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(LIFE SAFETY WARNING! Electricity is dangerous!

You can be injured or killed!

Improper installations can cause fire, injury and death!

Should you be doing this yourself?)

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions included with the GFCI device. <><><>

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

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13y ago
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12y ago

It all depends on the type of receptacle and where in the circuit it is. The simplest is when it is at the "end of the line", meaning no other outlets, fixtures, etc are served by the cable. In this case, the bare copper wire enters the outlet box and secured to the grounding screw in the box, then to the ground screw (usually marked green) on the receptacle. The white wire (neutral) is connected to the neutral (usually silver) terminal on the receptacle. The black wire (hot) is connected to the brass terminal.

If power is supplied to other outlets/fixtures "down line" then the neutral/white wire and ground/bare copper wires need to have "pigtails" attached. These are short pieces of wire. eg. power in cable enters box - white wire is joined to a pigtail(small piece of white wire) and to the outgoing cable's white wire with a wire nut. The other end of the white wire pigtail is attached to the silver terminal on the receptacle. The same applies to the bare copper grounding wire with the addition that it is also joined to the grounding screw in the outlet box. Both the hot black wire entering and leaving the outlet box can be connected to the two brass terminals of the receptacle (no pigtail is required.)

The above does NOT necessarily apply if a) the cable entering or leaving the outlet box has three insulated wires (black, red, and white) or if the receptacle is a split duplex type with the connector tab between the two terminals on either side of the receptacle broken off.

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Q: How do you ground a receptacle that has two wire?
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Can you change outlet to fit old 3 prong outlet?

An old 2 hole receptacle can be changed to a 3 hole receptacle that will accept a 3 prong plug, provided a ground wire is available at the box and connected to the ground (green) lug on the new receptacle. A 2 hole receptacle has a hot and neutral wire, while a 3 hole receptacle will require a ground wire connection -- in addition to the hot and neutral wires.


Your electric stove has a 3 prong plug your new stove has a 4 prong stove you bought a new 4 prong outlet but on your old outlet it oly has 3 wires no ground wire how do you ground it?

Look in the back of the range receptacle box that is in the wall. The three wires coming in should have a bare ground wire in the cable set. It wasn't brought to the receptacle because there was no place for it on the three wire receptacle If you find it back there under a screw terminal just add another short piece of wire under the screw and then connect the other end of the short wire to the new ground terminal on the new four position receptacle The wire should be equal in size to the size of the wire that exists around the ground terminal now. If the house is so old that the range cable did not have a ground wire in it the code allows a separate green ground #10 wire to be taken from the breaker panel box to the existing range receptacle This wire is to be bonded on each end. At the panel end to the ground buss and at the receptacle end around the ground screw at the back of the box unbroken and then to the new four position receptacle ground lug.


If you have an electrical outlet that has 2 prongs you have a room heater which has 3 prongs - you have attached a 2 prong adapter however after a while the adapter melts Should you buy a new one?

What should be done in this situation is to change out the two blade receptacle to a three blade receptacle. Depending on how old the house wiring is, will depend on whether there is a ground wire in the two wire cable that the house was wired with. It sounds like the old two blade receptacle is worn out and it is the looseness between it and the adapter that is causing the problem. A room heater can be about 1500 watts and that adjusts to 12.5 amps that is heating up and melting your adapter. A new three blade receptacle will be tighter and it will not heat up. If there is a ground wire in the back of the receptacle's junction box attach it to the new receptacle. If there isn't a ground wire in the junction box, replace the receptacle anyhow, it will be much safer that the set up that you have now.


Is there an adapter for a NEMA 14-30 male plug to a NEMA 10-30 female receptacle?

No there is no adapter. Change your old dryer receptacle NEMA 10-30 to a new NEMA 14-30. This will allow you to plug the new dryer cord into the old wiring.Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.Range receptacle three to fourLook in the back of the dryer receptacle box that is in the wall. The three wires coming in should have a bare ground wire in the cable set. It wasn't brought to the receptacle because there was no place for it on the three wire receptacle. If you find it back there under a screw terminal just add another short piece of wire under the screw and then connect the other end of the short wire to the new ground terminal (G) on the new four position receptacle. The wire should be equal in size to the size of the wire that exists around the ground terminal now. If the house is so old that the dryer cable did not have a ground wire in it the code allows a separate green ground #10 wire to be taken from the breaker panel box to the existing range receptacle. This wire is to be bonded on each end. At the panel end to the ground buss and at the receptacle end around the ground screw at the back of the box unbroken and then to the new four position receptacle ground lug (G).Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliancesalways use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.


