We just rented a house (built in the 70s I believe) and as we were moving in we noticed there are no 3-prong outlets in the living room, there is one in each bedroom though and 2 in the laundry room. We had planned to put our computer in there and we really need the outlets to be grounded. We had this same problem in another rental a while back and used adapters to plug everything in, but after our motherboard melted (yes, it actually melted) we are not doing that again.

We bought one of the outlet testers that you plug in and the only outlets that were grounded were the ones closest to the breaker box in the laundry room. So if those outlets are grounded, could it be that the other outlets just haven't been wired properly? If we bought new 3-prong outlets, could we ground them without having to do any re-wiring?

If you can't tell, I haven't a clue about wiring and I really don't want to bother the landlord about it since we just moved in. It would be easier if we could just install new outlets.

What would be the best way of doing this ourselves? I don't want to take any unnecessary risks, but at the same time we can't afford an electrician and I don't want to burden the landlord too much. I just don't want to lose another computer to faulty wiring.

Thanks for any suggestions :)

Check all the wiring because a 70's era home should have grounded outlets.

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Originally Posted by hvac1000

Check all the wiring because a 70's era home should have grounded outlets.

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I just checked the property records and they indicate the house was built in 1955, so I was off on my estimate (the plaster walls should have given it away)

Almost every outlet in the house only has two prongs. Each bedroom contains only one three-pronged outlet. The laundry room also has a three-pronged outlet for the washing machine. I used an outlet tester and the only outlet in the house that showed grounded was the one in the laundry room for the washing machine. I even got an adapter and put the screw into the ground loop metal thingy to see if the outlets were grounded that way, they were not. I have read that possible ways to ground outlets is to run a ground clamp to a cold water pipe (difficult as only one room borders the wet-wall of the house) and the other was to pound a 6 foot iron pole into the ground and run the grounding wire to it.

Neither of those solutions would be viable for my situation.

Before you proceed, check with local and state codes. In most states, no one without a license may do electrical work in a multi-family dwelling.

Neither of the options you mention are allowed.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

no one without a license may do electrical work in a multi-family dwelling.

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It's a house, not a multi-family dwelling.

It is a rental, and you don't own it, no it may not be a multi-family, but the landlord needs to hire an electrician. Renters cannot do electrical work on others property.

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Originally Posted by tkrussell

It is a rental, and you don't own it, no it may not be a multi-family, but the landlord needs to hire an electrician. Renters cannot do electrical work on others property.

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Exactly why my original post said I was clueless to doing anything electrical. I don't want to do anything more than possibly replacing an outlet if that will fix the problem. I don't want, nor do I have the knowledge to replace or "work" on the wiring in the house. I just wanted to know if I could put a 3 prong grounded outlet in so my computer won't be destroyed when I use it.

As a property manager I would have to agree with the previous answer that you should go through the landlord. Your lease probably requires that you inform the landlord of needed repairs, and in this day and age I would consider grounded outlets essential for items such as computers, TVs and the like.

Explain the issue and that you are concerned about your computer. Approach the landlord in a non-threatening, non-demanding manner, and give them a reasonable amount of time to deal with it. They might know someone who can do the work properly for less than a licensed electrician - not technically "to code" but it happens everyday. Be firm if he/she isn't forthcoming with a solution, and if they ultimately don't remedy the problem, at that point you may be within your rights to have the required work done (be reasonable -- limit to just a few outlets) and deduct the expenses from your rent.

Be sure to read your lease first, check with a local Landlord/Tenant counseling agency to be sure you are complying with your state's laws and conduct at least the final communication with your landlord in writing (restate the issue as if you were explaining it to a judge - concise and complete).

As an agent for property owners, our concern is that tenants will do unprofessional work that we are unaware of, that may malfunction down the road, for which we will then be liable.