incorrectly wired outlets

[new_home_owner]

I have a few issue... first of all, I bought an outlet tester per the advice of my home inspector. I already knew some of the outlets were wired incorrectly. I have 1 outlet that reads open neutral, and haven't had a chance to open it up (it's in an awkward place behind my entertainment unit). What does this mean? the neutral is not connected? and is it alright that I'm using that outlet right now?

Second, there are quite a few outlets that read "open ground". I opened one up and found that it was the old style wiring with no ground but it is connected to a 3 prong outlet...I assume the rest are like that as well. Does this mean I shouldn't be plugging 3 pronged plugs into it...if I plug my computer into this, is this bad? is there a fix to this, short of rewiring my house?

There's more but I'll stop with that for now...This looks like a good forum, I'm a new member and just posting for the first time.

[Wgoodrich]

If your tester says you have an open neutral you therefor should have a dead receptacle with nothing that will run on that receptacles. If your equipment works on that receptacle that says an open neutral then you may have a bare wire being used as a white wire which would be dangerous. If you have a white wire connected to the silver screw and a black wire connected to the brass screw but no bare wire then you may have mis read your tester. Let us know what you have is the equipment working. Do you have a bare wire on the silver screw?

The older 2 wire branch circuits without a green or bare equipment grounding conductor was legal as existing with a two prong receptacle only. When the two prong receptacels were changed to three prong receptacles without an equipment grounding conductor connected to the green screw of your receptacle a Code violation occured not meeting the minimum safety standards of the NEC rules. You may correct that missing equipment grounding conductor while you are using three prong receptacles if your replaced receptacles are GFI protected. You may install a GFI in each place where the three prong receptacles are located or you may install a GFI breaker in the panel and protect the entire branch circuit with only the one GFI breaker. If you have fuses instead of breakers then you may install a new GFI receptacle below the panel then run the existing branch circuit through that receptacle by rerouting that existing branch circuit to that GFI receptacle then run a new power cable to that new GFI providing that existing two wire branch circuit with the required GFI protection. Be aware that this does not give you an equipment grounding conductor to these three prong receptacles, it just gives you GFI protection that the NEC accepts as an alternative protection acting to a lessor degree like the equipment grounding conductor that is not in the existing branch circuit. Just an alternative.

A second choice is to install a single green insulated equipment grounidng conductor directly from that certain receptacle fed by a two wire branch circuit from that receptacle to the equipment grounding bar of the panel inside the panel. If you do this option the geen single equipment grounding conductor that you are installing is supposed to run with the old branch circuit as close as you can to that old branch circuit. This option is often done when serving a computer or other sensitive electronic equipment providing an equipment grouinding conductor to that certain receptacle to protect that certain electronic equipment.

The third option is to rewire your branch circuit using a new 12 or 14/2wGrnd branch circuit.

Welcome to our forum and hope it helps you help yourself

Good Luck

Wg

[new_home_owner]

Thank you for the information...In regards to the open neutral recepticle, I am able to run my equipment. I don't have the time to work on that at the moment, but I have removed the plugs from that outlet and have them running on a power bar extention cord over to a correctly wired outlet. I will get back to you about that when I open it up.

As for the open ground recepticles I think my best bet is to run proper 14/2 wire off of outlets where I intend to use sensitive equipment and put GFI protectors on the others. My plan is to eventually rewire all of the recepticles in the future. Just out of curiosity, is it acceptable to be inserting 2 prong plugs from such low powered items like lamps into the recepticles without the GFI in place?

Also, my basement has a finished ceiling, so when I am running the new wire it may be easier to get back to the furnace room which has an open ceiling but the fuse box is not in there. The reason I say this is because there are a couple of proper 14/2 wires running through there which I could tap in to. What is the acceptable limit for outlets and ceiling lights on one 15 amp fuse?

Thank you in advance.

[Wgoodrich]

An existing two prong receptacle two wire branch circuit without a grounding conductor in that existing branch circuit may be replaced with a new two prong receptacle anywhere in the house. Problem is your electronic equipment manufacturer's instructions call for an equipment grounding conductor on most occasions.

You can replace a two prong receptacle with a new two prong receptacle and meet the rules of hte NEC.

The NEC says concerning general use convenience style receptacle circuits you must install your receptacles evenly on the minimum general use [general light branch circuits] required in that home. There is no limit as to number of receptacles on a circuit as long as they are evenly placed on the total number of general lighting branch circuits.

If you are tapping to a 15 amp branch circuit you can use the commercial rule of 180 watts per receptacle allowing 10 receptacles on a 15 amp branch circuit.

If you have lighting on that 15 amp branch circuit you might want to subtract the watts used by the lighting from the 1800 watts of a 15 amp circuit then divide the remaining watts by 180 volt amps as a guide in loading that existing branch circuit.

Hope this helps

Wg