# Electricity and home appliances question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185 "2002-11-10T22:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/1 "2002-11-10T22:31:01Z")
My wife and I have just bought a new freezer. My wife has heard that an appliance like that needs to be grounded, but we have no grounded outlets in our basement. Does a freezer need a grounded outlet, or will it be ok in a regular two-pronged outlet? Rick ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/2 "2002-11-10T23:35:48Z")
If you have no grounded outlets, at least put in a receptacle with a built in ground fault detector. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/3 "2002-11-10T23:45:46Z")
You don’t want to get fried before the fish thaws out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/4 "2002-11-11T00:19:50Z")
Life progressed well, even BEFORE grounded outlets (of course, a few folks went the “crispy critter” route, but such is life). You could call in a “electrician, residential” for an estimate, or you could sped a buck on one of those “3-prong-in/2-prongs and a wire out” adaptors. I think GFI circuits require a ground - if so, they are of no use where no ground is available. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/5 "2002-11-11T01:46:51Z")
As happyheathen says above just get one of those 3 to 2 prong adapters **AND** take the extra minute to actually attached the ground wire to the outlet cover screw! ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/6 "2002-11-11T01:51:13Z")
What are GFI circuits? I have one of those adaptor thingies. If that is all we need, we are in business. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/7 "2002-11-11T02:20:29Z")
Do not, for the love of all things holy, under any circumstances, get a two-to-three prong adaptor. Those things should be buried in the pits of Hell. My reccomendation is to get proper grounding equipment installed in your house. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/8 "2002-11-11T02:46:46Z")
Nonsense. :rolleyes: As long as its not a 98¢ cheapo from Walmart and you securely connect the ground wire to the outlet’s metal case the ground plug on the freezer will do it’s job if need be. There is no need to rewire your basement. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/9 "2002-11-11T03:04:19Z")
IANAE, but that depends, **Hail Ants**. From [this page](http://www.marinemechanic.com/site/page166.html) : > [@](#): > > Figure B illustrates a temporary adapter available for connecting grounded plugs (Figure A) to two prong outlets. The green rigid ear or lug extending from the adapter must be connected to a permanent ground such as a properly grounded outlet box or receptacle. Simply remove the center screw from the outlet, insert the adapter and reattach the screw through the green grounding ear to the outlet if in doubt of proper grounding, call a qualified electrician. A temporary adapter should only be used until a properly grounded outlet can be installed by a qualified electrician. **The Canadian Electrical Code prohibits the use of temporary adapters**. You should make sure your insurance would cover you if the freezer were to cause a fire **RickQ**. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/10 "2002-11-11T03:11:18Z")
Here we go again. **happyheathen** : Are you saying the ground wire is a scam?? Oh please. **Hail Ants** : No, do **not** use one of those stupid 3-to-2 prong adapters. Those are to be used _only_ when you’re 110% sure the receptacle box is properly grounded. And even if it **is** properly grounded (it’s often not), it is to be used for _temporary_ hook-ups _only_. Back to the OP… you have exactly two solutions to your problem. Take your pick: 1. Run a ground wire and install a grounded receptacle. If this isn’t too difficult, this would be my **first choice**. 2. Install a GFCI outlet. This is what I call the “loophole” solution, since it’s quick and cheap. (You don’t need to run a ground wire). ---
**Author:** ![jsleek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/11 "2002-11-11T03:45:04Z")
I will attempt to explain the reason for the disagreement. An AC circuit needs two wires to work. I have always called them hot and neutral; they are black and white in color. The neutral wire is connected to ground at the power panel. A green ground wire is run separately. It’s purpose is safety. It is not needed to make the device work. In fact, current flow through the green wire indicates a dangerous problem. The ground fault breaker detects such current and opens the circuit. Suppose you install a non-code device and that your house burns down. A fire person will be assigned to report on the cause of the fire. This person sees the smoldering non-code device and writes that it caused the fire. Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. But you have a real problem with the insurance company. Likely your bypass will work for a thousand years with no problem, but the .001 chance of a problem makes it not worth the risk. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/12 "2002-11-11T03:45:33Z")
