Absolutely impeccable video..very clear and detailed. I learned something today, thank you for sharing your knowledge and for putting together such an awesome video...5 stars!
As a electricien in the Netherlands i am amazed about the way this is made!A metal box(so it will conduct electrity) and a inner socket with open connections to the hot wire and neutral wire.And the earth wire without shielding! As i see this,its a shortcut waiting to happen!!And you know it,because you have to put electrical tape around to prevent that to happen..We never use a metal box with the only excepting of the breaker box in our electrical system.And even that is more and more times made off plastic.So i can proudly say that we have the safest electrical system in Europe!!
This is by design, you want any exposed hot wire to short in the box and not involve a person. By using a non-metallic box you reduce the chance of having a sufficient return path to conduct enough current to trip the breaker - allowing the possibility of an exposed hot wire to send current over a number of paths for an extended period of time (again, possibly) resulting in heat buildup, arcing, and an electrical fire.
Thanks for the video. My people in Vietnam would just said this box near other box so they must be continuity, no check whatsoever. But you, you take a step further and double check it, I really like that. It's really profesional to not assume anything and always testing before handling. Also I have a question, should the ground wire be naked or insulated?
Saved this to my playlist. Your quality in explaining and demonstration is unparalleled! I have a question, excuse my ignorance, and anyone that actually knows is more than welcome to respond. He replaced the wire between the two, which has a 3rd ground wire. That was connected to the previous outlet, and then to the outlet he took apart. Why the screw? Hypothetically speaking, if an outlet in an older home is changed out in the same manner, but there is NO screw at the box being changed, must there me a screw through the metal box into the studs, connecting the ground that is 'pigtailed'? Extremely ignorant question I'm sure, sorry. Thank you for the video! Definitely subbed!
excellent video. I love your attention to little details. It seems that very few electricians now adays take the time to wrap the outlet with electrical tape or in some cases don't even take the time to screw down the unused terminals. I have a situation in my house where the cable company is reading a about 50 volt charge back feeding one of the coax lines. The technician thinks it could be an open ground. Any suggextions would be appreciated.
FWIW. There is no Neutral wire in either box. It is a grounded conductor, according to the code book. All the rest is educational and helpful. Thank you for showing the value of checking everything for correct connections and voltage. Also for using a voltage detector repeatedly. These little tools are priceless. Also. Many choose to use a crimp sleeve or a green wire nut. The crimp sleeve is a much more definite connection, and takes up much less space.
What if your house was built in 55 and opening up the walls and completely gutting the house is out of the picture? Is there another way to fix a two wire home with open ground?
@manletopia4801 mine was built in 61. Every single receptacle has an open ground. I installed gfci's on one complete circuit, but only one of 3 have correct wiring. Whats up with this?
Grandpa was a sparky and I inherited his tools. I now own two of these and ive never known this. I appreciate you sharing this info. Wish id have learned more and channels like this have been helpful.
@@normferguson2769 im actually looking into classes. I dont need the profession due to already being a diesel mechanic, but id like to know some of the things he did. I can afford the classes so I'm gonna enroll this year when enrollment is up.
Great vid. Next time just leave 12 inches of bare copper in the box with no ground and then do this: wrap the bare copper around the metal box bonding screw, then continue to the green terminal of the receptacle. That way u eliminate the extra wago, no pig tail needed, and the ground 100% continuous. Solid grounds with the least number of breaks are greatly preferable. Woohoo
I was installing outlets in an addition built onto my house years ago. Had a friend over who was a licensed electrician, he was just kinda supervising me on the little stuff. I had finished connecting the wires on one of the outlets and was folding the wires back into the box, when he snuck up behind me and clapped really loud. He had to go find a really big scraper to peel me off the ceiling that day...
I have a Southwire 40010S-A receptacle tester. It has one red light and two orange lights. It also has a diagram that shows what the lights read and if there's a wiring problem. All the outlets I have re-installed and tested show to be correct wiring.
A Ground wire does not give protection from lighting or power surges. It only provides a low impedance path back to the source for faults. Grounding electrode conductors (GEC) do protect against lightning and surges, but those are two different components of the grounding and bonding system of the house.
Did you check in the switch and in the light fixture. 99% of the time shorts are at the termination points of the wires, so it would probably be at either of those points.
Thanks for your educational video. How come you don’t wire the incoming cable at the top pare of terminals and outgoing cable on to the bottom terminal set , just like GFCI receptacle’s line and load ?
The most important reason for the ground is to prevent getting electrocuted by a faulty appliance. If a cable insulation inside of the appliance fails and live parts would touch the metal housing, on an ungrounded outlet the voltage would "sit and wait" for a victim to touch it. In case of a grounded housing there would be a short-circuit, tripping the circuit breaker (or blowing the fuse) almost immediatly. No chance of a person getting an electric shock. That was the reason for introducing this safety mechanism. This protective measurement was first mentioned in Germany in 1924 as a possibility, in 1932 this became mandatory in the VDE 0140 (protective measures against electric shock) which is still existent but it was modernised over the years like all regulations.
Yes, that has happened to me. I get it all wired up and then realize that I forgot the cap. LOL! The ferrules are a good idea. Also tinning the copper strands would be excellent.
@@SparkyChannel Tinning is not a good solution. There's a reason this practice is banned here since 1979. The problem is, the solder will start deform under the pressure of the screw, creating a loose connection which is also a potential fire hazard. I've seen such connections, and the wire directly fell out of the terminal just simply by gravity. It also corrodes, causing a contact resistance. If you completely solder such a connection this is not a problem, because the corrosion is only on the surface of the solder. But in this case this would be a problem. This happened several times to me that I forgot the cap. Sometimes it's not a problem when the other end of the cord isn't connected to anything yet, but sometimes....
I think contractor in the 50's and earlier were a-holes. They made everything so complicated. Electricians didn't color code the wires and used stiff wires that are hard to bend and cut. Hell! even Ben Franklin knew about grounding. Carpenters made walls out of sheetrock and plaster instead of wood or drywall Plumbers welded everything and they all used flat head screws instead of Philips head screws. now-a-days its the complete opposite. They even have helpful youtube video's.
Excellent video. Please, I hope you can help. How to I find the first receptacle on the circuit? I'm trying to install a afci/gfci and control all the outlets downstream.
