Newspaper electrical advice..uhoh

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electricmanscott

electricmanscott

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Location
Boston, MA
Occupation
Massachusetts Master Electrician, one man show.
Q. I have a 100 year old house which has only two-wire electricity through the house. I am going to install some lighting and the instructions require grounding. What should I do?

A. You should have the electrician update the wiring with a ground. When your house was built there were few electrical appliances, if any. Today's appliances are designed to be grounded. If not a short circuit could electrocute you.
Check with an electrical supply store. Buy a grounding rod, which is driven into the ground. They should have all the materials needed to at least have a ground installed for the new lights and hopefully more appliances.
 
If the answer had stopped at the first paragraph, it would have been fine. Did this really come from a newspaper? Is this some kind of advice column for DIY stuff? I have a hard time believing they would take that risk.
 
I would have felt better if "get someone competent to look at your situation and help you decide what needs done and then do the work" was stressed more.

such an installation may well have a lot of other issues that should be addressed, and it is difficult to address them in a one paragraph answer.

I sent him an email inviting him to come here and read the thread.
 
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Scott, what paper? Do you have a link?

I'd like him to explain what this earth connection is supposed to do. :roll:


Maybe it's a magic ground rod! :D
 
I read that, it was a James Dulley article in the Waterbury republican... I laughed when I read that but forgot about it...

The section of the paper it was in was called "Sensible Home" it's basically a Q&A section for you guessed it, Home Owners....


Here is his website... http://www.dulley.com/
 
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stickboy1375 said:
I read that, it was a James Dulley article in the Waterbury republican... I laughed when I read that but forgot about it...
Click to expand...
And to think, I just let my subscription to the Waterbury Republican lapse yet a fortnight ago... :D

While I do find it odd that Harvard grads are dispensing DIY advice, I don't think it's all that bad... :)
 
he responded to my email saying that if I read the column carefully, I would note that he never suggested that a HO install the ground rod himself, and that he meant for the HO to go buy it and have an electrician install it.
 
And what good does the good Doctor think the ground rod will do without installing grounding conductors in the house? Also just because the old circuit conductors do not have equipment grounding conductors, that does not mean that the service is not grounded. I am sure that this gentleman knows a great deal about many things, but he needs to either take some courses on electricity or refrain from giving electrical advice.
 
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