Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2020 14:04:59 -0800 (PST), Thomas
wrote:

Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


No .
... a 3-prong plug will not insert into a 2-prong receptacle.
... always glad to help.

ps: if your 1965 house has 2-prong receptacles
and a 15 amp service - it's not a house.
John T.

On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.



A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:31:10 PM UTC-5, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.
Thanks Wes. So no is the answer.

On 12/02/2020 03:20 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2020 14:04:59 -0800 (PST), Thomas
wrote:

Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


No .
.. a 3-prong plug will not insert into a 2-prong receptacle.
... always glad to help.

ps: if your 1965 house has 2-prong receptacles
and a 15 amp service - it's not a house.
John T.


That's what they make adapters for, or dikes if you're really crude. 15
amp service sounds more like 1915 or so.

On 12/2/2020 3:42 PM, Thomas wrote:
On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:31:10 PM UTC-5, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.
Thanks Wes. So no is the answer.


But, with the appropriate adapter, it would work. If there are other
high current appliances on the same circuit, the breaker will let you know.

In alt.home.repair, on Wed, 2 Dec 2020 18:07:06 -0800, Bob F
wrote:

On 12/2/2020 3:42 PM, Thomas wrote:
On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:31:10 PM UTC-5, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.
Thanks Wes. So no is the answer.


But, with the appropriate adapter, it would work. If there are other
high current appliances on the same circuit, the breaker will let you know.

I was thinking this myself. I use those adapters all the time, just to
plug into extension cords (since I have 3-prong receptacles) but this,
it turns out, is an immersion cooker. (I didnt' know such things
existed, except to make a cup of hot water.) Maybe the only appliance I
think really needs a ground, since it's sitting in water or similar.
And likely, as in the illustration, in a metal pot, with metal handles!!

So I guess if the center screw on the receptacle is grounded and the OP
actually connects the ground lug or wire to the center screw, that would
be enough. OP, do you know how to tell if the center screw is grounded,
and how to connect the ground lug of the adapter to it?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Sou...dapter/3772899

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Sou.../dp/B06XWVXNWQ

On 12/2/20 4:31 PM, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so



A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.

NEC. GFCI on two wire circuit, yes. It's legal. There are
explanations
available telling how gfci works if anyone is curious.
https://www.ecmweb.com/content/article/20896746/replacing-2wire-ungrounded-receptacles
This article is awfully old. I don't know if there have been any
changes.

On 12/2/2020 9:45 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 12/2/20 4:31 PM, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so



A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.

Â*Â*Â*Â* NEC.Â*Â* GFCI on two wire circuit,Â* yes.Â* It's legal.Â* There are
explanations
available telling how gfci works if anyone is curious.
https://www.ecmweb.com/content/article/20896746/replacing-2wire-ungrounded-receptacles

Â*Â* This article is awfully old.Â* I don't know if there have been any
changes.




A GFCI is required within 6 feet of a water/moisture source,
Technically, a single GFCI can be used with other non-GFCI receptacles
piggy backing from the GFCI on that circuit, One of those receptacles
can be a 2 prong and the worse case is the GFCI will trip.

On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

800 watts is pulling about 7 amps so yes, it has the capacity. Use a
3 prong adapter if the appliance has a 3 prong plug.

On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


With an adapter, you can.

On 12/2/2020 5:20 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2020 14:04:59 -0800 (PST), Thomas
wrote:

Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


No .
.. a 3-prong plug will not insert into a 2-prong receptacle.
... always glad to help.

ps: if your 1965 house has 2-prong receptacles
and a 15 amp service - it's not a house.
John T.


Built in 65, it should have 3 prong receptacles since code required them
in new homes starting in 62.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2020 18:07:06 -0800, Bob F wrote:

On 12/2/2020 3:42 PM, Thomas wrote:
On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:31:10 PM UTC-5, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.
Thanks Wes. So no is the answer.


But, with the appropriate adapter, it would work. If there are other
high current appliances on the same circuit, the breaker will let you know.
You can use it without a ground IF you use a GFCI - it is an imersion
heater so it is foolish to use without a ground or gfci or both. Will
it WORK with an adapter? Sure - but it would work with a set of
aligator clips fastened to the plug too - - - -

On Wed, 2 Dec 2020 22:18:31 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

800 watts is pulling about 7 amps so yes, it has the capacity. Use a
3 prong adapter if the appliance has a 3 prong plug.
ONLY if you can ground the adapter !!!!!!

On 12/2/20 9:19 PM, Hawk wrote:
On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


With an adapter, you can.

Sure, it would work physically. But it isn't grounded. The most
important thing safety wise is grounding. A legal alternative is
using a gfci outlet either in that one box or upstream. Is there
any chance a modern gfci breaker would fit in the breaker box?
A gfci outlet should fit in that particular box.

After serious thinking Ed Pawlowski wrote :
On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

800 watts is pulling about 7 amps so yes, it has the capacity. Use a 3
prong adapter if the appliance has a 3 prong plug.

