On 22 Oct 2006 23:09:56 -0700, "stars1234"
wrote:

I'm sure this question comes up often, but I have a bit of twist on it.

My house was built in 1950. I purchased it in 1971.

When I looked at the wiring, I knew nothing of electrial boxes and
actually didn't even think to ask where it was. I was satisfied
though, because I noticed that all the power recepticals were of the
three-prong type, which indicated to me a grounded system.

It wasn't until a couple of years later, when painting and taking off
the face plate, did I discover that the wiring was only two conductor
Romax, with the two prong sockets removed and the three prong, with the
ground installed.--but it the ground went nowhere. Every outlet, is
fake as far as grounding goes. I was/am very unhappy about this.

Financially, I can't afford to rewire the house, although it
desperately needs it. Since finding the "no ground" ground, I've
found copper wire, spliced to aliminum, no consistent color scheme for
hot, neutral. The circuit breaker panel appears to have been hacked
into the wall, which is on the stairs and hidden behind the stairway
door when it is opened. The panel is completely exposed. EMF fields
are strong. I can't tell the amps of the breakers, but I know if I run
the microwave and an electric mixer at the same time in the kitchen,
withing five minutes, the breker trips. There is no Master Disconnect.
When the refridgerator kicks on or the washing machine is turned on
(they are on different breakers) the house lights flicker, some of the
electrical outlets in the basement are in the ceiling (I don't think
they could get a box into the concret foundation. In the upstairs,
there are a few recepticals on interior walls which have been plastered
in--no attention to whether there was a stud anywhere. Along the
perimeter walls, which are made of plaster, over metal lathe, over
cinder block and an outside brick veneer, evidently, holes were cut
into the cinder block for the outlet box and the box and wire,
plastered into the wall. Oh, the downstairs wiring, which is in the
ceiling, when I did work there, saw that the wiring is stapled to the
joists--so fishing something through would be very difficult with
staples holding the wiring in place.

1st question is what would you do? --I know, move out; burn the house
down, blow it up, take a very large backhoe to it and start over.

How this passed code, even back in 1950, is beyond me. Except people
around here said that the contractor and building inspector had a
"special" relationship.

Is there anyway at all to ground anything, without spending a fortune.

Can something be done with GFP that would help?

I have tools that I need to use outside. They are not double
insulated. The warning is written over and over, do not use a ground
lifter--this equipment MUST be attached to a properly grounded outlet.

Could I for the outside outlets, drive a copper rod into the ground,
attach a thick copper braid (strap) to it and attach that to the metal
of the box that the socket is in (or to the box then from there use 10
AWG to the Ground of the socket) and have a good, workable, safe
ground?

Years ago, I used to be an amateur radio operator. To ground my
equipment, I drove a 10' copper rod into the ground, attached a 1" wide
copper Strap, brought that into the room, attached it to a heavy metal
box and ran ground wires from that to my equipent --instead of trying
to ground the electrical boxes, I grounded the equipment.

This actually worked. When lightining struck my antenna, all it did
was come down the heavy coax, jump the gap of a lightining arrestor
that led directly to the ground and the strikes never got to my
equipment --except for the one time when a storm was coming, I had
unhooked the antenna and was preparing to put it directly to
ground--ground cable in left hand, antenna coax in right and WHAM! a
lightning strike that knocked me across the room. (Boy was that fun).

So, would some kind of copper grounding rod and strap to an outside
metal box work. And as I mentioned would I gain anything by putting in
GPFs, although there would be no ground to them?

--I know, I know. It's my fault for not having an electrician inspect
the house before I bought it, but I was young, trusting, and saw the
three prong outlets.

Any helpfull ideas will be appreciated and if you want to laugh at me,
go ahead, I deserve it--but now, what can we do to fix it?

Thanks,
Bob

that leaves me open to all kinds of wise-cracks, but take it seriously.
I don't have the money to tear out the ceiling, basement walls,
upstairs cinder block and stucco walls, rip out all the wiring and have
someone do it right.

. It is completely exposed at all

How many people were killed over the last 40 years?

Ok, multiply that by how much money you should spend to fix the
'problem'.