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KOA
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert 3-prong
to 2-prong??

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong. Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit? I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

Thanks for any help.


  #2   Report Post  
louie
 
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Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

A voltage meter could certainly tell you if there's power to the outlet
or not. There are also inexpensive probes that are available that can
tell if a circuit is live or not just by holding the probe near it
(test the probe on a known live circuit before testing the subject
circuit). Once you've verified that power to the box is off, then you
have the option of trying to pull out the ground prong or replace the
outlet.

Why aren't the outlets grounded? Older wiring?

  #3   Report Post  
Ralph Mowery
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


"KOA" wrote in message
news:YVIaf.30986$bb3.8507@trnddc02...
In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong

broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert 3-prong
to 2-prong??

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can

never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off

the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the

outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong. Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit? I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

Thanks for any help.

Call someone that knows about electricity. To test the circuit you can
always plug in a two wire plug device such as a lamp. The ground prong
normally carries no current. If you were sure it is actually the ground
plug, you could just pull out the broken piece with some insulated pliers.
If you have a multimeter or one of the neon bulb circuit testers with leads
you can also use that to verify you have the outlet circuit turned off at
the fuse/breaker panel.


  #4   Report Post  
Mikepier
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


KOA wrote:

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?


You can try, use insulated pliers

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert 3-prong
to 2-prong??


Its a temporary fix, but you could change the outlet to a GFI as a
permanant solution. Most jurisdictions allow this to replace ungrounded
outlets so you are protected.

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong.


Just plug in a 2 prong device like a radio.

Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit?


In all likelyhood, both outlets are fed from the same breaker, but you
can check to be sure

.. I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.


You do not need to shut off the entire house. Just find the right
breaker to that outlet.
Worst case scenario, if you had to shut off the entire house, it is
still safer. How is it that your neighbors power is shared with yours?

  #5   Report Post  
KOA
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

"louie" wrote in message
ups.com...
A voltage meter could certainly tell you if there's power to the outlet
or not. There are also inexpensive probes that are available that can
tell if a circuit is live or not just by holding the probe near it
(test the probe on a known live circuit before testing the subject
circuit). Once you've verified that power to the box is off, then you
have the option of trying to pull out the ground prong or replace the
outlet.


Ok, thanks. Makes sense. Do I need to insert both probes of the multi-meter
into the outlet, or just one, with the other grounded somewhere?


Why aren't the outlets grounded? Older wiring?


Yeah, the house was built in the 1800's. Wiring is very very old. It is a
three-story victorian type. Would be bvery hard to ground all the outlets
and fixtures.




  #6   Report Post  
KOA
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
nk.net...

"KOA" wrote in message
news:YVIaf.30986$bb3.8507@trnddc02...
In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all
three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong

broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert
3-prong
to 2-prong??

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can

never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off

the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the

outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong. Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit? I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

Thanks for any help.

Call someone that knows about electricity. To test the circuit you can
always plug in a two wire plug device such as a lamp.


Oh, duh!! Never though of that.

The ground prong
normally carries no current. If you were sure it is actually the ground
plug, you could just pull out the broken piece with some insulated pliers.
If you have a multimeter or one of the neon bulb circuit testers with
leads
you can also use that to verify you have the outlet circuit turned off at
the fuse/breaker panel.


Yeah, except I want to be sure that each outlet in the box is on the same
circuit. So the only way to do this would be to shut off every circuit in
the sub-panel.


  #7   Report Post  
KOA
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

"Mikepier" wrote in message
oups.com...

KOA wrote:

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?


You can try, use insulated pliers

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert
3-prong
to 2-prong??


Its a temporary fix, but you could change the outlet to a GFI as a
permanant solution. Most jurisdictions allow this to replace ungrounded
outlets so you are protected.

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can
never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off
the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the
outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong.


Just plug in a 2 prong device like a radio.

Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit?


In all likelyhood, both outlets are fed from the same breaker, but you
can check to be sure

. I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.


You do not need to shut off the entire house. Just find the right
breaker to that outlet.
Worst case scenario, if you had to shut off the entire house, it is
still safer. How is it that your neighbors power is shared with yours?