Yes, the kind we used to call a 'pigtail' which has a short wire and
connector to fit under the grounded faceplate center screw. I have seen
some with a 'tab' instead of a wire which functions the same *and*
makes sure the polarity is not reversed. Usually, the prongs are
different sizes to avoid this polarity problem.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 9:07:14 PM UTC-5, Bob F wrote:
On 12/2/2020 3:42 PM, Thomas wrote:
On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:31:10 PM UTC-5, Wes wrote:
On 12/2/20 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

A 3-prong grounded GFCI outlet would be my requirement.
Thanks Wes. So no is the answer.

But, with the appropriate adapter, it would work. If there are other
high current appliances on the same circuit, the breaker will let you know.

It won't work safely with the typical 3 prong to 2 adapter if there is no ground. The suggestion
to put in a GFCI receptacle is the best fix. It can be placed in the most upstream location
possible, thereby protecting that receptacle and everything downstream.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 10:20:15 PM UTC-5, Hawk wrote:
On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

With an adapter, you can.

Not with a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter if there is no ground at the receptacle cover screw.
Even then it's iffy. Put in a GFCI receptacle in the most upstream location possible.

7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.

The mechanism for shock would have to be an internal short that makes the case hot, right? The case is in a water bath that you don't touch because it's hot - 150 F or so. You fish out your cooking bags with tongs. So the path is from an internal hot wire, through the water, through tongs with rubber handles, through the human body, through the shoes and out the feet into a floor at ground potential. It's certainly theoretically dangerous but maybe not highly probable to cause harm.

On 12/3/2020 11:04 AM, TimR wrote:
7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.


You are making an assumption. It is rated at 800 watts so do the math.
Once it reaches temperature does it go to a lesser draw or does it
cycle the 800 watt heater off and on?

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 11:05:00 AM UTC-5, TimR wrote:
7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.

I doubt it's continous, far more likely it's full on/off. 7 amps would be a750Watt heater,
which is reasonable. It's just going to be on for short periods compared to the off.

I saw a show last night showing the kitchen at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
The do servings for groups as large as 4 thousand. They were Sous Viding short ribs,
two tons at one time.





The mechanism for shock would have to be an internal short that makes the case hot, right? The case is in a water bath that you don't touch because it's hot - 150 F or so. You fish out your cooking bags with tongs. So the path is from an internal hot wire, through the water, through tongs with rubber handles, through the human body, through the shoes and out the feet into a floor at ground potential. It's certainly theoretically dangerous but maybe not highly probable to cause harm.

I would want it on a GFCI or grounded if I was using it in my kitchen. The path is from any
internal short to the metal case. I'm sure there are plenty of failure possibilities that don't
need to go through the water.

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 12:47:18 PM UTC-5, trader_4 wrote:
On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 11:05:00 AM UTC-5, TimR wrote:
7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.
I doubt it's continous, far more likely it's full on/off. 7 amps would be a750Watt heater,
which is reasonable. It's just going to be on for short periods compared to the off.


You might be right. After I posted I realized maybe it's a thermostat with bang band control.

But it could be more like a dimmer. Supposedly these hold really precise temperatures. But you've got a lot of heat inertia with that big vat of water.

I did try a DIY sous vide once. There's a way to do it with a cooler and hot water. You need to keep checking temperature and adding hot water as it cools. It was a pain in the butt but I did cook that meat exactly how I wanted it.

On 12/3/2020 5:02 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 12/2/20 9:19 PM, Hawk wrote:
On 12/2/2020 5:04 PM, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.


With an adapter, you can.

Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Sure, it would work physically.Â*Â* But it isn't grounded.Â* The most
important thing safety wise is grounding.Â* A legal alternative is
using a gfci outlet either in that one box or upstream.Â* Is there
any chance a modern gfci breaker would fit in the breaker box?
A gfci outlet should fit in that particular box.

A GFCI will still fit in the same box but will only protect the
remaining receptacles following along the circuit. The best option
(other than rewiring a new circuit with a ground) is to install the GFCI
on the first receptacle for that circuit, then the rest of them are
protected.

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:04:53 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.

The mechanism for shock would have to be an internal short that makes the case hot, right?
The case is in a water bath that you don't touch because it's hot - 150

The pot int he picture I looked at had metal handles, meant iiuc to be
touchable even when the water inside is hot.

plus you can touch a pot accidentally.

F or so. You fish out your cooking bags with tongs. So the path is from an internal hot wire, through the water,
through tongs with rubber handles, through the human body,

That's exactly the problem.

through the shoes and out the feet into a floor at ground potential.

Or someone's other hand might be on the stove.

? It's certainly theoretically dangerous but maybe not highly probable to cause harm.

