your help.
dbell@cup.portal.com (David J Bell) (08/09/90)
>I have just moved into the third floor of an old house with very old >wiring, and I would like to be able to plug in my computer. None of >the outlets are grounded, and none of the outlet boxes are grounded. > Question: How can I ground an outlet so that it is safe both for > me and my computer? >I will only be renting this place for a year, so I am not interested in >major rewiring. It has been suggested that I could connect the ground >wire to the neutral wire in the outlet. Will this be safe? Does anyone >have any other suggestions? Thanks for your help. ARRRGGHH!! DON'T just use the Neutral as a ground - one reason for providing a safety ground is in case of loss of the Neutral. The easiest thing that comes to mind is to go to the local hardware store and get one of those grounding adapters for each outlet you need. For the computer system, I'd suggest a power/surge supressor strip for all the power cords, and one adapter plug for the strip to plug into. Check to determine if the steel box of the outlet is grounded; most are, even in non-grounding outlet (old) systems. If so, the metal tab on the plug side of the adapter goes under the cover screw and completes the ground. If not, you'll have to run a wire, at least 14 ga., to the nearest cold water pipe and clamp it on with either an electrical grounding clamp made for the purpose or an automotive hose clamp. Dave dbell@cup.portal.com
adams@swbatl.sbc.com (Tom Adams - 235-7459) (08/09/90)
>ARRRGGHH!! DON'T just use the Neutral as a ground - one reason for >the ground. If not, you'll have to run a wire, at least 14 ga., to >the nearest cold water pipe and clamp it on with either an electrical >grounding clamp made for the purpose or an automotive hose clamp. You should also be aware that new copper plumbing in old houses is often electrically isolated from the older galvanized iron plumbing. This is done to prevent corrosion problems between the different metals. For a years rental you're probally just as well going with grounding adapters unless the outlet is particularly hazardous (e.g. a washing machine outlet in a damp basement). -- uunet!swbatl!adams or adams@swbatl.sbc.com Tom Adams: 314-235-7459: Southwestern Bell Telephone Advanced Technology Lab BOOKS WANTED: pre-1930 radio, electrical & scientific topics
dya@unccvax.uncc.edu (York David Anthony @ WRPL Wadesboro, NC) (08/10/90)
In article <1990Aug8.213846.20482@zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu>, rubin@function.mps.ohio-state.edu (Karl Rubin) writes: > Can I connect the ground wire to the neutral wire? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. NEUTRAL IS NOT GROUND. The whole point of a safety ground are 1) to place the chassis of the equipment at the bonding potential of local earth (e.g. water pipe) 2) to prevent RFI/EMI from being a hassle (sometimes a problem where mutiple feeds have large inductive loads on some of them) and 3) TO SAFELY CONDUCT A FAULT CURRENT FROM THE MAINS TO THE CHASSIS OF THE EQUIPMENT LONG ENOUGH SO THAT PROTECTION DEVICES CAN OPEN THE CIRCUIT. The proper way to do this is to have a licensed electrician rewire the outlet PROPERLY for Class I use. Period. I almost lost my wife this way because some asshole installed 3-wire outlets and depended on the metallic armour in my aincent house to conduct the fault current. The frame of the refrigerator rose to line potential when the defrost heater shorted to its frame. Can you say "let go potential" Sure. I knew you could. Even if the neutral were to short to the equipment chassis, there is almost always a potential between neutral and ground because of the resistance in the neutral circuit. Screw the computer. It's your life we're talking about, man. York David Anthony WRPL (FM) Wadesboro, NC