How to check house wiring for proper ground?

I know next to nothing about house electrical systems, and I am wondering if there is an easy way for a novice to check for proper ground. I am in the US so this is 120v. My unit (townhouse/row house) was built in 2000, and there are rumors that the company who built the complex cut corners, though it's probably just a rumor.

Back-story: A lightning strike blew out the boards on my AC, garage door opener, thermostat, and a few other things. I was looking into getting a whole-house surge protector in addition to separate ones for the most expensive electronic stuff, and a friend asked me if maybe my place isn't grounded properly.

Is there anything I can do or buy that will allow me to easily check my house wiring?

Reply to
Adam Corolla
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Without fairly expensive, specialized equipment, you won't be able to do elaborate tests, such as the true electrical resistance of your ground.

The good news is however, with a simple electrical tester, you can at least check for ground continuity at each outlet. There are inexpensive outlet testers that plug in and with lights, give you a visual indication if the ground is present. They will also reveal the most common wiring errors.

The old neon bulb testers with the pigtail leads will also work. You should get a light from HOT to NEUTRAL, (the two flat slot connections) and from HOT to GROUND (the smaller flat slot connector and the round hole, respectively).

If you have wiring errors, you might have a light from NEUTRAL to GROUND.

Do you have GFCI outlets in your bathroom or kitchen? Pushing the test button occasionaly will perform a safety check on the ground connections. The outlet should trip off and then you must hit the reset button.

Beachcomber

Reply to
Beachcomber

Those little outlet testers will do nothing to verify earth ground. Earth ground (not safety ground inside building) is essential for lightning protection. Only way to confirm earthing (short of some very expensive equipment) is visual inspection.

All incoming utilities should make a less than 10 foot connection to the single point earthing electrode. A 6 AWG bare copper wire exits breaker box to connect to this rod. Rod must be secure (cannot be shaken) and must be at least eight feet in earth. Some contractors cut costs by cutting a rod in half to use two four foot rods in two locations.

Telephone and cable also must make a less than 10 foot wire connection to this earthing electrode. Telephone would already have a 'whole house' protector inside that gray NID box. But the protector is only as good as its earth ground which is why that grey box connects 'less than 10 feet' to earthing.

Cable requires no protector. Cable must drop down and connect directly to earthing by a wire.

You can enhance building earthing or verify ground rod is sufficiently long by installing another. Locate a spot about 6 feet or more from the existing rod. Drive that new rod into earth. Connection those two rods together with buried, bare, solid copper wire and some clamps. Now you have minimally acceptable earthing and are ready to install a 'whole house' protector.

Wiring inside the house has nothing to do with effective transient protection - transistor safety. If earthing transients from plug-in protectors, then transient on safety ground wire only induces transients on all other wires. Plug-in protectors cost tens of times more money per protected appliance. Money better spent enhancing the earthing system and installing a 'whole house protector with more joules.

A three light tester can report defective > I know next to nothing about house electrical systems, and I am wondering if

Reply to
w_tom

Thank you!

Reply to
Adam Corolla

The self-test function on a GFCI will function perfectly even without a ground connection to the device. Relying on this as a test of grounding integrity is a very dangerous thing to advocate...

Bob Weiss N2IXK

Reply to
Bob Weiss

ODD! I can't see Beachcomber's post, and several other people's posts which have been quoted here. My killfile list is very small and only has a few troublemakers from other newsgroups in it, so it must be that my news server isn't picking them up.

Reply to
Adam Corolla

Dont you have some sort of Building gaurantees. In the UK all new buildings have 10 Year NHSBC certificates. Any problems with somthing like this would be covered.

Also if you no nothing about electrics my suggestion would be to call out an electrcian with relevent qualifications. If you tamper with your electrics and your house burns down your home insurence policy may become invalid.

Reply to
Guido

That must be, I will check with the county and/or state.

Good point! I know just a little more than nothing about electrics, but more than enough to stay away from house wiring.

Reply to
Adam Corolla

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