Another way to check continuity is by shorting the black and white conductors in the upgraded box and ohming out the black and white in the old groundless box.
this is also a handy trick to de-energize the branch without walking to the panel (I am not an electrician) does anybody actually do this in the field? seems like a great time saver edit: also good to map out all unmarked breakers
Great video. I am in a new house and our hall lights stopped turning on. My Husband rested and found an outlet in the same area is an open ground 🤦🏽♀️. Do you think this method here will help get the power back on for the lights? Thx in advance.
I wouldn’t worry yet about the open ground in the receptacle close by, stuck with the hall fixture and switch first. Familiarize yourself with the basics of any multi-meter. Start at the switch and determine if you have 120v going to the bottom post of your light switch. Let us know from there 👍
Thanks for the help, I have a 1942 house that I have to do grounding on in the basement. Grandpa was a navy welder and had to do a lot of electrical, he was pretty clear with the dangers of electricity.
Why are all the receptacles in my home (built 1993) have the neutral white wires switched, that is, the terminals on top have a black wire from one cable and the white wire from the other cable, same on bottom terminals? I guess it's ok since the receptacle tester says so and they do work. But when I changed one to an AFCI receptacle, and wired it the same way, it didn't work. I had to switch the white wires so they were across from the black wires of the same cable? I hope that's clear!
he is basically saying run it again with three wire. Thats really the best solution, albeit often impractical. GFCI is probably your next best bet if a legit ground isnt practically reached, but thats just my opinion
Haven't finished yet but just seen were its a two wire system. Instead of running a new wire because that's easier said than done you can also put it on a GFCI of GFCI breaker and it will pass code as well.
Great video! I loved the detail. I will definitely pick up those wireless tools. Much better than hollering to my wife “Is the light off?” I think she will be very happy to no longer be involved in that process!
Let's say I have an old house with no proper grounding in the different outlets. Can I pull a grounding cable and connect to one of the outlet box; then from that box, connect another ground cable to other outlet boxes? The idea is to avoid to rewire the entire house.
For the first socket in each line run replace with a GFI. Make sure you put the "no equipment ground" sticker on the face plate. On the others in this circuit you can use a normal grounded type but you also need to sticker it the same plus add the "GFI protected." Both of these stickers will be included with the GFI. This is code but remember without the real ground modern electronics equipment will not be as protected as if the ground ran back to the panel. Since you speak of it being an older home suggest you start by buying a slim-line GFI because the box might be too small or tight for the normal size.
check upstream until you find a grounded outlet. I have seen where someone replaced the metal box with a plastic one and connected the ground to the plastic box. If all of the outlets are not showing ground, check the external connection to the grounding rod.
@@zacharybarnett5609 but usually if you use the stab ins, there usually a one time use because you have too press the tabs to get the wires out which can deform/damage the tabs on the inside making the connection a lot weaker.
Question: my buddy of mine house is wired in the back in 60’s and has two prong receptacles in a room and needs to be changed to three prog receptacles. To help out, I would install GFCI in the home run box and identify the home run and wire that to the Line side and the other wires to the load side. Then change out the rest of the receptacles with GFCI and wire them on line side? Since no ground, if I install a ground pigtail, would that fix the “open ground”?
Think he has a video specifically on this. Think he just installed gfci on the first box from the breaker then 3 prong outlets after that with proper labeling. They still show up as open ground but are IAW code.
You fix the open ground with the text: "No equipment ground." It tells the tester (a person) to expect open ground. If you want to ground it you need to run a separate ground wire or preferably rewire completely with three wires.
13:05 I never seen two outlets installed side by side on an open wall. With an obviously installation defect. I found an open ground on an outlet probably installed around 79, a fireplace sperates twin sockets on that wall. The ground wire is present and connected So where did it get disconnected, I guess I'll start pulling out sockets closest to and work my way out. Then again all grounds report back to the panel so I'll probably have to pull all the grounds to find which outlet it's wired in parallel to
The outlets in video are likely placed as they are in order to facilitate an example. Same outlets are used in other videos to demonstrate examples of a different problem.
Nice video and all but the scenario you have is the easiest of all. But no one people are likely to encounter in a older home. Would be nice do discuss alternatives like installing a GFCI outlet.
To the transformer on the street...and depending on the system, it is going back to the generator in the power plant with points in between where it is grounded. The neutral is a grounded conductor, a so called "operational ground". That what you simply call "ground" is the "protective ground". That's the reason the NEC calls the neutral also "grounded conductor".
I agree. It's best to have grounded circuits. I got scammed buying this house. All new Romex in and out of the circuit breaker panel box, but what was hidden, was it was tied into older wires that are 2 conductors and insulated with asbestos. Probably going to drill holes in my floor and run conduit to the existing receptacles in the wall, add an extension box, and just leave the old wiring dormant. Unless it just eats at me, then I am going to be taking down one side of certain walls and pulling new wire. I hate the idiot that wired this house. At least the J boxes and gang boxes are steel, but the idiot used nails instead of screws. And I can't figure out how he got them hammered so tight inside the box. Long nails too. I doubt it was a nail gun. Even so, those would not have fit inside the box either. So that's a nightmare. A saws all or reciprocating saw doesn't make it any easier. Just a little faster but a lot of sparks and metal dust.
Hi, I followed your instructions to fix 5 open ground outlets in my house. They are all 3 prong outlets and have a ground wire, but somehow the ground wire wasn't connected. I connected the ground wire and 3 of them worked great, but the last 2 outlets still show up as open ground. I also noticed that those 2 outlets share the same circuit breaker. Any idea what seems to be the culprit? Thanks!
Perhaps there’s a box where the grounds were not connected on the cable the exits the box and feeds one of your open ground outlets. You should just open every outlet on that circuit and double check everything.
Thank you for this. most scenarios won't have people breaking open the walls to replace the wire inside the walls. The GFCI is ideal. Heres my question though, if you installed a new 14/2 on the GFCI but the electric panel doest have ground, where would the ground on that 14/2 go? Just wrap it up and put it to the side?
@@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440 Here's my scenerio. At the meter, there are two hot wires (black) and one neutral (white). The white is connected to a ground in the meter box. Those 3 wires go into the main panel from the meter panel. The two black wires are attached the the main breaker in the main panel. The white is connected to a bus bar. The Bus bar is joined with a crossing to the bus bar on the left side of the box. On the right bus bar where the white wire is connected, there is a long thick white wire that goes through the main panel and into the subpanel inside of the home. That wire is connected (white wire that is grounded at the meter box) on the neutral side. Is this supposed to be this way? Since the neutral is grounded, can the neutral be used as a ground in the sub-panel? Why or why not?