Should a 3 wire 250 volt drier be grounded?

Yes, most definitely. Provisions for the ground wire in the dryer receptacle should be used. The feeder cable's ground wire is first grounded to the receptacle's junction box ground screw and then taken to the receptacle's ground terminal. The dryer plug configuration will match up to the dryers four wire plug in cable. When the plug is connected into the dryer receptacle the ground terminals of both devices will match and the ground wire will be continuous from the voltage source at the distribution panel and complete the circuit at the dryer. This low impedance electrical path will conduct any ground fault that could occur at the dryer and trip the feeder breaker of the dryer circuit, there by removing the fault current from the dryer circuit.

Related questions

Can you change outlet to fit old 3 prong outlet?

An old 2 hole receptacle can be changed to a 3 hole receptacle that will accept a 3 prong plug, provided a ground wire is available at the box and connected to the ground (green) lug on the new receptacle. A 2 hole receptacle has a hot and neutral wire, while a 3 hole receptacle will require a ground wire connection -- in addition to the hot and neutral wires.


How do you extend the electric outlet at the basement?

Parallel connect the new receptacle to a receptacle in the existing circuit. Black (hot) existing to black (new), white existing to white (new), ground existing to ground (new). Make the ground wire coming into the new receptacle box longer so that it can be looped around the ground screw located in the receptacle box first and then connect to the receptacle without having a break in the wire.


Your electric stove has a 3 prong plug your new stove has a 4 prong stove you bought a new 4 prong outlet but on your old outlet it oly has 3 wires no ground wire how do you ground it?

Look in the back of the range receptacle box that is in the wall. The three wires coming in should have a bare ground wire in the cable set. It wasn't brought to the receptacle because there was no place for it on the three wire receptacle If you find it back there under a screw terminal just add another short piece of wire under the screw and then connect the other end of the short wire to the new ground terminal on the new four position receptacle The wire should be equal in size to the size of the wire that exists around the ground terminal now. If the house is so old that the range cable did not have a ground wire in it the code allows a separate green ground #10 wire to be taken from the breaker panel box to the existing range receptacle This wire is to be bonded on each end. At the panel end to the ground buss and at the receptacle end around the ground screw at the back of the box unbroken and then to the new four position receptacle ground lug.


How do you install a 12v power receptacle on your motorcycle?

Run a fused power line from the receptacle to either the battery for constant Hot or to the fuse box for an ignition controlled receptacle and ground the receptacle either by mounting on a metal surface or run a ground wire from the body of the receptacle to a good chasis ground


If you have an electrical outlet that has 2 prongs you have a room heater which has 3 prongs - you have attached a 2 prong adapter however after a while the adapter melts Should you buy a new one?

What should be done in this situation is to change out the two blade receptacle to a three blade receptacle. Depending on how old the house wiring is, will depend on whether there is a ground wire in the two wire cable that the house was wired with. It sounds like the old two blade receptacle is worn out and it is the looseness between it and the adapter that is causing the problem. A room heater can be about 1500 watts and that adjusts to 12.5 amps that is heating up and melting your adapter. A new three blade receptacle will be tighter and it will not heat up. If there is a ground wire in the back of the receptacle's junction box attach it to the new receptacle. If there isn't a ground wire in the junction box, replace the receptacle anyhow, it will be much safer that the set up that you have now.


What do you do with the green wire from a light if the receptacle doesn't have one?

Green typically represents a ground so you would connect to the bare wire at receptacle or look for a green headed screw.


Is there an adapter for a NEMA 14-30 male plug to a NEMA 10-30 female receptacle?

