No ground

[pitterpat]

Ok, yeah I know this garage forum and I maybe should post this in the "Free Parking" section but I will do it here because I think it will get more looks. If Mods want to move it ok.

In my 1956 house (the one that has 2 garages) I do not have grounding rods in the ground outside the main 2 car garage. The main 2 car garage is where the 100 amp breaker box is located. Wondering if I can add 2 grounding rods then a ground wire to the box....and if this take care of the no ground(s) to this house.

Also a little background: I am trying to get ready to update all of the switches and outlets in this house to the Decora outlets and switches. All of the electrical boxes except for 3 newer ones (1 added by me & 2 added by prev. homeowner) are metal. There are about 45 or more electrical boxes in this house. I know that if I just attach the ground wire to the box this will not automatically ground the outlet or the switch. I have checked some of the wiring at random and it looks like what they did when house was built was cut off the ground wire so it would not stick out of the fabric covered sheath. Means I would have to strip back more of the fabric and pigtail the wiring and pigtail a ground onto the snipped off ground.

I'm trying to get this house updated but I will not be doing enough remodeling to have to redo the wiring....99% of the updating is cosmetic; the house is in very good condition, just dated.

Thanks!

 

[pattenp]

You can add ground rods, that's no problem. But do the circuits in the main panel have the ground wires connected to a ground/neutral bar? If all the grounds have been cut off in the outlet and switch boxes then it would stand to reason that they aren't connected in the panel.

 

[3rdgen]

In Canada it is legal to feed your two wire circuit (no ground) with a gfi then put three prong receptacles on. Not sure about the states if this would work or not.

 

[duude]

1956, no grounds. Is it a 2 wire system?

 

[pitterpat]

You can add ground rods, that's no problem. But do the circuits in the main panel have the ground wires connected to a ground/neutral bar? If all the grounds have been cut off in the outlet and switch boxes then it would stand to reason that they aren't connected in the panel.

Glad you posed this question.....I just went an looked and there is a ground rod and the ground wires are connected at the panel for circuits. I took the panel off and looked! The ground rod and connector for the grounding wire ( I think it is 6 or 8 gauge solid ground (Uglies says it should be 8 ga for 100 amp box) is almost buried in the ground and the ground wire to the box runs up the inside block wall then is bent neatly and goes in the side of the breaker box.

So, I had just looked at one switch box that I changed from a double switch box to a triple switch box and those grounds were snipped. I'm supposing since they did not use switches with grounding screws (1956) then they just snipped the wires. I'm assuming that if I strip back the fabric enough on all the other wires that I can pigtail a ground and have a ground for all the outlets and switches. Correct?

 

[pitterpat]

1956, no grounds. Is it a 2 wire system?

Yes, most is 2 wire but fabric conduit has a ground, they just did not use it.

 

[kbs2244]

I think you are going in the right direction.
Just buy on of those circuit fault detectors and use it on each box as you go along.