My grandmothers home is 1960s construction, and still has a few outlets that are 2 prong only. I've helped on a new electrical install, but never worked on existing. Do I just buy a new outlet and wire it in? Or is there more to it?

If you don't know the answer then let a professional do it. Electrical work is not something to mess around with. Depending on where you are located i can recommend someone

My grandmothers home is 1960s construction, and still has a few outlets that are 2 prong only. I've helped on a new electrical install, but never worked on existing. Do I just buy a new outlet and wire it in? Or is there more to it?

Electrical work can range from the relatively simple to super complicated. Typically outlets and such are on the simple side. Go down to the library and grab yourself a basic DIY electrical book or do some research online. If you get past the first chapter and can't comprehend, then call a pro. 

 

Otherwise buy some gloves, light kit, etc and have at it. Just remember to turn the breakers off and test the wire first.

Gloves?

you will have to run new wire with that 3 prong plug has the panel been updated, or do you still screw in the fuses ?

Panel is up to date. If I have to run new wire I'm not going to bother.

I concur. I'd let a professional electrician handle it. If your internal wiring does not have a "ground" wire (the use of the 3rd prong), the recipticle won't matter. Also, if the recepticle is near a water source (i.e.  a sink, etc.) you might also be required to install a GFI (Ground faulted interrupt) recepticle.

IANAE.   Definitely call an electrician.

Panel is up to date. If I have to run new wire I'm not going to bother.

That is good means the ground bar is their and should also have ground bars added outside.

 

yes 2 wire with ground will have to be added for the ground..

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cerrowire-250-ft-14-2-NM-B-Wire-147-1472G/202304609?N=bm7v#.UoFVkvmTiSo

Since you said only a few outlets are still 2 prong, I'd look in the outlet box first, once you know what to look for.   My old house had one or two rooms with 2 prong outlets, but once I looked, there was in fact a (verified good) ground wire present--they'd just never bother to install grounded outlets in those rooms.  It was an easy fix, in that case.

Many older homes were wired in BX cable, the armor shielding also serving as a ground. In the correct metal boxes the ground connection is made by the clamp that secures the cable to the metal box. Then a ground wire can be run from that box (via a separate screw in the back of the box) to the receptacle. If for some reason you do not have that type of wire, and somehow someone only ran a two conductor wire, then you are out of luck. There are still homes out there with Knob and Tube wiring in them........... Most homes are wired with Romex cable (two or more insulated wires with a separate non-insulated wire used for ground).

 

Carefully take a look at what you have inside one of those boxes and let us know. Also, take a look at the wiring going into your main panel box.

 

Half of my house is BX, half is Romex.

Might be worth having a pro look at it. Depending when in the 60's it was built you could have aluminum wiring and is a fire hazard worth replacing. If the wrong outlets are used with aluminum wiring you have a definite fire hazard. Would give serious consideration to at least consulting a pro if you are unsure.

First thing,  you are helping your grandmother change the outlets right?  It's against the law for a unlicensed person to do work on anything but there own residence.

 

Now that that's out of the way.

 

 

http://www.nojolt.com/GFCI_installation.shtml

 

 

Make sure power is off!!!!!!

 

Take the receptacle out and look in the box.  If there is a bare copper wire or a green coated wire, then you are good to go just hook up a new receptacle.

 

If only 2 wires, and the wires are copper,  just replace the receptacle with a GFI receptacle.  Attach the black (hot) and white (neutral) wires to the appropriate sides of the receptacle and put it back in the wall.

 

Good to go.

If the house was wired in the 60's or even the 50's it should have grounded metal boxes.  Look inside the box, if there is an un insulated wire screwed to the box you are good to go.  What you need to get is a self grounding 3 prong outlet.  These can be identified by the little copper colored tab that retains one of the screws that hold it into the box. Option B is to ground the outlet to that copper wire.  You will still need to ground the box as well.   Dont just take the ground wire off the box and attach it to the outlet.  This will require the use of wirenuts and scrap tails of wire.  Choice A is the easy way.

This is a legitimate way to do this and completely safe.  The reason why the box is grounded and the outlet only has 2 prongs is simple, cords did not yet have the 3 prong style yet. 

The safest way to cary out this work is to turn the main breaker off.  This eliminates all guessing, main is off, outlet is off.  Dont be scared of it!  Remember, black wire goes to the brass screw, white wire goes to the silver screw, ground (if you are going that route) goes to the green screw. 

When done, test it with one of the little outlet testers with the lights in it to tell you its good or bad.

If your house has the AC cable (coiled steel looking stuff that is very uncoperative) PM me.

Ken

First thing, you are helping your grandmother change the outlets right? It's against the law for a unlicensed person to do work on anything but there own residence.

