Why You Should Replace Your Two-Prong Outlets

Take a look at your outlets. If they have holes for only two prongs, they’re ungrounded. Ungrounded outlets don’t have the necessary ground wire to protect you from possible surges of electricity. The ground wire helps prevent electrical shock, electrical fires and damage to electronics.

Are Two-Prong Outlets Allowed in Homes?

Yes. This is because they’ve been grandfathered in from old technology standards. The National Electric Code says two-prong outlets are allowed in homes as long as they are working properly. HOWEVER, this is not recommended because they are not grounded. In addition, they are not always compatible with new appliances and electronics.

NEVER Try This at Home!

NEVER simply replace an old two-prong outlet with a three-prong outlet. You are NOT solving your grounding problem. In fact, this creates a hazardous situation, where it appears that there’s a ground, when in fact there's not.

NEVER bend back or cut off the extra prong or use a cheater plug on a three-prong plug to get it to go into the wall. We see it all the time! It is NOT a good idea.

Converting Two-Prong Outlets to Three-Prong Outlets

A grounded outlet is safer and more capable of protecting modern electronics like computer equipment, televisions and more. Clover Electric can upgrade your two-prong outlets to three-prong outlets two ways:

• Adding a ground wire. This is the best option. It includes running a ground wire from the main electrical panel to the outlet.
• Adding a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). This is an option to adding a dedicated ground wire. Technically, the outlet will still be ungrounded, but the GFCI outlet will monitor the flow of electricity traveling through the outlet and cut power if the voltage ever gets too high.

If your home has two-prong outlets you need to get them updated to three-prong, grounded outlets. Clover Electric can help you avoid unnecessary shocks, safety issues and damage to your valuable electronic devises. Call Clover Electric today and get PLUGGED IN to safety!