Thanks Mike for the tips. The tenant who lives in the second floor apartment
was using the third floor apartment, where the problem outlet is, to let his
friend live there. He wanted to supply him with free electricity, so he
altered the third floor electrical system to run off of his, but only
rewired some of the circuits. He didn't want to pay the $10 fee to have the
third floor electricity account changed to his name, and he didn't want to
pay the extra minimal use electricity for devices which were not being used,
such as the range.


  #8   Report Post  
KOA
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


"KOA" wrote in message
news:qlJaf.30990$bb3.24851@trnddc02...
"Mikepier" wrote in message
oups.com...

KOA wrote:

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?


You can try, use insulated pliers

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert
3-prong
to 2-prong??


Its a temporary fix, but you could change the outlet to a GFI as a
permanant solution. Most jurisdictions allow this to replace ungrounded
outlets so you are protected.

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can
never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off
the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the
outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong.


Just plug in a 2 prong device like a radio.

Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit?


In all likelyhood, both outlets are fed from the same breaker, but you
can check to be sure

. I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.


You do not need to shut off the entire house. Just find the right
breaker to that outlet.
Worst case scenario, if you had to shut off the entire house, it is
still safer. How is it that your neighbors power is shared with yours?


Thanks Mike for the tips. The tenant who lives in the second floor
apartment was using the third floor apartment, where the problem outlet
is, to let his friend live there. He wanted to supply him with free
electricity, so he altered the third floor electrical system to run off of
his, but only rewired some of the circuits. He didn't want to pay the $10
fee to have the third floor electricity account changed to his name, and
he didn't want to pay the extra minimal use electricity for devices which
were not being used, such as the range.


The landlord brought in an electrician to put in a new light switch for me
on the third floor, but he was so confused by where the power to the third
floor came from, he couldn't help me. The problem is he would have to access
the second floor apartment to see how the wires run and/or shut off his
service panel to do the wiring, but the landlord does not have a key to the
second floor apartment, and won't give her one. And he is never home in the
day, or sleeping.


  #9   Report Post  
Jim McLaughlin
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


"KOA" wrote in message
news:YVIaf.30986$bb3.8507@trnddc02...
In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong

broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.


SNIPS

Assuming that your outlet is the standard duplex outlet (two pluggy in
thingies in the one box) you can check the one that does not havre the prong
stuck in it. Even if against all odds you have he onl nn duplex socet in the
world, you can still check power status easily in at least three ways with
out any special tools.

1. Cut main breaker. Kills power towhole house. Pull grounding prong with
needle nose pliers. Energize main breaker.


2. Plug a radio or TV, turned up to the loudest sound you can, into the
socket. US TVs and radios tend to be 100 % two wire devices. Shut off
indvidual circuit breakers one at a time, If radio or TV does not go off,
re energize that circuit. Proceed breaker by breaker until you ind the one
that shuts down the radio or TV, When you find the individual breaker
that shuts off the radio or TV, you are home free. Pull the grounding
prong with needle nose pliers.


3. Use a small lamp in place of radio / tv. Test circuit by circuit until
youfind lamp shut off. Proceed as above. The lamp process works best with
a helper so that ypu dont have to walk back to the room from whereever the
panel is located to check lamp status. If you have several very long two
wire extension cords, you can run an extension cord line from the socket
over to wherever the panel is, or as close as you can get, and lug the lamp
in there. It cuts down on the walking back and forth. Obviously you can't
use 3 wire estension cords as you have a prong stuck in the socket.

And no. it is not saf to just grab the broken prong and pull it without
first killing the power.
--
Jim McLaughlin

Reply address is deliberately munged.
If you really need to reply directly, try:
jimdotmclaughlinatcomcastdotcom

And you know it is a dotnet not a dotcom
address.






  #10   Report Post  
Beachcomber
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


Thanks Mike for the tips. The tenant who lives in the second floor
apartment was using the third floor apartment, where the problem outlet
is, to let his friend live there. He wanted to supply him with free
electricity, so he altered the third floor electrical system to run off of
his, but only rewired some of the circuits. He didn't want to pay the $10
fee to have the third floor electricity account changed to his name, and
he didn't want to pay the extra minimal use electricity for devices which
were not being used, such as the range.