Thank you very much for your videos. They are so helpful for me to do my job. I am so interested on that continuity device that you are using in your video. What's the name and where can i buy it? Thanks Mr. Sparkly.
Great video ! And right to thw very important point ! No wasting time showing uncrewing or screwing things and showing face ! Like other videos ! Thank you so much!
Neutral & ground have different purposes. Neutral is provided as a return path for the load current. Ground is provided so that touch surfaces stay at zero potential. Neutral normally carries current while ground does not. If local neutral rises above ground potential because of excessive current or poor connectivity (high resisatance), ground will not be affected and still provide zero potential at the connected touch surfaces (appliance chassis, electronic equipment cases, etc.).
So my house is from the 50s and all my outlets read open ground. Does that mean I have to rewire the entire house? Or can I ground each one to the metal box if available? Will that actually do anything or is the box too small to act as a ground and will it heat up and possibly cause a fire if a surge occurs?
If the box is not grounded, and you wire a ground towards it, it won't doo anything. And like you said, if there is a surge it can possibly cause a fire which I heard stories about. Apparently a workaround is too install a GFCI outlet since it finds faults without using a ground wire, or just use a 2 prong outlet. Or, the last step which will cost a bit more is just too rewire the entire house like you mentioned before. Hope this helps, cheers. :)
At 3:00, just because the tester says that there is ground, that doesn't mean that ground was set up properly. Some idiot would just decide to connect ground directly to neutral within its own outlet, so be careful about that assumption.
Personally I find entering a box from the side is one of the worst ways to enter a single gang box or the center side KO on any other shallow box.. If you have a GFI, dimmer, USB or any deep device on a shallow box or cut in metal box, forget it. Your connector will make it impossible. I always try to enter from the top or bottom. However, I realize this was a mock up for demonstration purposes.
I have a 110vac circuit with an open ground in several outlets. So far I can't find the break. May I just run a wire from a good ground in another circuit to ground the ungrounded circuit? Thank you. Great video.
I have a question: So at my grandparents house I used to have a 2 prong receptacle and could not hold in a plug, then later was replaced with a 3 prong with 2 USB ports and has a no equipment ground sticker. Would this be fine or should it be changed?
If it is GFCI protected then it is fine, but if it is not GFCI protected and then you should install a GFCI outlet on the first outlet in the circuit which is usually located closest to the breaker panel but it can sometimes be kind of tricky to locate or you could install a GFCI Circuit breaker assuming they have a circuit breaker panel not a fuse box
@@TechHowden there is no GFCI in the circuit last I checked but there was 2 wires and I assume one goes to another outlet and the other wires are the live wires
Hi Sparky. Very informative video. Maybe you can help me with this. I bought some surge protectors from amazon and they all have lights for protected and ground. However when I plug them into the wall outlets at home some of the surge protectors show not grounded/protected but when I plug in a different surge protector it shows grounded/protected. I bought the surge protectors at the same time from Amazon a week ago. Also, I checked the outlets with a receptacle tester and I get the two lights for correct wiring. I went around the house and plugged the surge protectors/receptacle tester into various outlets with the same results. Is it a surge protector problem or something with the house wiring? thanks!
Good video, but I am going to pick a nit here. Your continuity test does show that the outlets are properly connected on the hot and neutral wires, but it does NOT as you assert, prove it is the very NEXT outlet. There could be 10 outlets in between, and if all the hot and neutrals were properly wired, you would get an indication of continuity.
He used the right word and spelling dude. “ASSERT : to state or declare “ - Merriam-Webster Dictionary Asset , as you wrongfully accused this guy of using , is something totally different. Put on your reading glasses! And go away ! We don’t have any use for people like you here.
I added a plug in a metal box with bx to a flex house. And I’m getting an open ground even with all the ground connections spliced through and ground screws used. The only place I didn’t use a ground screw was under the house in the crawl space I just wrapped the ground around the 8-32 that the metal blank plate goes on. Do you think that is the issue?
I have the same open ground issue but the biggest problem with it is that I have a ground attached to the receptical and when I check for voltage with my tester I touch the hot wire there's current, I touch the neutral there's no current, but when I touch the ground there's current going to it. I plug in my outlet tester and it says I have an open ground. And when I go to trip the GFCI (it's connected to a GCFI circuit) I press the test button on my outlet tester and then it says reversed ground/hot until I let it go. Any reason why my ground is getting power to it?
Run new wires through the whole thing, or install GFI. Could do one at every outlet, could do 1 at the first outlet and protect everything down stream, or you can just replace the whole circuit breaker with a GFI breaker.
A question for help. My issue in a 10 year old residency system. My problem started with an open ground checked power bottom of receptacle was fine recheck upper and no open ground My problem is the trouble is shifting to different outlets then other rooms. Any help ?
They're not cheap.. a 2 port will run about $0.23.. a 3-port around $0.40 and so forth.. they have 2, 3, 5 and 8 port models. Search sites like Amazon but really research because prices are all over the board. The "kits" tend to run high. If you use them a lot then get them in boxes of like 50 or so.. cheaper that way. I love them and use them constantly. Some situations not so much, like where you already have several wire twisted together.. you'd then have to cut them all to get a nice straight end for the Wago. I re-wire tons of fluorescent fixtures to ballast bypass LED fixtures and they are great for that. Also great for times when you may be connecting and disconnecting a lot. Makes it soooo easy.
@@bryanknudsen8100 yeah, Amazon isn't always the place to get the best deal anymore! Too many people buy and resale on there to try and make money from home, but Wegos are more reliable than wire nuts in my experience. I still buy things from Amazon, but a person has to pick and choose with caution. Almost every review I've given on there in the last 12 months has been blocked, and most of them were good reviews, so you never know what you are getting. Some of the reviews I've seen in the past are user error problems, but everyone should be allowed to say what they want about the products they buy, and let people sift through the garbage! I bought 3 sprinklers recently, and they claimed 33'. I didn't say anything about that, I simply said I made to hoses 19' to daisy chain them together, and they speed up the time it takes me to water my lawn. That's what they blocked. I'm really to the point that I don't want to attempt to give a review, and I think everyone should. Because they don't let people give an honest review. People would be better off looking at it and taking the chance, and return it if they don't like it. If you are researching that type of product on Amazon, you may be looking in the wrong place. Because you may be getting an inferior knockoff of the product that isn't rated for the same amperes etc.
