update recep.

I just bought an older house and the electical panel has been updated, and most of the outlets have been changed to the 3 prong outlets however their are 2 that still remain 2 prong. Is there an easy way for me to switch them to a 3 prong?

Also, I have one 3 prong that reads reverse polarity, how do I go about fixing that one?

 

You can change a 2-hole recepatcle to a 3-hole receptacle if you provide GFCI protection. But why do you want to? Do you have a plug that has three prongs that you want to plug into one of those receptacles? If so, what is is?

Reverse polarity is correctable in a few minutes, but if you don't do it right, you might fix this receptacle and cause reverse polarity on another. If you open up the box and find just two wires in the box (one black and one white), and if the white wire connected to a brass screw and the black wire to a silver screw, then it's just a matter of switching them. However, if the black wire is already on the brass screw and the white wire already on the silver screw, then the mistake is probably in the nearest receptacle on the same circuit.

If you find more than two wires, then post back and tell us what you have and how it is connected.

 

The reason I want to switch to a 3 prong is because one of them is where my TV and DVD are and I'd like to plug them into a serge protector and so far I can only find them with 3 prongs.

 

Then the GFCI solution isn't going to work for you. You'll have to replace the cable from the receptacles to the breaker panel. On the other hand, not many people use a surge protector for their TV and DVD. I'd say just forget it.

 

What is required for a 2-prong-to-3-prong replecement is a Wiring Method that has a Equiptment Grounding Conductor.
If the Wiring Method for the receptacle-outlets in question is Armored Cable, then (my opinion) the cable-armor is an approved EGC.

There seems (my opinion) to be a "fixation" on the "bonding-strip" which is required for the manufacture of "modern"Armored Cable when assessing the quality of "old" Armored Cable to serve as an EGC.

The basic purpose of an EGC is CONDUCTIVITY. The comparison between the conductivity of the armor of "old" Armored Cable and the now-required "Bonding-strip" can be demonstated by a simple experiment-----connect a lenth of the armor of "old" Armored Cable is series with a lenth of the "new" bonding-strip and connect this series-connection across a low-voltage, hi-ampere power supply, such as a eletric welder. As the current thru the two elements increases, one of the two will be the first to "heat-up", and then to "fuse"- melt and open the circuit.

Because of the obvious difference in physical "mass," I submit that the bonding-strip will "fuse" far sooner than the cable armor, demonstrating superior conductivity of the armor.