 

 

Oh I live here. Why admit it if I don't have to haha

More then likely you dont need to run any wire ,, unless its knob and tube and being built in the 60s its BX or the silver romex ( the silver is rat poison ) .

Get a cheep wiggy tester , its a simple tester and HD has them for 20 bucks.

your small prong is the hot, put the wiggy in that and the other to ground , if you get a light or buzz, it has a ground and your good to go , chances are its a steel box with BX so You should use a ground tail. if romex and a plastic box land the ground on the outlet . Years ago they tied the ground on the outside so use a ground tail and screw it into the box with green Ground screw ( steel box)

Dont be surprised if the wires are short just wire nut some tails on them to make them longer . Use the proper colors.

If i need to tell you turn off the breaker then dont do it.

Gloves?

Yeah. Basic safety equipment for someone dealing with electric unless something has changed recently. Hence the classification system; Class 00 - 4 as specified by OSHA I believe. I'm sure many don't use gloves. Then again, a friend of mine who is a plumber used to check his work for gas leaks with a lighter. I wouldn't recommend that nor would I recommend going into a panel without gloves. 

If the house was wired in the 60's or even the 50's it should have grounded metal boxes.  Look inside the box, if there is an un insulated wire screwed to the box you are good to go.  What you need to get is a self grounding 3 prong outlet.  These can be identified by the little copper colored tab that retains one of the screws that hold it into the box. Option B is to ground the outlet to that copper wire.  You will still need to ground the box as well.   Dont just take the ground wire off the box and attach it to the outlet.  This will require the use of wirenuts and scrap tails of wire.  Choice A is the easy way.

This is a legitimate way to do this and completely safe.  The reason why the box is grounded and the outlet only has 2 prongs is simple, cords did not yet have the 3 prong style yet. 

The safest way to cary out this work is to turn the main breaker off.  This eliminates all guessing, main is off, outlet is off.  Dont be scared of it!  Remember, black wire goes to the brass screw, white wire goes to the silver screw, ground (if you are going that route) goes to the green screw. 

When done, test it with one of the little outlet testers with the lights in it to tell you its good or bad.

If your house has the AC cable (coiled steel looking stuff that is very uncoperative) PM me.

Ken

 

Great job Ken...

 

Im glad someone stepped up and could put a response in a simple, informative way for OP. It seems that OP had the sense enough to ask for help before he started randomly changing outlets so Im sure he'd be capable of either knowing, or learning the appropriate means to install them

 

Im all for people learning skills to be self reliant. A simple "leave it alone and call a pro" response when you can easily learn something (as ken has demonstrated) is stopping the conversation before it even starts.

Yeah I appreciate the tips. Im a pretty handy guy, but I just wanted to get opinions before diving in.

Great job Ken...

 

Im glad someone stepped up and could put a response in a simple, informative way for OP. It seems that OP had the sense enough to ask for help before he started randomly changing outlets so Im sure he'd be capable of either knowing, or learning the appropriate means to install them

 

Im all for people learning skills to be self reliant. A simple "leave it alone and call a pro" response when you can easily learn something (as ken has demonstrated) is stopping the conversation before it even starts.

Changing an outlet is really not that hard.  With a little advice on the situation almost anyone here could do it. 

I come from the school of thought that the only dumb question is teh question not asked.  The OP will probably be just fine since he knew enough to seek out electrical advice from a bunch of gun nuts!  LOL!

Its all good!

Ken

First thing,  you are helping your grandmother change the outlets right?  It's against the law for a unlicensed person to do work on anything but there own residence.

 

Now that that's out of the way.

 

 

http://www.nojolt.com/GFCI_installation.shtml

 

 

Make sure power is off!!!!!!

 

Take the receptacle out and look in the box.  If there is a bare copper wire or a green coated wire, then you are good to go just hook up a new receptacle.

 

If only 2 wires, and the wires are copper,  just replace the receptacle with a GFI receptacle.  Attach the black (hot) and white (neutral) wires to the appropriate sides of the receptacle and put it back in the wall.

 

Good to go.

Still need the ground.

Still need the ground.

It is 100 legal by the NEC to install a gfi receptacle in place of an ungrounded two prong receptacle and marking it as no equipment t ground with the provided stickers.

 

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

 

Still need the ground.

refer to NEC 210.7(d)(3)(b) A nongrounding -type receptacle(s)shall be permitted to be replaced with a ground-fault circuitinterrupter-type of receptacle(s) These receptacles shall be marked "No Equipment Ground". An equipment grounding conductor shall not be connected from the ground-fault circuit interrupter-type rec. to any outlet supplied from the GFCI.

 

 

This configuration will not work with surge suppressors, but do the primary job of preventing electrical shock to a person.