We have an outlet where the bottom is OK but the top is showing open ground...any suggestions (am going to look into it tomorrow but any advice is welcome. I think I am going to replace the outlet) ?
No. by adding a green wire that is attached to the metal outlet box and the green screw (or grounding lug) on the outlet, you are simply making the ground potential of the two "even" . Neither the metal outlet box or the outlet itself are grounded or connected to the circuit in any way until a physical wire runs from the main panel to the first outlet box and then to the second one. Simply adding a green wire and even sticking it through the wall and then into the dirt outside wouldn't work either. The term ground means more than just something touching dirt somewhere, Lol
Great video, thanks. My son’s bedroom is a converted bay of a 2 car garage. The outlets on the original wall are fine, on the newer wall something’s squirrelly. His plug in outlet tester shows open ground, my outlet tester (different brand) shows reversed polarity. When I use a tester with the 2 leads and a light (older school) I have proper polarity and a working ground. The panel is bonded to a water pipe but there doesn’t appear to be any earth grounding rod. Would this account for the different readings and should he have the landlord install a proper grounding rod? Is it safe to install a grounding rod inside a dirt floor basement? I told him to call an electrician, but he wants to have some info before he does. Thanks.
Hey Sparky you are the man. I have learned a lot with you. Thanks big bro. I have question. I have an open ground. But the previous owner installed a GFCI receptacle. Some outlets in that circuit when tested show correct wiring, but the others show open ground. Should I rewire or install an extra GFCI?
Hi Lucas! My guess is that you have a loose or broken ground wire somewhere in your circuit and that when you find it and hook it back up all of the receptacles on your circuit will suddenly be grounded. Just a guess though.
![⭐️( ลอยกระทง 2024 ) Ver. แดนซ์ Remix BY [ ดีเจกิต รีมิกซ์ ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rMWOLhgXUHc/mqdefault.jpg)
Absolutely impeccable video..very clear and detailed. I learned something today, thank you for sharing your knowledge and for putting together such an awesome video...5 stars!
Thanks so much Cesar!
As a electricien in the Netherlands i am amazed about the way this is made!A metal box(so it will conduct electrity) and a inner socket with open connections to the hot wire and neutral wire.And the earth wire without shielding!
As i see this,its a shortcut waiting to happen!!And you know it,because you have to put electrical tape around to prevent that to happen..We never use a metal box with the only excepting of the breaker box in our electrical system.And even that is more and more times made off plastic.So i can proudly say that we have the safest electrical system in Europe!!
This is by design, you want any exposed hot wire to short in the box and not involve a person. By using a non-metallic box you reduce the chance of having a sufficient return path to conduct enough current to trip the breaker - allowing the possibility of an exposed hot wire to send current over a number of paths for an extended period of time (again, possibly) resulting in heat buildup, arcing, and an electrical fire.
Thanks soo much for this video! Every time I hit a snag in a project, I now come here first for answers!
Fantastic!
Thanks for the video. My people in Vietnam would just said this box near other box so they must be continuity, no check whatsoever.
But you, you take a step further and double check it, I really like that. It's really profesional to not assume anything and always testing before handling.
Also I have a question, should the ground wire be naked or insulated?
Saved this to my playlist. Your quality in explaining and demonstration is unparalleled! I have a question, excuse my ignorance, and anyone that actually knows is more than welcome to respond. He replaced the wire between the two, which has a 3rd ground wire. That was connected to the previous outlet, and then to the outlet he took apart. Why the screw? Hypothetically speaking, if an outlet in an older home is changed out in the same manner, but there is NO screw at the box being changed, must there me a screw through the metal box into the studs, connecting the ground that is 'pigtailed'? Extremely ignorant question I'm sure, sorry. Thank you for the video! Definitely subbed!
What do you do if you have a ground but it isnt grounded?
Best teacher for this kind of stuff on youtube!
Thanks so much!
excellent video. I love your attention to little details. It seems that very few electricians now adays take the time to wrap the outlet with electrical tape or in some cases don't even take the time to screw down the unused terminals. I have a situation in my house where the cable company is reading a about 50 volt charge back feeding one of the coax lines. The technician thinks it could be an open ground. Any suggextions would be appreciated.
Thanks! I would say remove that line and install a new one as a grounded homerun (no splices).
first time I ever saw that cool little gadget for continuity testing. I like that a lot!
FWIW. There is no Neutral wire in either box. It is a grounded conductor, according to the code book.
All the rest is educational and helpful. Thank you for showing the value of checking everything for correct connections and voltage. Also for using a voltage detector repeatedly. These little tools are priceless.
Also. Many choose to use a crimp sleeve or a green wire nut. The crimp sleeve is a much more definite connection, and takes up much less space.
Thanks!
What if your house was built in 55 and opening up the walls and completely gutting the house is out of the picture? Is there another way to fix a two wire home with open ground?
Consider a gfci receptacle and/or breaker.
Can you go from a metal box to a plastic box and just hook al three wires hooked up to the color it matches to 😊
sometimes in old houses there is a 18 gauge ground clamped to the metal box just replaced a microwave oven outlet in a 1930s house recently
@manletopia4801 mine was built in 61. Every single receptacle has an open ground. I installed gfci's on one complete circuit, but only one of 3 have correct wiring. Whats up with this?
Grandpa was a sparky and I inherited his tools. I now own two of these and ive never known this. I appreciate you sharing this info. Wish id have learned more and channels like this have been helpful.
Grandpa sounds like a really good man! Best wishes!
You could take the classes and become a certified electrician. It provides a great income.
@@normferguson2769 im actually looking into classes. I dont need the profession due to already being a diesel mechanic, but id like to know some of the things he did. I can afford the classes so I'm gonna enroll this year when enrollment is up.
Great vid. Next time just leave 12 inches of bare copper in the box with no ground and then do this: wrap the bare copper around the metal box bonding screw, then continue to the green terminal of the receptacle. That way u eliminate the extra wago, no pig tail needed, and the ground 100% continuous. Solid grounds with the least number of breaks are greatly preferable. Woohoo
That's an excellent method. Thanks Dave!
