what to do about using a plug that isnt grounded?

[Guest]

Sorry to correct you viable but the ground wire is definately not there to prevent fires,its used for equiptment and personnel protection only.Its not considered a current carrying conductor like the neutral wire and would only be energized under fault conditions.If I'm not mistaken he was talking about a 240V circuit,I'm an electrician and I'd say yes you better ground that circuit somehow

 

[Guest]

Here is my take ... If the poster is asking how to go from two prong to three prong, his home is MORE than likely an OLDER home with no third wire (ground) so go from there.

A GFCI senses the electrical potential difference between the hot and neutral. If there is a variance, it trips. GFCI's will work in ungrounded homes!!!

However, I do NOT recommend GFCI's around your grow area unless you have water or a hydro set-up and even at that I would be LEERY. Whaaaaaaa?????

Here is why.....

GFCI's are sensitive to large loads and eventually will fail and start to trip or not trip at all. For instance, you have seen hair dryers trip GFCI's at one time or another. Sometimes the hair dryer is clogged and puts a heavy demand on the circuit (much the same way a High Intensity Discharge lamp (MH or HPS) upon start-up) and trips the GFI. Well there you go.....GFCI's lose their viagra power and start to peter out and you don't know it until it is tooo freaking late.

Most/some growers use timers and this is where the problem begins if a GFCI has tripped.

 

[Guest]

I agree.I wouldnt use a GFI receptacle or breaker in a grow op unless you plant o be standing in water lol

 

[imnotcrazy]

Thunderbolts/SKELETOR good advice, these guys will install GFCI and wonder why their light never came on. I assume every electrician has seen a GFCI where the circuit failed to trip and turned the back of the outlet to crispy bubbled plastic I'm sure, don't believe the type of hype that makes them out to be fail safe. BTW Thunderbolts how's it hangin bro?

 

[stretch]

Hey gang Here's one for a tech head. Im was in the same boat at the last residence ..No ground..as this was yet another new house & repition(as we all know breeds complacincy) I just plugged in & off to the races we went. First time I stuck P.H meter in solution my meter was bouncin like a super-ball.. Im thinkin ..SHIT meter is on the fritz..Not to worry I've got a new head & batteries. Pop um in & same thing..Down to the local grow store to get exchange head. With every thing plugged in I just stuck it in one of thier res's & bingo right to the number & solid as a rock. Got it home same shit..Now Im pissed & confused.Long story short Outlets were not grounded & the mag pump was leakin or something..Was havin problems with my Girls that I had started from prvious house 2 weeks prior to the move.They were lookin realy wierd & for no reason.. Im thinkin deficiency, some rare viral thing,They looked as frazzeld as Buckwheat On a bad binger. Changed outlets & problem solved..they were perfect in 5 days.. I talked to Gypsie & red askin about the situation. (what I thought was a Nute/PH problem b4 finding this out) any way if Skeletor or any electrical guys have heard of this. The plants would have explosive growth for 8-10 hours of a 18 hour cycle,then they would wilt & look like shit warmed over.. Theres is something to the discharge that would kick um into overdrive.. I just thought it was somethin in the well water..It PPM straight at 45/55. I was in halfway R/O water heaven or so I thought

 

[GotTheBlues]

the screw that holds the faceplate of the wall outlet is grounded so buy the 3 to 2 pronge adapter and connect the wire to that screw (un screw it put the wire in and screw it back in). Some one correct me if im wrong. cause i know my wall outlets are like that but idk if everyone elses are.

well my point is just ground the thing and your wornt break whatever your plugging in and wont start a fire.

 

[imnotcrazy]

GotTheBlues- that only works if a ground wire is bonded to the receptacle box and the ground is completed through the mounting bracket of the outlet. No bonded ground wire, no ground. Turn off the power, remove the outlet and see if a small clip with wire under it is clipped on to the side of the box or if a wire is hooked to the box in some other way. Only other way to test for ground is with a volt/multimeter, remove outlet cover plate, connect meter set to 120V (for United States, others set meter to a setting higher than your regional voltage as to not damage meter), connect one meter lead to hot and touch other lead to box, if the meter shows 120V etc, you have a ground, if not you'll have some decisions to make.

 

[RuralRoute420]

what about this scenario:


250hps(3 prong) -> 3to2 prong adapter -> 2 prong timer -> 3 prong outlet


i know the easiest thing would be to buy all new timers, but is it safe? basically my hps isn't grounded properly? what could be my consenquences?

 

[GotTheBlues]

worst case scenario your bulb explodes setting your house on fire.

not so bad but you still get screwed scenario, if you have a power surge you will fry the inside of your ballast making you light useless. They ground it so they dont have to put a fuse in it. i can see its damn now you adapter is really close to the wall.
open your wall outlet make sure the the holes where the screw goes is grounded(look for a green wire connected to the same pice of metal). put the faceplact of the wall outlet back on and the green wire that is hanging from the adapter with the loop or ring at the end(put the screw threw it and screw it into where the faceplacte goes on). literally no more than 5 minutes of work.

 

[GotTheBlues]

if you cant do that, shove that green wire into the place where its supposed to go(the round hole) and tape it good.
Not recommended but it will do for now.