Grounded outlet?

[blkdrgn]

I plugged in my 3 prong surge protector. It has two lights on it. One is to show power and the other says ground. The ground light never turns on. Does that mean my outlet doesn't have a ground wire? How would that affect a GFCI outlet if I wanted to install one? Would those ground probes not work?

 

[bertoni]

If the ground isn't connected, the ground probes won't work, but the GFCI will be fine. I don't know anything about that type of surge protector.

 

[Euclid537]

What kind of surge protector is this? Where did you get it and who makes it?

 

[Swarf]

You can buy a circuit tester for pretty cheap, and see if the outlet is wired correctly without taking anything apart. Home improvement stores, or radio shack should have something.

Here's a link to one made by Tripp Lite

Cheers,
Chuck

 

[blkdrgn]

It's just a surge protector such as below. I'm not sure the exact brand as it's at home. I remember now that it has illuminated LEDs indicating your devices are grounded and protected. I got it from a local shop like Home Depot.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=122841

 

[Swarf]

If the LED isn't lit then it is a bad surge supressor, or the outlet is wired wrong, I don't see any other possibilities.

 

[motlot77]

buy a $5 tester to test your outlets. it's easy on the mind.

oh, check all of your outlets though. the first one i bought had a light that was out so i thought my house was screwed. but it was just the junky made in china tester that was bad.

 

[Paul B]

If the ground isn't connected, the ground probes won't work,

I had to think about that for a minute but a ground probe should work in lieu of a grounded receptacle in most cases. Of course the receptacle should be repaired or at least the power strip should be tested by plugging it in somewhere else and see if the ground indicator works. If there is no ground at the receptacle then you really need a ground probe today. I use a piece of stainless steel radio antenna. I bent it in a "U" with the long end in the tank. I connected a copper wire to the end outside the tank and connected it to a known ground like a water pipe. You can usually use the center screw on a receptacle but in your case it may not work there because your receptacle may not be grouinded. If you have an old lamp with no plug on it (or you don't mind cutting one off, just insert one stripped end of the lamp cord into the ground hole in the outlet and the other wire from the lamp into the smaller slot in the outlet. If the lamp does not light, it is not grounded and you should fix it. Of course a $14.00 tester is easier and more convenient and is used as I said.
Good luck. (electrician almost 40 years)
Paul

 

[bertoni]

Okay, I'm assuming the ground probe is plugged into the outlet. If that's the case, I don't see how it'd be useful.

 

[blkdrgn]

I'll get the tester. I have two of those surge protectors and none of them light up. I know it's an old house but I think I remember it only had two wires in the cable. The third was the green ground from somewhere.

 

[Paul B]

Bertoni, I am sorry, you are correct. If the ground probe is connected to an outlet that does not have a ground it would not work. The probe would have to be connected to a good ground like a water pipe or a ground stake outside in the dirt.
Paul

 

[Young Frankenstein]

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzz booooom