Outlet Question:

[oldberkeley]

My house just went into contract, contingent on a home inspection. New addition, new kitchen and bathrooms, new breaker box, new 3-slot outlets in most of the house. In the older part of the house there is a total of 14 older 2-slot outlets. We’ve always just used 3-prong grounding adapters.

I’m sure that the inspector will call this. Of course it’s virtually impossible to replace all the complete circuits, we’re not tearing the drywall off half the house!

What’s the most cost efficient but safe, correct, and up-to-code way to handle this situation?

 

[Bert_]

If you want 3 prong, then a GFCI labeled "no equipment ground" is an acceptable solution. Wire as normal but there is obviously no ground connection.
If you can find the first outlet on the circuit then you could use one GFCI in that position and any outlets down stream of it could be standard 3 prong outlets labeled "no equipment ground". The key is that all 3 prong replacements must be GFCI protected.

I really don't understand how a home inspector can require you to change these. 2 Wire outlets are still perfectly legal for existing wiring.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Home Inspectors can't REQUIRE you to do anything.

 

[oldberkeley]

Bert- I'm a former Realtor. You are 100% correct in that they cannot "require" you to do jack! They have no legal regulatory or enforcement powers. Some, if not most, home inspectors are knowledgeable and well-trained. Others know very little.

What power they do have, in spades, is the power to ruin a deal! This is especially true when the buyers are young, nervous, first-timers. The best thing that a home seller can do is to take a realistic, unemotional look at their house and anticipate what a typical inspector will call. Some sellers even get an unofficial, early inspection on their own in order to proactively repair things.

I thought that your solution is the best one available, but I wanted to make sure. Thanks much for your expertise. -Gary

 

[wyliesdiesels]

As long as the 2-wire outlets are wired to code and are in working order, there is nothing wrong with them, they arent unsafe and they are grandfathered in.

Code doesnt require them to be replaced with 3-wire outlets.

And most equipment in a home is 2-wire anyways...

 

[matt_i]

Imo best to wait and see what the inspection brings rather than try to pre-emptively strike and still end up with 3 pages of line items.... Every line item is an opportunity for repair or negotiation, you can decide to punch it out your self, hire it done or banter back and forth on price adjustments. The inspector in an effort to make themself look like they are earning the prospective buyer's money, are going to embellish the list as much as possible, and buyers with zero technical knowledge about what's serious and what's benign are just going to ask for it all as if everything carries equal weight. I've been involved (as a seller) with some impressive stupidity generated over a home inspection.