That's it exactly.


"Karen" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jul 11, 8:17 pm, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote:
The copper clad ground rod is part of the grounding system of your
service,
a metallic water pipe would be another part.

If you use your tester and measure from the hot slot of a grounding
outlet
to the grounding hole, it is a good indication that the outlet is
grounded.

For non grounding outlets,(two slots only) test between the hot slot and
the
screw that holds the outlet plate on. If you get a 115 volt or so
reading,
it's a good indication that the outlet is grounded and all you'd need to
do
is replace the non grounding outlet with a grounding outlet

"Karen" wrote in message

oups.com...



Hi,

I just searched for and found this newsgroup because I need help
understanding electricity as it applies to a standard, grounded
outlet.

I purchased a decent digital test meter today at the store. I decided
to test an outlet I have in the kitchen because it's already a
grounded type with three prongs.

I inserted one lead into the hot side and one into the ground opening
(the 3rd hole at the bottom), and the meter reads about 115ish. It
sort of fluctuates as I move the leads around. The instructions on
the tester say that it should read 120 V. Are there variations in the
normal voltage of a standard 120 V outlet, and is this normal that it
is only reading 115 not 120?

Since I am getting a reading at all, I am assuming that this means
that the outlet is indeed grounded. Am I correct that if the outlet
were not properly grounded, then the meter would not read anything at
all? In other words, it would read 000?

I do believe that my house is grounded because I have found what I
believe is the grounding rod near one of the front corners of my house
right by the electrical panel. It's a copperish looking rod stuck in
the ground and extending about 9-12 inches out of the ground. The
cable TV cable is attached to it and it looks like a wire that comes
from the electrical panel is also connected to it. Do you think I am
correct, that this is most likely the grounding rod for my house? If
so, generally, does this mean that all the fuses/outlets for the
entire house are then grounded, regardless if they have a 3 prong
outlet in them? In other words, is the electrical panel itself with
all it's circuit breakers the thing that is grounded? Or is grounding
specific to just one or two outlets or one circuit in the house?

This is long I know, and any help is apprecitated.

Karen- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Thank you all very much for your detailed replies. :-)

Alas, this is as I feared, more complicated than I had anticipated. I
think the last post got to the real "meat" of the situation. What I
want to do is replace the two outlets in the bedroom that do not have
3 prong grounded recepticles with ones that do. But I do not want to
do it unless the outlets are actually grounded.

So if I test those outlets by testing the screw and the hot side, and
I get a reading (115V-120V), then the outlet is actually grounded, and
I can proceed to change the recepticles? I am somewhat adverse to
getting electrocuted, so I want to do this correctly. lol

I sincerely apprecitate all your responses.
Karen