12 inches is excessive (that's what she said)
Thanks, just discovered some open ground faults. Now I know where to begin.
Great video! I like the way you explain each step and the why.
Thanks so much!
Well sir i dont speak english very well, but your explanation was so easy to understand. Regards from Oaxaca.
Regards from San Diego!
I was installing outlets in an addition built onto my house years ago. Had a friend over who was a licensed electrician, he was just kinda supervising me on the little stuff. I had finished connecting the wires on one of the outlets and was folding the wires back into the box, when he snuck up behind me and clapped really loud. He had to go find a really big scraper to peel me off the ceiling that day...
LOL! It sounds like you were concentrating! :)
I have a Southwire 40010S-A receptacle tester. It has one red light and two orange lights. It also has a diagram that shows what the lights read and if there's a wiring problem. All the outlets I have re-installed and tested show to be correct wiring.
do you have to re-wire it or can you just ground straight from the box to the receptacle?
A Ground wire does not give protection from lighting or power surges. It only provides a low impedance path back to the source for faults. Grounding electrode conductors (GEC) do protect against lightning and surges, but those are two different components of the grounding and bonding system of the house.
What is mean by impedance (z)
Is this a quality channel dedicated to teaching?
Subbed.
Yes sir, welcome to Sparky Channel!
Love your videos. You are the Bob Ross of electrical work.
Wow, thanks! that's a huge compliment!
Can you do a video about finding and repairing electrical shorts? I have a light switch that is tripping the breaker when it is turned on. Thanks.
I'll see what I can do. Thanks!
Did you check in the switch and in the light fixture. 99% of the time shorts are at the termination points of the wires, so it would probably be at either of those points.
At least that has been my experience
Thanks mr sparky after 30 years dealing with electricity and wires i still enjoying that trade never ending 👍👍👍👍
It's the best trade!
@@SparkyChannel i do plumbing and electricity i enjoy both trade very well i love keep waching when rough-in is done is a pride feeling 👍👍👍
@@TeslaBoy123 Excellent!
Love the video. Felt like I was in an online class.
Awesome! Thank you!
Very helpful.
Thanks for your educational video.
How come you don’t wire the incoming cable at the top pare of terminals and outgoing cable on to the bottom terminal set , just like GFCI receptacle’s line and load ?
The most important reason for the ground is to prevent getting electrocuted by a faulty appliance. If a cable insulation inside of the appliance fails and live parts would touch the metal housing, on an ungrounded outlet the voltage would "sit and wait" for a victim to touch it. In case of a grounded housing there would be a short-circuit, tripping the circuit breaker (or blowing the fuse) almost immediatly. No chance of a person getting an electric shock. That was the reason for introducing this safety mechanism.
This protective measurement was first mentioned in Germany in 1924 as a possibility, in 1932 this became mandatory in the VDE 0140 (protective measures against electric shock) which is still existent but it was modernised over the years like all regulations.
Yes, that has happened to me. I get it all wired up and then realize that I forgot the cap. LOL! The ferrules are a good idea. Also tinning the copper strands would be excellent.
@@SparkyChannel Tinning is not a good solution. There's a reason this practice is banned here since 1979. The problem is, the solder will start deform under the pressure of the screw, creating a loose connection which is also a potential fire hazard. I've seen such connections, and the wire directly fell out of the terminal just simply by gravity. It also corrodes, causing a contact resistance. If you completely solder such a connection this is not a problem, because the corrosion is only on the surface of the solder. But in this case this would be a problem.
This happened several times to me that I forgot the cap. Sometimes it's not a problem when the other end of the cord isn't connected to anything yet, but sometimes....
Excellent video, thanks for the lesson. Are you sure you're not Scotty Kilmer?
My thoughts exactly
Best comment here LOL
I think contractor in the 50's and earlier were a-holes. They made everything so complicated.
Electricians didn't color code the wires and used stiff wires that are hard to bend and cut. Hell! even Ben Franklin knew about grounding.
Carpenters made walls out of sheetrock and plaster instead of wood or drywall
Plumbers welded everything
and they all used flat head screws instead of Philips head screws.
now-a-days its the complete opposite. They even have helpful youtube video's.
Excellent video. Please, I hope you can help. How to I find the first receptacle on the circuit? I'm trying to install a afci/gfci and control all the outlets downstream.
I figured this out. Thanks.
Thanks, was able to identify and correct a loose ground on my island and get everything back to normal. Appreciate it.
Good job Russell!
Another way to check continuity is by shorting the black and white conductors in the upgraded box and ohming out the black and white in the old groundless box.
this is also a handy trick to de-energize the branch without walking to the panel
(I am not an electrician) does anybody actually do this in the field? seems like a great time saver
edit: also good to map out all unmarked breakers
Great video. I am in a new house and our hall lights stopped turning on. My Husband rested and found an outlet in the same area is an open ground 🤦🏽♀️. Do you think this method here will help get the power back on for the lights? Thx in advance.
I wouldn’t worry yet about the open ground in the receptacle close by, stuck with the hall fixture and switch first.
Familiarize yourself with the basics of any multi-meter. Start at the switch and determine if you have 120v going to the bottom post of your light switch.
Let us know from there 👍
No get a better husband
Thanks for the help, I have a 1942 house that I have to do grounding on in the basement. Grandpa was a navy welder and had to do a lot of electrical, he was pretty clear with the dangers of electricity.
Excellent. Thanks Ben!
Your tutorial is helpful thank you very much I will check my outlets, my house is from 50’s
Why are all the receptacles in my home (built 1993) have the neutral white wires switched, that is, the terminals on top have a black wire from one cable and the white wire from the other cable, same on bottom terminals? I guess it's ok since the receptacle tester says so and they do work. But when I changed one to an AFCI receptacle, and wired it the same way, it didn't work. I had to switch the white wires so they were across from the black wires of the same cable? I hope that's clear!
Do u connect the green one to the metal box and the green wires together then black to black then white to white
What do you do with plastic boxes?
he is basically saying run it again with three wire. Thats really the best solution, albeit often impractical. GFCI is probably your next best bet if a legit ground isnt practically reached, but thats just my opinion
Haven't finished yet but just seen were its a two wire system. Instead of running a new wire because that's easier said than done you can also put it on a GFCI of GFCI breaker and it will pass code as well.