I've gotten lots of shocks. The kitchen formica counter when I was in
HS had a metal border that gave a tingle when touched. Maybe because
the plastic case of the radio was chipped and it sat on a decorative
metal table so narrow so the radio chassis sat on the metal sometimes.
But that shock probably came through a capacitor or resistor. (I still
have the radio. I should check it out. )

OTOH, I got a big shock when I connected a crystal radio between the TV
rabbit ears and the forced air heating outlet grill. Never did that
again.

And another full 110vac from my index finger to my thumb once.

And other times.

But now I'm older and my heart is easier to stop!

I'm an idiot, but even I wouldn't rely on your tong scenario above.

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 3:38:32 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:04:53 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.

The mechanism for shock would have to be an internal short that makes the case hot, right?
The case is in a water bath that you don't touch because it's hot - 150
The pot int he picture I looked at had metal handles, meant iiuc to be
touchable even when the water inside is hot.

plus you can touch a pot accidentally.
F or so. You fish out your cooking bags with tongs. So the path is from an internal hot wire, through the water,
through tongs with rubber handles, through the human body,
That's exactly the problem.
through the shoes and out the feet into a floor at ground potential.
Or someone's other hand might be on the stove.

? It's certainly theoretically dangerous but maybe not highly probable to cause harm.

I've gotten lots of shocks. The kitchen formica counter when I was in
HS had a metal border that gave a tingle when touched. Maybe because
the plastic case of the radio was chipped and it sat on a decorative
metal table so narrow so the radio chassis sat on the metal sometimes.
But that shock probably came through a capacitor or resistor. (I still
have the radio. I should check it out. )

OTOH, I got a big shock when I connected a crystal radio between the TV
rabbit ears and the forced air heating outlet grill. Never did that
again.

And another full 110vac from my index finger to my thumb once.

And other times.

But now I'm older and my heart is easier to stop!

I'm an idiot, but even I wouldn't rely on your tong scenario above.
Found a six foot 3 prong extension cord that is working. Thanks for the replies.

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 3 Dec 2020 13:14:50 -0800 (PST), Thomas
wrote:

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 3:38:32 PM UTC-5, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:04:53 -0800 (PST), TimR
wrote:

7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.

The mechanism for shock would have to be an internal short that makes the case hot, right?
The case is in a water bath that you don't touch because it's hot - 150
The pot int he picture I looked at had metal handles, meant iiuc to be
touchable even when the water inside is hot.

plus you can touch a pot accidentally.
F or so. You fish out your cooking bags with tongs. So the path is from an internal hot wire, through the water,
through tongs with rubber handles, through the human body,
That's exactly the problem.
through the shoes and out the feet into a floor at ground potential.
Or someone's other hand might be on the stove.

? It's certainly theoretically dangerous but maybe not highly probable to cause harm.

I've gotten lots of shocks. The kitchen formica counter when I was in
HS had a metal border that gave a tingle when touched. Maybe because
the plastic case of the radio was chipped and it sat on a decorative
metal table so narrow so the radio chassis sat on the metal sometimes.
But that shock probably came through a capacitor or resistor. (I still
have the radio. I should check it out. )

OTOH, I got a big shock when I connected a crystal radio between the TV
rabbit ears and the forced air heating outlet grill. Never did that
again.

And another full 110vac from my index finger to my thumb once.

And other times.

But now I'm older and my heart is easier to stop!

I'm an idiot, but even I wouldn't rely on your tong scenario above.

Found a six foot 3 prong extension cord that is working.

Which is long enough to reach a 3-prong outlet, I presume. Don't trip
on it and knock the hot water on someone.


Thanks for the replies.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 5:05:06 PM UTC-5, Thomas wrote:
Bought a sous vide 800 watt cooker. Can I safely use in a 2 slot outlet?
15 amp service, older house, maybe from 1965 or so.

if you smash it in there with enough force, but then you'd have to repair it.

On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 2:31:54 PM UTC-5, TimR wrote:
On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 12:47:18 PM UTC-5, trader_4 wrote:
On Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 11:05:00 AM UTC-5, TimR wrote:
7 amps seems like a lot. A sous vide maintains water at a set point, and I tend to doubt that takes much power once the water is hot (and most people start with hot water). I suspect it's more like 1 amp continuous.
I doubt it's continous, far more likely it's full on/off. 7 amps would be a750Watt heater,
which is reasonable. It's just going to be on for short periods compared to the off.

You might be right. After I posted I realized maybe it's a thermostat with bang band control.

But it could be more like a dimmer. Supposedly these hold really precise temperatures. But you've got a lot of heat inertia with that big vat of water.

I did try a DIY sous vide once. There's a way to do it with a cooler and hot water. You need to keep checking temperature and adding hot water as it cools. It was a pain in the butt but I did cook that meat exactly how I wanted it.

I did the same to try cooking hamburgers one time. 130F for med rare then a quick 30 secs
or so on each side in a hot pan to sear the outside. They were perfectly cooked to med rare,
better than any other method. But I couldn't say they tasted any better and it's more work.
A lot more work the way we did it, without a sous vide machine. Took a lot of patience and
time to monitor it.