I never said ground circuits are a scam, just that electricity can work very well without them 😛 A nice, proper ground would be nice - and, perhaps expensive - that is why I said to get an electrician’s estimate (we have been through this before - what, exactly, constitutes a “proper” ground? - opinions vary.) The reason I did NOT say to attach the adapter to the cover screw is because I know that that screw is probably NOT grounded (although, in a basement, it probably comes close, assuming elt was used). If you feel ambitious, find our main panel (near the meter) - see if you can find a bare copper wire running around - sometimes, clamped to a nice copper rod driven 15-or-so feet into the earth - that is a ground. Are there 4 conductors coming into the house? If so one is probably a ground. Ground-through-neutral is a bad idea, but has been used (a pre-empt to that discussion, which will eventually come up if this goes long enough) A gfi/gfic cuts power - and the only way it tells you that it has cut power is to pop out a little button - not a good solution to a basement freezer - the first clue you would get would be the smell of rotting meat. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/13 "2002-11-11T03:53:33Z")
> [@](#): > > **Crafter\_Man** suggests: Install a GFCI outlet. This is what I call the “loophole” solution, since it’s quick and cheap. (You don’t need to run a ground wire). [Howstuffworks](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question117.htm) elaborates a bit on why you don’t need a ground wire for one of these outlets: > [@](#): > > If an appliance is working properly, all electricity that the appliance uses will flow from hot to neutral. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/14 "2002-11-11T04:38:06Z")
For the record, we currently have two applicances downstairs in the basement which were installed by our landlord – a washer and a dryer. Both of these appliances have adapters to convert their three pronged plugs to fit. It’s an old house, and quite a few things are probably not up to code. ---
**Author:** ![jsleek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/15 "2002-11-11T05:04:45Z")
The washer/dryer adapters rather change the focus of the discussion. If a freezer becomes electrically dangerous, the hazard is very small since a shock will probably cause you to pull away. A washing machine can be more hazardous since a shock could be travelling through standing water. A dryer is probably 220v which has two hot wires and a neutral and a ground. You can see how it becomes complex. I am nervous about your basement and suggest you get someone familiar with wiring to give it a look. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/16 "2002-11-11T05:29:13Z")
Unless’n the dryer is actually a gas dryer (which, if it has a 3/2 prong adaptor, it probably is) and just uses electricity for the motor, timer, sensor, etc. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/17 "2002-11-11T05:43:09Z")
One problem might be that if the house doesn’t have the 3-prong, grounded outlets then it might not have a green (safelty) ground running throughout. In that case, grounding the appliance to the box doesn’t do anything. You say there are no grounded outlets in the basement. Are the outlets in the rest of the house 3-prong , or 2-prong? If all of your outlets are 2-prong, then go ahead and use one of the 3-prong to 2-prong adapters. If the house was up to code when it was built then it is still up to code. If those upstairs are 3-prong then have an electrician connect the green ground to your basement outlets. This can be quite expensive. However, I can’t imagine an electrical installation passing the building inspection with 3-prong in part of the building and 2-prong in the rest. Maybe your upstairs was remodeled at a time when a safety ground was required by code. If the basement wasn’t included in such a remodeling, maybe it wouldn’t be part of the remodel inspection. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/18 "2002-11-11T06:01:09Z")
Your wife has “heard” that an appliance like that needs to be grounded? Haven’t you looked at the plug? If it’s a three-prong (grounded) plug, then you need a grounded outlet. If it’s a two-prong plug, then it simply doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/19 "2002-11-11T06:08:09Z")
Note: Some nasty people, when seeking to replace old, cracked, broken, or discolored outlets, have used 3-prong outlets on ungrounded circuits! GASP! Technically, most codes require such an outlet to be specifically labelled “not connected to ground” - I would like a dollar for every outlet which is required to have such a label, but doesn’t. Lesson: Even if you have 3-prong outlets, you may not have a ground circuit. FTR: I have been known to remove the ground prong from a plug and use the device on an ungrounded circuit - and I’m still alive, the house hasn’t burned down, etc. Bottom line: NO circuit REQUIRES a ground. Period. Many building codes require a ground, good practice requires a ground, common sense may even require a ground, but NO DEVICE I’VE SEEN requires a ground. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185/20 "2002-11-11T06:17:16Z")
Ever seen a lightning rod?😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-and-home-appliances-question/136185.md?page=2)