Doesn't help in side wall db
the hard part with that one is where they have connected other neutrals and then it turns into a headache.
Thanks for taking the time to pass on your knowledge
Thanks Scott!
Great video! I loved the detail. I will definitely pick up those wireless tools. Much better than hollering to my wife “Is the light off?” I think she will be very happy to no longer be involved in that process!
LOL! Yes, that does sound like a good idea. :)
Let's say I have an old house with no proper grounding in the different outlets.
Can I pull a grounding cable and connect to one of the outlet box; then from that box, connect another ground cable to other outlet boxes?
The idea is to avoid to rewire the entire house.
For the first socket in each line run replace with a GFI. Make sure you put the "no equipment ground" sticker on the face plate. On the others in this circuit you can use a normal grounded type but you also need to sticker it the same plus add the "GFI protected." Both of these stickers will be included with the GFI. This is code but remember without the real ground modern electronics equipment will not be as protected as if the ground ran back to the panel. Since you speak of it being an older home suggest you start by buying a slim-line GFI because the box might be too small or tight for the normal size.
Yes but the ground wires must be in conduit or sheathing and all the other codes have to be followed.
That wireless continuity tester insane. Life saving for testing.
Yes sir!
I have an open ground in a few outlets that have the ground wire connected to the receptacle, where would the problem be?
Good question . I'm having same problem , cannot find answer .
check upstream until you find a grounded outlet. I have seen where someone replaced the metal box with a plastic one and connected the ground to the plastic box. If all of the outlets are not showing ground, check the external connection to the grounding rod.
what happens when there is no ground ito be found in othere receptacle
Thanks again sparky for another informative video.
You bet!
Who wired that outlet by plugging the wires into the back of the outlets instead of using the terminal screws?
you can use the stab ins or terminal screws but using the terminal screws instead make for a better connection
@@zacharybarnett5609 but usually if you use the stab ins, there usually a one time use because you have too press the tabs to get the wires out which can deform/damage the tabs on the inside making the connection a lot weaker.
Question: my buddy of mine house is wired in the back in 60’s and has two prong receptacles in a room and needs to be changed to three prog receptacles. To help out, I would install GFCI in the home run box and identify the home run and wire that to the Line side and the other wires to the load side. Then change out the rest of the receptacles with GFCI and wire them on line side? Since no ground, if I install a ground pigtail, would that fix the “open ground”?
Think he has a video specifically on this. Think he just installed gfci on the first box from the breaker then 3 prong outlets after that with proper labeling. They still show up as open ground but are IAW code.
You fix the open ground with the text: "No equipment ground." It tells the tester (a person) to expect open ground. If you want to ground it you need to run a separate ground wire or preferably rewire completely with three wires.
13:05 I never seen two outlets installed side by side on an open wall.
With an obviously installation defect.
I found an open ground on an outlet probably installed around 79, a fireplace sperates twin sockets on that wall.
The ground wire is present and connected
So where did it get disconnected, I guess I'll start pulling out sockets closest to and work my way out.
Then again all grounds report back to the panel so I'll probably have to pull all the grounds to find which outlet it's wired in parallel to
The outlets in video are likely placed as they are in order to facilitate an example. Same outlets are used in other videos to demonstrate examples of a different problem.
Just attach black and white together and check for continuity using multimeter on the other side, why the gizmo? Something I am missing?
Nice video and all but the scenario you have is the easiest of all. But no one people are likely to encounter in a older home. Would be nice do discuss alternatives like installing a GFCI outlet.
Get a gfi breaker
Hey Bill, when you say the “neutral goes back to the power source”, I understand it goes back to the panel. Does it go anywhere else beyond that?
To the transformer on the street...and depending on the system, it is going back to the generator in the power plant with points in between where it is grounded. The neutral is a grounded conductor, a so called "operational ground". That what you simply call "ground" is the "protective ground". That's the reason the NEC calls the neutral also "grounded conductor".
Marcel Germann Thanks Marcel that helped
Great answer Marcel!
Fantastic educational video. Well spoken as well as great camera footage.
Thanks for introducing me to the wago lever nuts. They are easy to work with
Yes, they are!
I agree. It's best to have grounded circuits. I got scammed buying this house. All new Romex in and out of the circuit breaker panel box, but what was hidden, was it was tied into older wires that are 2 conductors and insulated with asbestos. Probably going to drill holes in my floor and run conduit to the existing receptacles in the wall, add an extension box, and just leave the old wiring dormant. Unless it just eats at me, then I am going to be taking down one side of certain walls and pulling new wire. I hate the idiot that wired this house. At least the J boxes and gang boxes are steel, but the idiot used nails instead of screws. And I can't figure out how he got them hammered so tight inside the box. Long nails too. I doubt it was a nail gun. Even so, those would not have fit inside the box either. So that's a nightmare. A saws all or reciprocating saw doesn't make it any easier. Just a little faster but a lot of sparks and metal dust.
I think that clown worked on my house too. Maybe my car as well.
It's sad that people really run new wiring without ground (ground is very important!)
Good video. But you touched on the main issue. How to fix this when it’s behind drywall.
Hi, I followed your instructions to fix 5 open ground outlets in my house. They are all 3 prong outlets and have a ground wire, but somehow the ground wire wasn't connected. I connected the ground wire and 3 of them worked great, but the last 2 outlets still show up as open ground. I also noticed that those 2 outlets share the same circuit breaker. Any idea what seems to be the culprit? Thanks!
Perhaps there’s a box where the grounds were not connected on the cable the exits the box and feeds one of your open ground outlets. You should just open every outlet on that circuit and double check everything.
If you don’t want to replace the wire you can replace it to a Gfci outlet which has the same safety not requiring ground
Thank you for this. most scenarios won't have people breaking open the walls to replace the wire inside the walls. The GFCI is ideal. Heres my question though, if you installed a new 14/2 on the GFCI but the electric panel doest have ground, where would the ground on that 14/2 go? Just wrap it up and put it to the side?
@@ShyRage1 just attach it from the breaker panel to the neutral bus bar! As normally every grounded breaker is bonded with neutral
@@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440 I thought this could only be done at the main panel and not sub panels. Mine in question is a sub panel.