So you are paying for this guy's electricity?

Beachcomber




  #11   Report Post  
Jeff Wisnia
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

KOA wrote:
In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert 3-prong
to 2-prong??

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong. Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit? I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

Thanks for any help.



If all those outlets don't have stickers on them bearing the warning
"Ground not connected", you may not be in code compliance.

For all you know, someone may have deliberately shoved something in
their to deter someone else thinking it really was a grounded receptical.

FWIW, as long as you're not standing in a puddle of water or touching
something which really is grounded at the same time you go to do the
"extraction", I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be safe to pull
that broken off pin out with pliers.

HTH,

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."
  #12   Report Post  
Rich256
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet


"KOA" wrote in message
news:0pJaf.30992$bb3.4235@trnddc02...

The landlord brought in an electrician to put in a new light switch for me
on the third floor, but he was so confused by where the power to the third
floor came from, he couldn't help me. The problem is he would have to

access
the second floor apartment to see how the wires run and/or shut off his
service panel to do the wiring, but the landlord does not have a key to

the
second floor apartment, and won't give her one. And he is never home in

the
day, or sleeping.


If nothing else just buy one of those adapers that convert the old two prong
to three prong.

http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/page...-fel99480.html

Should be able to get them at Lowes or HD.


  #13   Report Post  
mm
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:31:40 GMT, "KOA" wrote:


"KOA" wrote in message
news:qlJaf.30990$bb3.24851@trnddc02...
"Mikepier" wrote in message
oups.com...

KOA wrote:

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

You can try, use insulated pliers

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert
3-prong
to 2-prong??

Its a temporary fix, but you could change the outlet to a GFI as a
permanant solution. Most jurisdictions allow this to replace ungrounded
outlets so you are protected.

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can
never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off
the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the
outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong.

Just plug in a 2 prong device like a radio.

Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit?

In all likelyhood, both outlets are fed from the same breaker, but you
can check to be sure

. I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

You do not need to shut off the entire house. Just find the right
breaker to that outlet.
Worst case scenario, if you had to shut off the entire house, it is
still safer. How is it that your neighbors power is shared with yours?


Thanks Mike for the tips. The tenant who lives in the second floor
apartment was using the third floor apartment, where the problem outlet
is, to let his friend live there. He wanted to supply him with free
electricity, so he altered the third floor electrical system to run off of
his, but only rewired some of the circuits. He didn't want to pay the $10
fee to have the third floor electricity account changed to his name, and
he didn't want to pay the extra minimal use electricity for devices which
were not being used, such as the range.


The landlord brought in an electrician to put in a new light switch for me
on the third floor, but he was so confused by where the power to the third
floor came from, he couldn't help me. The problem is he would have to access
the second floor apartment to see how the wires run and/or shut off his
service panel to do the wiring, but the landlord does not have a key to the
second floor apartment, and won't give her one. And he is never home in the
day, or sleeping.

I thought he was your tenant. If I were the landlord, and you're not,
I'd evict him for this, for rewiring without permission.. And if I
wanted to look at it, I'd drill out the lock (see long thread about
getting access to a tenant's property) , because the mere fact that it
hasn't started a fire yet, it doesn't mean it won't later today.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.
  #14   Report Post  
mm
 
Posts: n/a
Default Grounding prong broken off in electrical outlet

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:23:25 GMT, "KOA" wrote:


"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
ink.net...

"KOA" wrote in message
news:YVIaf.30986$bb3.8507@trnddc02...
In my house, none of the outlets are grounded, although they are all
three
prong. I discovered an outlet which appears to have a grounding prong

broken
off in it. I can't tell for sure. All I know is I can't plug in any
three-prong plug.

Is it safe to try to just yank the prong out with pliers?

Or should I just install one of those plug adapters, which convert
3-prong
to 2-prong??

