Si wrote:
we have a number of older 2 pin electrical wall sockets in our
victorian home and most of my appliances are 3 pin. can i just switch
them to 3 pin sockets? is there a problem with doing that?

depends on whether the boxes are grounded or not. If they are, no
problem, but unless you use "self grounding" receps you have to wire the
ground terminal of the recep to a grounding screw tapped into the box.
If the boxes are NOT grounded (e.g. house wired with 2-wire NM cable)
then you have two options - 1) install a GFCI upstream of the first
recep on each circuit, and mark each recep with a sticker reading "GFCI
protected - no equipment ground" 2) run a ground wire to each box in
which you want to use a 3-prong recep. Code allows you to do this in a
retrofit type situation; for new construction the ground wire must be
part of the cable or in the same conduit as the H & N conductors.

good luck

nate

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