If you have an older home, you might have noticed some two-prong outlets. You might also be wondering if they need to be replaced. Replacing two-prong outlets is a good idea for safety and convenience, but there’s more to swapping out your outlets than a couple of screws and a screwdriver. The safest and most efficient way to go about it would be to contact a reputable electrician in Omaha. Wolfe electric can get your two prongs safely removed and updated three-prong outlets installed for an affordable price. Let’s get back to why you should replace those old two-prongs.
What the extra Prong?
In homes built before 1960 two-prong outlets were standard. The third prong in outlets today is for the grounding wire. The ground wire provides protection from electrical surges and helps to prevent shock, electrical fires, and damage to expensive electronics and appliances. The extra prong is kind of a big deal. The biggest issue with two-prong outlets as you can now see is safety.
Why is Grounding Important?
Every outlet has a “hot wire” for delivering electricity, and a neutral wire, for sending electricity back to the main panel. When an outlet is lacking a “ground” if too much electricity is delivered to an outlet it has nowhere to go. When a ground wire is present that extra electricity will transfer through the ground wire and travel back through the main ground wire that’s buried into the dirt outside your home where the earth can safely absorb it. Now you understand why it’s called a “ground wire.”
Is it Difficult to Swap out 2 prong outlets to 3 prongs?
Adding a ground wire is the safest way to change a two-prong outlet to a three-prong, but it’s not for beginners. Hiring a professional electrician is necessary because adding a ground involves attaching a new ground wire to your main electrical panel, and running a new ground wire to each ungrounded outlet. The process may require more than on ground wire addition, depending on how many of your home’s circuits include ungrounded receptacles. A professional electrician can tell which outlets have been grounded, and if your home itself is grounded.
If you have some old two-prong outlets that need replacing give us a call. 402-731-1220 Omaha, 402-464-4333 Lincoln