The problem is, there is no way for me to remove the box, since I can

never
be certain if I have turned off power to the outlet, even if I shut off

the
circuit. The problem is a voltage detector cannot be plugged into the

outlet
to confirm no power, since it is 3-prong. Could I just use a multimeter
instead to detect voltage? Or use a circuit finder to verify that both
outlets go to the same circuit? I can't shut off the entire house either,
since some of my circuits might run through my neighbor's circuits, so I
would have to shut off his power too.

Thanks for any help.

Call someone that knows about electricity. To test the circuit you can
always plug in a two wire plug device such as a lamp.


Oh, duh!! Never though of that.

The ground prong
normally carries no current. If you were sure it is actually the ground
plug, you could just pull out the broken piece with some insulated pliers.
If you have a multimeter or one of the neon bulb circuit testers with
leads
you can also use that to verify you have the outlet circuit turned off at
the fuse/breaker panel.


Yeah, except I want to be sure that each outlet in the box is on the same
circuit. So the only way to do this would be to shut off every circuit in
the sub-panel.


If you have two people, you can have one at the fusebox and one by the
outlet, watching the lamp. Or with one person, you could use a radio
set loud enough to hear it at the fuse box. Then you can shut off
the circuits one at a time until you find the right one.


This sort of efficiency only matters because of digital clocks and
cheap vcr's and tv's that might forget the time or other settings if
you disconnecdt them even for a few seconds. (though most appliances
use a back up 9 volt battery or a capacitor or non-volatile memory so
they don't forget things in less than what, 10 minutes, a half hour?)

Or, you could turn on all the lights and something in every
receptacle, and tour the house each time after a cb is switched off,
making notes about what has been disconnnected. Make a detailed list
and put it in the fuse box. Laminate it maybe so it will last for
another 100 years.


Back to hunting down the circuit for every light and receptacle: You
can turn the circuit breaker or fuse back on after you find what it
dsconnects. But when you find that a lamp has gone off, plug the lamp
into the other half of the receptacle to make sure it has gone off
too. I don't think it was very common to split receptacles, except
maybe if one is wired through a wall switch and the other half isn't.
Especially here because they didn't play such clever games in the
1800's and when the house was rewired, I doubt anyone would go to the
ttrouble of running two lines to the same receptacle.

Furthermore, you don't really have to know about every receptacle.
You'll probably never have to repair any of them, and if you do, you
can test then to make sure both halves are disconnected.

BTW, my first house had one fuse for ceiling fixtures in more than one
room,, and another fuse for receptacles in more than one room. This
has the big advantage that if you blow the fuse with a lamp, you still
have the ceiling fixture to see with, and vice versa. But the house
was built that way. I wouldn't expect a house built without
electricity (yours?) to be this well done. Electricians were probably
very expensive when this house was wired.


Also, few houses had 3-prong outlets until what, 40 years ago. People
used electricity for almost 100 years before then and mostly without
trouble. The ground plug is only a secondary safety backup for all,
iiuc, appliances.

IIUC, it only helps when a wire inside short to a metal case that the
person using the appliance touches. It's much more common for a wire
to break than to short. Or maybe motor windings short, but they short
from one side of the plug to the other, and they blow the fuse.

Most home appliances don't have metal cases in the first place, except
some space heaters and some kitchen things, like toasters. Don't most
of these things still come with 2-prong plugs? If so, a 3-prong
outlet does you no good.

Home power tools used to have 3-prong plugs and metal cases, but now
almost all have plastcic cases (and therefore have 2-prong plugs.)

Your refrigerator, washing machine, and I forget but probably the
dishwasher have 3-prong plugs. Take care of those first.

And room air conditioners.

Check your house and see what else has them. If something has a
two-prong plug, a three-prong receptacle gives no added protection,
grounded or not.

How do you know they're not grounded. If you have BX cable, with the
coiled metal sheath, that is probably the ground.


You have a tenant who rewired part of your house!! This reminds me
of the time a roommate borrowed my bicycle (I'd told him he could
borrow the older one) and readjusted my front wheel bearing, and
didn't tell me. I didn't find out until I had a flat 10 miles from
home and when I patched the tube I noticed it was adjusted WRONG. I
was really mad at him. Not only shouldn't he have done it at all, he
should have notified me immediately if he did, and he should have done
it right. The jackass thought he knew more about bicycles than I did.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.
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