No there is no adapter. Change your old dryer receptacle NEMA 10-30 to a new NEMA 14-30. This will allow you to plug the new dryer cord into the old wiring.Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.Range receptacle three to fourLook in the back of the dryer receptacle box that is in the wall. The three wires coming in should have a bare ground wire in the cable set. It wasn't brought to the receptacle because there was no place for it on the three wire receptacle. If you find it back there under a screw terminal just add another short piece of wire under the screw and then connect the other end of the short wire to the new ground terminal (G) on the new four position receptacle. The wire should be equal in size to the size of the wire that exists around the ground terminal now. If the house is so old that the dryer cable did not have a ground wire in it the code allows a separate green ground #10 wire to be taken from the breaker panel box to the existing range receptacle. This wire is to be bonded on each end. At the panel end to the ground buss and at the receptacle end around the ground screw at the back of the box unbroken and then to the new four position receptacle ground lug (G).Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliancesalways use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.


Should a 3 wire 250 volt drier be grounded?

Yes, most definitely. Provisions for the ground wire in the dryer receptacle should be used. The feeder cable's ground wire is first grounded to the receptacle's junction box ground screw and then taken to the receptacle's ground terminal. The dryer plug configuration will match up to the dryers four wire plug in cable. When the plug is connected into the dryer receptacle the ground terminals of both devices will match and the ground wire will be continuous from the voltage source at the distribution panel and complete the circuit at the dryer. This low impedance electrical path will conduct any ground fault that could occur at the dryer and trip the feeder breaker of the dryer circuit, there by removing the fault current from the dryer circuit.


Three wire outlet to four wire outlet 240?

A four wire receptacle would normally be used in a poly phase circuit. For example, a 240 VAC branch will have two "hot" wires (conductors), one neutral (grounded) conductor, and a grounding conductor. Older circuits for dryers and ovens, for example, used only three wires. New NEC standards allow for the use of a four conductor arrangement so all conductors are delivered to the receptacles on the branch. When replacing the three wire receptacle with a four wire receptacle, you should run a new branch which includes all of the necessary conductors to make the connection correctly. Otherwise, connect only the three that you need. This is unsafe, though, since any subsequent homeowner may assume that the receptacle is fully wired (as they should). This would also be illegal in the eyes of the NEC. &lt;&lt;&gt;&gt; A four blade dryer plug is the new code and should not be changed to a three blade cord. What should be done is to change the three blade receptacle to a four blade receptacle. The only difference in the receptacle wiring is that the position of the neutral wire and the addition of a ground wire being brought out to the dryer on a separate blade to match the ground wire on the plug. Shut the circuit to the dryer to the off position. Opening up the receptacle you will find now two hot wires to the outside blades and a neutral to the center pin. Look in the back of the box and you will see a ground wire wrapped around a screw that grounds the dryer feed wire. From this ground wire add an extension of six inches. This new wire then connects to the fourth terminal on the new four blade receptacle. Looking at the new receptacle you should have the two hot wires on the outside terminals X and Y, white (neutral) to the L shaped W blade and the newly installed ground wire to the U shaped ground G blade. This receptacle is a NEMA 14-30R, 3 pole 4 wire grounding receptacle.


How do you wire a 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 wire receptacle?

Using a red wire nut hook the 3 wires (of the same color) together with a short piece of wire of the same color. You now have 4 wires tied together. Now take the other end of the short wire and attach it to the outlet on the correct screw Do the same with the other 2 wires Please keep in mind to make sure the wire nut has securely fastened the wires. Loose connections cause heat which cause fire If you do not completely understand this answer please contact a qualified electrician


What are the common wiring in a receptacle?

Black wire is HOT, white wire is NEUTRAL and bare or green wire is GROUND. The black wire goes to brass colored screw, the white wire goes to silver colored screw and the bare wire goes to green screw that is connected to the metal "frame" of the receptacle.


How do you wire an outlet with 2 hot and 2 neutral screws with a wire that has only 1 hot and 1 neutral wire along with a ground wire?

The very first thing you do is shut the power off to that circuit if you are going to work on it. A regular duplex receptacle has 5 screws on it. With the receptacle facing you and the U ground pin facing down, the left side (neutral blade, silver screws) connects to the white (neutral) incoming wire. The right side (hot blade, gold screws) connects to the black (hot) incoming wire. The ground wire connects to the green screw on the receptacle Strip and wrap the wires around the appropriate screws. This leaves you two more screws on either side, tighten them snug as no wires go under them. Reinstall the receptacle back into the wall and turn the power back on.