@@ShyRage1 yea it can only be done to the main panel where all the breakers at the main breaker might not be at that panel
@@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440 Here's my scenerio. At the meter, there are two hot wires (black) and one neutral (white). The white is connected to a ground in the meter box. Those 3 wires go into the main panel from the meter panel. The two black wires are attached the the main breaker in the main panel. The white is connected to a bus bar. The Bus bar is joined with a crossing to the bus bar on the left side of the box. On the right bus bar where the white wire is connected, there is a long thick white wire that goes through the main panel and into the subpanel inside of the home. That wire is connected (white wire that is grounded at the meter box) on the neutral side. Is this supposed to be this way? Since the neutral is grounded, can the neutral be used as a ground in the sub-panel? Why or why not?
Good video! So if an appliance doesn’t have a ground wire does that mean it’s not safe?
In a word…YUP!
Thank you very much for your videos. They are so helpful for me to do my job. I am so interested on that continuity device that you are using in your video. What's the name and where can i buy it? Thanks Mr. Sparkly.
Extech CT20 Remote and Local Continuity Tester: Amazon: amzn.to/2USsOgl
Thanks!
Great video ! And right to thw very important point ! No wasting time showing uncrewing or screwing things and showing face ! Like other videos ! Thank you so much!
Thanks! When I watch TH-cam videos I want people to get to the point as well. LOL!
if the neutral is grounded at the panel, why does the outlet test as open ground (presumably unsafe/less than optimal)?
Neutral & ground have different purposes. Neutral is provided as a return path for the load current. Ground is provided so that touch surfaces stay at zero potential. Neutral normally carries current while ground does not. If local neutral rises above ground potential because of excessive current or poor connectivity (high resisatance), ground will not be affected and still provide zero potential at the connected touch surfaces (appliance chassis, electronic equipment cases, etc.).
wish all the so called open ground situations were located so close and accessible to a full ground receptable
That would be good!
Great video. Gave me confidence to tackle and otherwise intimidating task. Thank you
You can do it!
So my house is from the 50s and all my outlets read open ground. Does that mean I have to rewire the entire house? Or can I ground each one to the metal box if available? Will that actually do anything or is the box too small to act as a ground and will it heat up and possibly cause a fire if a surge occurs?
If the box is not grounded, and you wire a ground towards it, it won't doo anything. And like you said, if there is a surge it can possibly cause a fire which I heard stories about.
Apparently a workaround is too install a GFCI outlet since it finds faults without using a ground wire, or just use a 2 prong outlet.
Or, the last step which will cost a bit more is just too rewire the entire house like you mentioned before. Hope this helps, cheers. :)
Install GFCI outlets (do your research). Or spend the big bucks and re-wire the home.
This might be ridiculously obvious, but are the outlets all 2-prong? That is: do they lack the third prong seen on modern outlets?
Awesome video! Thanks Sparky!
Thanks Jenny!
What if the wall is not open?
or if its more than 3 inches apart :}
At 3:00, just because the tester says that there is ground, that doesn't mean that ground was set up properly. Some idiot would just decide to connect ground directly to neutral within its own outlet, so be careful about that assumption.
True.
Do you have a video..have to load lines coming into outlet..ground on each one...cut too short..how to tie these grounds in plz send thx
See: How to Extend Short Wires per 2023 NEC 300.14: th-cam.com/video/4PN-sTyhXTo/w-d-xo.html
Great video with clarity.
Personally I find entering a box from the side is one of the worst ways to enter a single gang box or the center side KO on any other shallow box.. If you have a GFI, dimmer, USB or any deep device on a shallow box or cut in metal box, forget it. Your connector will make it impossible. I always try to enter from the top or bottom. However, I realize this was a mock up for demonstration purposes.
Yeah, wondering as this was a demonstration he didn’t think about that. Great tip, though.
Buying a home and one thing we say on the inspection was. Open ground or weak ground in a lot of the rooms is that safe and a easy fix ???
It might be. It's hard to tell from here.
I have a 110vac circuit with an open ground in several outlets. So far I can't find the break. May I just run a wire from a good ground in another circuit to ground the ungrounded circuit? Thank you. Great video.
@Castlebury21
That's what my niece's husband, an electrical engineer, said too. I found the ground break and fixed it.
I have a question: So at my grandparents house I used to have a 2 prong receptacle and could not hold in a plug, then later was replaced with a 3 prong with 2 USB ports and has a no equipment ground sticker. Would this be fine or should it be changed?
There's also no SLACK on the wire.
If it is GFCI protected then it is fine, but if it is not GFCI protected and then you should install a GFCI outlet on the first outlet in the circuit which is usually located closest to the breaker panel but it can sometimes be kind of tricky to locate or you could install a GFCI Circuit breaker assuming they have a circuit breaker panel not a fuse box
@@TechHowden there is no GFCI in the circuit last I checked but there was 2 wires and I assume one goes to another outlet and the other wires are the live wires
@@YourAverageMODude145 if you want to make it code compliant you have to install GFCI circuit breaker
@@TechHowden ok
Hi Sparky. Very informative video. Maybe you can help me with this. I bought some surge protectors from amazon and they all have lights for protected and ground. However when I plug them into the wall outlets at home some of the surge protectors show not grounded/protected but when I plug in a different surge protector it shows grounded/protected. I bought the surge protectors at the same time from Amazon a week ago. Also, I checked the outlets with a receptacle tester and I get the two lights for correct wiring. I went around the house and plugged the surge protectors/receptacle tester into various outlets with the same results. Is it a surge protector problem or something with the house wiring? thanks!
Interesting. Perhaps some aren't working correctly?
Good video, but I am going to pick a nit here. Your continuity test does show that the outlets are properly connected on the hot and neutral wires, but it does NOT as you assert, prove it is the very NEXT outlet. There could be 10 outlets in between, and if all the hot and neutrals were properly wired, you would get an indication of continuity.
If you want someone to think you're smart you should learn what the word "asset" means before you try to use it in an incredibly stupid sentence.
@@waytospergtherebro - Thank you for pointing out my spelling error.
He used the right word and spelling dude. “ASSERT : to state or declare “ - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Asset , as you wrongfully accused this guy of using , is something totally different. Put on your reading glasses! And go away ! We don’t have any use for people like you here.
Thank you so much this is Superb viseo I appreciate your time it Help me a lot 01-19-2024 1:27am. ⌚
Very nice tutorial... nice job!
