Top Reasons to Upgrade to Three-Prong Outlets

For the average homeowner, there are various beneficial electrical upgrades they can make to their home. Many homeowners tend to overlook a simple yet useful modification: upgrading their two-prong outlets to three-prong outlets. There are several reasons why they should consider this small but substantial improvement.

Lack of grounding

Ground wires keep people and electronics safe from electrical faults and surges by offering an outlet for excess energy and equips appliances and electronics with a surge protection element. When a surge or fault occurs with a ground in place, the energy makes its way to your electrical panel through a ground wire. The electricity overloads a fuse or trips the circuit breakers, which turns off the circuit and prevents damage. Afterward, the electricity passes into the ground underneath the house, where it disperses harmlessly.

Since the wires in basic two-prong outlets aren’t grounded, surge protection is non-existent.

Two-prong outlets don’t meet the standards

Given that upgrading a house’s electrical system can amount to between 5% and 15% of the home’s value, many people find they can’t afford this investment. With that in mind, newer regulations state that homes with two-prong outlets don’t require upgrades to three-prong outlets. Nonetheless, these outlets still don’t meet certain safety standards.

More recent electrical codes do require new housing construction to include grounded outlets. Moreover, outlets near plumbing fixtures must have a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This component protects homeowners from electrical shocks by interrupting the circuit if short circuits occur. In this case, GFCIs can save lives, but this protection isn’t available with a simple two-prong outlet.

Inadequate amperage

Houses constructed prior to 1965 were equipped with fuse panels containing 30 or 60 amps. Fuses with 30 amps can only offer 120-volt wiring, which is inadequate for today’s electrical needs. Panels with 60 amps are also problematic because they can’t handle modern electrical system requirements, even though they have a 240-volt wire.

Consequently, modern appliances may require too much electricity for outdated systems, causing wires to heat up and fuses to blow, presenting a fire hazard. This energy demand also means you’ll have to continually replace fuses if the amperage ratings don’t meet the appliances’ standards.

Avoid safety hazards

Not only are two-prong electrical outlets outdated, but they present a more significant danger than their modern counterparts. Running modern appliances on two-prong outlets can put the entire electrical system under tremendous pressure.

To prevent severe problems caused by these components, reach out to a trusted electrical technician to upgrade them. Installing three-prong outlets will reduce the risk of electrocution and fires.

If you need a highly-reviewed, licensed electrician in the Phoenix Valley area, call Efficient Electric at 623-900-1461. We would love to hear from you!