DIYbanter - View Single Post - Three-prong to two-prong plug adapter question

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Beachcomber wrote:
On 20 Sep 2006 09:37:04 -0700, wrote:

in houses that don't have the ground plugs, it is unlikely that any
ground exists in the box, so no point in connecting it.

Not True... In many houses built in the 1950's and early 1960's, the
2 wire outlets were wired with BX and grounded (even though the
receptacles had only two prong holes). You had the choice of
replacing a two wire receptacle with a 3 wire receptacle or using one
of these adapters, which would give you a true, if less than perfect
ground. These adapters were created specifically for the 3 wire
appliances of this era... to fit the two holed outlets.

In the Chicago area, it was even better (because of stricter codes).
All the residential wiring city & suburbs was required to be in
conduit. No flexible, non-metallic sheathed cable was allowed for
interior locations. The conduits generally provided a good ground and
running a separate ground wire was not required. Just installing an
outlet in a grounded metal box insured that both the center screw and
both of the round holes were grounded.

Beachcomber

Absolutely, Except for my most recent rental with the knob and tube
horrorshow, every place I've ever lived has had all the outlet boxes
even with two prong outlets grounded via conduit or BX.