Wiring – 1948 fabric sheathed outlet wires, can I ground to box

receptaclewiring

Home built in 1948. The outlets have no ground wire and use fabric sheathed copper wire.can i run a ground wire from receptacle to the metal outlet box itself, as apposed to no ground at all? How can I tell if the outlet box is grounded in some way? If box isn't grounded can I still ground to it from receptacle?

Best Answer

A wire from the receptacle to the box is still no ground at all - the box isnt grounded.

You need to either replace the wire all the way back to the electrical panel to make a properly grounded outlet, or replace the outlet with a GFCI, which provides the protection a ground wire would. You are also supposed to label the outlet with a "No Equipment Ground" sticker.