"trader_4" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, October 22, 2014 11:46:46 PM UTC-4,
wrote:
Did you check what the other end of the thin bare wire was connected to
(to dangle a preposition)?

And what size that "thin" wire actually is? I think by code it has to be
the same size as the branch circuit conductor, but not sure on that.
Meaning you can't use a thin wire.

In my case, the old style "Romex" is 14 gauge wire with a 16 gauge ground
wire. And, in an earlier post about this old style of wiring gfretwell
wrote,

"As another poster said, you really need to verify that there is not a
ground in the existing cable. There was a period of time in the 60s
when you were required to ground the boxes but you didn't need 3 prong
outlets. The grounded Romex was available in the 50s. The house I grew
up in, built in 53, had 2 prong outlets and 3 wire Romex. We
retrofitted the 3 prong outlets, pigtailing from the box. These days
it is much easier with self grounding receptacle.",

and he also wrote,

"[One] ... could easily make the case that the 16ga ground wire in old Romex
is not up to current code (true) but it is plenty to operate the over
current device in a fault."

I decided to just go with those thoughts in mind and just converted some of
the 2-prong receptacles to self-grounding 3-prong receptacles attached to
the grounded metal outlet boxes.