Thank you! Cheers!
I added a plug in a metal box with bx to a flex house. And I’m getting an open ground even with all the ground connections spliced through and ground screws used. The only place I didn’t use a ground screw was under the house in the crawl space I just wrapped the ground around the 8-32 that the metal blank plate goes on. Do you think that is the issue?
A ground screw is dedicated to grounding a ground wire. It is not to be located where it is used to secure something removable as you’ve described.
Hey @Sparky Channel can you please make a video of the klein cl800 clamp meter?
I'm sorry but I don't own that one so I can't make a video about it.
I have the same open ground issue but the biggest problem with it is that I have a ground attached to the receptical and when I check for voltage with my tester I touch the hot wire there's current, I touch the neutral there's no current, but when I touch the ground there's current going to it. I plug in my outlet tester and it says I have an open ground. And when I go to trip the GFCI (it's connected to a GCFI circuit) I press the test button on my outlet tester and then it says reversed ground/hot until I let it go. Any reason why my ground is getting power to it?
Me too. You come up with any solutions??
I also have the same issue
Turns out I had a loose ground somewhere in the circuit and I had to open everything up in order to fix it
same issue here. seems common?
What if there's no ground wife in all outlets?
then your house is fucked
Gfci
Run a new line
Run new wires through the whole thing, or install GFI. Could do one at every outlet, could do 1 at the first outlet and protect everything down stream, or you can just replace the whole circuit breaker with a GFI breaker.
Install a GFCI and connect it to all the outlets connecting to it
A question for help. My issue in a 10 year old residency system. My problem started with an open ground checked power bottom of receptacle was fine recheck upper and no open ground My problem is the trouble is shifting to different outlets then other rooms. Any help ?
The circuit breaker finder is a game changer
Hi, I like your lecture. Thanks
You are welcome!
Fantastic work Sparky!! Thank you!
My pleasure, thanks!
Always like the of demonstrations. Thanks
Glad you like them!
What if there is a box in between the two shown that is not apparent? Maybe in another room? Will continuity test work?
Is it normal to have continuity between the hot and neutral wires in a outlet when the breaker is switched off?
is this also applicable for electric range (240 V) 3 phong receptacle for 1950's house?
how could I contact some other question?
Great video; accurate clearly presented information.
Is the grounding pig tail really necessary when you're grounding the receptacle with the ground wire coming into the box?
I guess you want to ground the box as well
first time I've seen Wegos with a release lever. How much are those running in comparison to the regular Wegos?
They're not cheap.. a 2 port will run about $0.23.. a 3-port around $0.40 and so forth.. they have 2, 3, 5 and 8 port models. Search sites like Amazon but really research because prices are all over the board. The "kits" tend to run high. If you use them a lot then get them in boxes of like 50 or so.. cheaper that way. I love them and use them constantly. Some situations not so much, like where you already have several wire twisted together.. you'd then have to cut them all to get a nice straight end for the Wago. I re-wire tons of fluorescent fixtures to ballast bypass LED fixtures and they are great for that. Also great for times when you may be connecting and disconnecting a lot. Makes it soooo easy.
@@bryanknudsen8100 yeah, Amazon isn't always the place to get the best deal anymore! Too many people buy and resale on there to try and make money from home, but Wegos are more reliable than wire nuts in my experience.
I still buy things from Amazon, but a person has to pick and choose with caution. Almost every review I've given on there in the last 12 months has been blocked, and most of them were good reviews, so you never know what you are getting. Some of the reviews I've seen in the past are user error problems, but everyone should be allowed to say what they want about the products they buy, and let people sift through the garbage!
I bought 3 sprinklers recently, and they claimed 33'. I didn't say anything about that, I simply said I made to hoses 19' to daisy chain them together, and they speed up the time it takes me to water my lawn. That's what they blocked. I'm really to the point that I don't want to attempt to give a review, and I think everyone should. Because they don't let people give an honest review. People would be better off looking at it and taking the chance, and return it if they don't like it.
If you are researching that type of product on Amazon, you may be looking in the wrong place. Because you may be getting an inferior knockoff of the product that isn't rated for the same amperes etc.
We have an outlet where the bottom is OK but the top is showing open ground...any suggestions (am going to look into it tomorrow but any advice is welcome. I think I am going to replace the outlet) ?
Yes, replace the receptacle.
Can I replace a receptacle that has no ground to a GFCI
yes, that is the safe way. be sure to put the sticker "no equipment ground" that is included with the GFCI outlet.
Can you just add a ground wire by adding a green screw to the second box?
No. by adding a green wire that is attached to the metal outlet box and the green screw (or grounding lug) on the outlet, you are simply making the ground potential of the two "even" .
Neither the metal outlet box or the outlet itself are grounded or connected to the circuit in any way until a physical wire runs from the main panel to the first outlet box and then to the second one.
Simply adding a green wire and even sticking it through the wall and then into the dirt outside wouldn't work either. The term ground means more than just something touching dirt somewhere, Lol
What would your wiring configuration be if the outlet box was the blue PVC type?
It would be the same except the PVC box doesn't have to be bonded.
@@SparkyChannel So the (new) bare ground wire from the upstream receptacle could have connected directly to the new (downstream) receptacle?
Great video, thanks. My son’s bedroom is a converted bay of a 2 car garage. The outlets on the original wall are fine, on the newer wall something’s squirrelly. His plug in outlet tester shows open ground, my outlet tester (different brand) shows reversed polarity. When I use a tester with the 2 leads and a light (older school) I have proper polarity and a working ground. The panel is bonded to a water pipe but there doesn’t appear to be any earth grounding rod. Would this account for the different readings and should he have the landlord install a proper grounding rod? Is it safe to install a grounding rod inside a dirt floor basement? I told him to call an electrician, but he wants to have some info before he does. Thanks.
Hey Sparky you are the man. I have learned a lot with you. Thanks big bro. I have question. I have an open ground. But the previous owner installed a GFCI receptacle. Some outlets in that circuit when tested show correct wiring, but the others show open ground. Should I rewire or install an extra GFCI?
Hi Lucas! My guess is that you have a loose or broken ground wire somewhere in your circuit and that when you find it and hook it back up all of the receptacles on your circuit will suddenly be grounded. Just a guess though.
And if there's no ground wire from the panel?