It's not just that a protector must be grounded. It must
make a short ('less than 10 foot') connection and it must be
grounded to earth ground. Even if receptacle had a safety
ground, earth ground is too distant. For those with
electrical knowledge, wire impedance - not wire resistance -
is why a receptacle ground provides no effective protection.

Grounding to a water pipe is considered dangerous to human
life, and has not been acceptable for well over a decade. Do
not connect any ground to pipes with the intent of dumping
electricity into those pipe - for many reasons. Furthermore,
for same reasons in the above paragraph, grounding to a pipe
does not provide a sufficient earth ground. Avoid everything
in a recommendation that recommends grounding to a pipe.

For two prong outlets or three. Effective protection
'system' is a single 'whole house' protector installed at main
breaker box. This only if breaker box is installed to meet
and exceed post 1990 earthing requirements. Why? Protection
is earth ground - not the protector. Protector is only a
temporary connection to earth. No short connection to earth
ground means the protector would not be effective.

Effective protectors have responsible brand names such as
Square D, GE, Leviton, Polyphaser, Cutler Hammer, Intermatic,
and Siemens. Ineffective plug-in protectors are marketed by
companies such as APC, Tripplite, and Belkin. Even Powermax
now is marketing a 'whole house' protector. 'Whole house'
protectors are so inexpensive and so effective that your telco
installs one, for free, where their wire enters your house.

Effective AC electric 'whole house' protector is sold in
Home Depot, Lowes, and electrical supply houses. Effective
protector costs about $1 per protected appliance. How much
was that plug-in protector to protect only one appliance?
$20? $50? That would be 20 or 50 times more money for a
protector that does not even claim to protect from a typically
destructive transient.

Solution even if using two wire receptacles is a 'whole
house' protector AND mains panel earthed less than 10 feet to
a single point earth ground. What is the most critical
component of a protection 'system'? Earth ground. What do
ineffective plug-in protectors not even discuss? Earthing.
Not any ground. The ground essential for effective transistor
protection: earth.

Do not confuse wall receptacle safety ground with the most
essential component of a protection 'system': single point
earth ground. No earth ground means no effective protection.

Sam Nickaby wrote:
The rest of the house has a ground except a the bedroom. All
the bedroom plugs are two prong instead of three. There is a
screw on the outlet. I've took some readings and find that there
is no ground there. This is a rented space so I'm told not to
make any changes. I have a surge protector but there is no
ground. I've been told that ground is necessary to have the
surge protector work. What are some ideas I can do to
make ground available in the bedroom?