Also, receptacles in newer homes may have lost their ground connection somewhere between the receptacle and main electric panel due to a loose wire connection. The ground wire connection is typically daisy-chained between a string of receptacles, so a loose ground wire connection at one receptacle will cause a loss of ground connection at all the downstream receptacles.
We recommend testing receptacles, especially in pre-1960s homes, for this defect using a 3-light tester available at most hardware stores for about five dollars. If only the center orange light comes on when the tester is plugged in, the receptacle is not grounded. If both orange lights come on, then the receptacle is grounded and correctly wired.*
Any other combination of red and orange lights indicates that the receptacle is wired improperly, with the most common defect being reversed polarity, where the hot wire is connected to neutral lug and neutral connected to hot. In other words, the receptacle is wired backwards. A diagram showing what the different light combinations mean is printed on the receptacle tester.
HOW TO FIX AN UNGROUNDED RECEPTACLE
There are three ways to repair an ungrounded 3-slot receptacle, listed below from most-expensive to least-expensive:
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1)Install a ground connection to the receptacle, typically done by running a ground wire to the receptacle, which can be difficult to accomplish.
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2)Change out the receptacle for a GFCI-receptacle. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. Essentially, if there is a ground fault (you are being shocked), the circuit is interrupted (shut off to prevent your death). The receptacle should be marked with a sticker, which comes in the box with the receptacle, stating “NO GROUND CONNECTION.” The reason is that some appliances, such as televisions and computers, require a ground connection to work properly and should not be connected to an ungrounded GFCI-receptacle. Also, surge protection devices do not function properly without a ground connection.
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3)And last, the cheapest remedy is to change the offending receptacles back to 2-slot, which are still available at most hardware stores.
While we hope you find this series of articles about home inspection helpful, they should not be considered an alternative to an actual home inspection by a local inspector. Also, construction standards vary in different parts of the country and it is possible that important issues related to your area may not be covered here.
©2015 - McGarry and Madsen Inspection.
*An uncommon defect, in which both the ground slot and neutral slot are connected to the neutral wire, called a “false ground,” is not detected by a 3-light receptacle tester. A more sophisticated electronic test device is necessary.
