We have an older house that has the 2 prong outlets. I would like to update them. I have seen these self grounding outlets. How do they work? They look just the same as a regular outlet.

Thanks

 

self grounding receps are listed to provide ground via the yoke when it is attached to a grounded metal box.

if your box is n't metal or it isn;t grounded, a self grounding recep wpn't make a difference.

 

Forget self grounding receptacles. If your wiring has no ground you need to add one. This is done by rewiring with new cable or by adding a ground wire.

 

If you look closely at a self-grounding device you will see that the threads on one of the 6-32 yoke mounting screws contact a brass leaf spring riveted to the yoke. This allows the manufacturer to call it self-grounding. Note, this is not the same as a small steel wire used as a screw retainer.

However as previously mentioned that 6-32 screw has to be mounted to a grounded metal box. Often that also means the yoke has to be in contact with the box, not just the screw in contact with the box.

The metal box may be grounded in various ways. Most common would be with a ground wire running back to the load center, however in some circumstances conduit/raceway, Greenfield (flex), metal-clad or armored cable may be OK.

There are a lot of specifics, but your best bet is to see what you've got and check the code or a good book on the topic.

 

Thanks for your help.