Recently built a gold fish pond in my wife's flower garden. Initially, I added an additional outside receptacle to utilize a fountain that my wife purchased for her new goldfish pond. Eventually, my wife asked if I could install a switch to control the power to the outlet. I installed an outside switch with a protective box to protect the switch and circuit from the elements. Since that point anyone touching the metal switch or the metal outlet cover gets a small shock. The very old circuit I inserted the switch into was originally run with just a two- wire (no ground) wiring. What is a quick soultion to grounding this circuit.

I would run a new circuit if possible,
In PVC I would have a white and green for neutral and ground, then a constant hot and a switched hot for constant power and for lights or whatever.

You have to run a new circuit and make sure it's GFCI protected. Without a reliable ground and GFCI your current setup is a serious hazard. No easy out on this one.

I would try adding a ground wire to the switch box and grounding it to a ground rod... another option which may help would be to put the other wire on the switch.. ex. If you cut the hot wire and put it on the switch, it may make the box hot, where as if your hot wire ran continuous through the box and connect the neutral wire to the switch.. you would still be breaking the circuit, but doing it without using the hot wire to do it.

where as if your hot wire ran continuous through the box and connect the neutral wire to the switch.. you would still be breaking the circuit, but doing it without using the hot wire to do it.

That is not allowed and is very dangerious.


The outlet can and should be a GFI outlet. A ground wire is not necessary for GFI protection.

If you are getting a shock from the switch you have some kind of short to the switch, possibly through the box if it is metal to a metal cover plate or through moisture. Inspect your wiring.