Two years ago I bought a house that was built in the late 1950s or early 1960s. I have since found out that the electricity is improperly grounded. What needs to be done to correct this and how much will it cost?
"That's a tough question," says John David, manager of corporate safety and training for Staley Electric of Little Rock, which has been in business since 1951.
"Back in those days, they didn't ground the way we do today," David says. "Some houses weren't grounded at all. And when they did ground them, they used a two-wire installation instead of the three-wire system that we use today."
First of all, the homeowner should check to make sure there is a ground at the service along the side of the house where the electricity is entering the house, David says.
"If you don't have that, you will need to have a qualified electrician come out and install a main ground," he says. "If that's there but there's no grounding at receptacles, there are two options."
The first route is to have an electrician rewire the receptacle back to the panel, David says. The second option would be to change out the two-wire receptacle for a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) receptacle.
GFCI receptacles, which are usually placed near water sources such as in bathrooms and kitchens, can stop the flow of electricity if they detect an overload or other problem.
The more modern electrical safety standards, based on the 2014 national electrical codes, also recommend that AFCI (arc fault circuit interrupters) be added, he says.
"Those help prevent arcing, which can cause fires in houses," David says.
The cost of the repair work could vary greatly and depends upon the size of the house and the severity of the electrical problems located within. The final bill depends on the extent of work needed.
"It may be just one receptacle that needs to be repaired," he says. "Or it could be a situation in which the entire house needs to have grounding added."
"If it's just one receptacle, it could just cost $13 or $15," David says. "But if the entire house needs to be upgraded, the final bill could run into thousands of dollars."
Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? We'll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Linda S. Haymes, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or email:
lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 07/19/2014