New house has no "ground" says the owner!

[Patriote]

Hey Guys!

So i have a little problem i think... And am looking for some answers!

So, im currently in the process of moving to a new home... Am going to have my room in the basement of the house and the owner says there is no ground into the wall plugs.

Like, onto the wall plugs (Not sure if thats the right word) there is 2 place to plug in cables. And both have 3 pin holes. Well, one of the 3 holes is for the ground i think ? Well, the owner says there isn't any. The hole is there but its not connected to any ground.

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/6074/4775hb9.th.gif (http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4775hb9.gif)

Now, i'd like to know what is that ground ?

Will it hurt my Beast of computer ?

Is there any chances of over-volting and possibly damage my computer if there is a storm with lightning outside ?

Basically, should i care about that ?

Thanks!

[Movieman]

Your on the right track.
many old houses had 2 wire electrical with no ground.
You could get arond this by running a wire to the cold water pipe coming into the house( if it's copper) or if possible, driving a steel or copper rod into the ground in the basement and then a wire from that to your ground screw.
I'm no electrician so be smart and check with a licensed electrician.
Shouldn't be a lot of money and your on the same level where the grounds need to be.
Good Luck!

[jimmyz]

where i live (midwest usa) homes are required by code to have grounded cfi type breakers in any area that is prone to moisture, ie. basements, porches, bathrooms and kitchens.
when we bought the house we own now the wiring was not up to code and the home inspector (best $125 i ever spent) stated so in his report. the sellers agreed to pay to upgrade if we purchased. in the end we wound up paying $1000 to upgrade to a 200 amp sevice with garage having a seperate 100 amp supply, we also have 220v as well as 110v in most rooms. this is in a 1680sqft home (two story).sellers paid $1500 total was $2500.

i personally sleep better at night knowing the wiring was competely overhauled prior to us moving in, and since we are fixing it up to sell for a profit, upgrades like that make more money than they cost.

[kemo]

I don't have a ground and been running fine for years actually there is NO Ground in Egypt :p: ,, only two holes in the plug ,, still ground is safer for Over current ,, etc

[Patriote]

Your on the right track.
many old houses had 2 wire electrical with no ground.
You could get arond this by running a wire to the cold water pipe coming into the house( if it's copper) or if possible, driving a steel or copper rod into the ground in the basement and then a wire from that to your ground screw.
I'm no electrician so be smart and check with a licensed electrician.
Shouldn't be a lot of money and your on the same level where the grounds need to be.
Good Luck!

Thanks for the reply Movieman!

So, is definitely something i should care of huh ?

Yeah he told me that i could do this. Plant a thing into the ground and route the cable around. But am no electrician and don't really want to pay or screw with that. But if it's something i should really take care of, i'll do. :yepp:

Let's see what other have to say about that!

[Patriote]

Thanks for the replies guys! Well, yeah i might look up at an electrician and see what i should do with this problem. If it's in my price range or if i can do the work myself, i'll do it.

But it's actually safer to have a ground right ?

Does it have anything to see with storms and lightning ? Like is there is a storm outside and a lightning goes into the house, will a ground prevent the comp to over-volt so it does not get damaged ?

[Movieman]

Think on it this way:
I was just reading the specs of that rig in your sig.
Add up what you have invested in it.
Imagine it being fried in a thunderstorm.
Now go call the electrician and spend $250.00 tops to run that ground wire.
As the guy above said, you will sleep better and your very nice PC will be happier also.
I would also invest in the best quality UPS that you can afford.

[Patriote]

Think on it this way:
I was just reading the specs of that rig in your sig.
Add up what you have invested in it.
Imagine it being fried in a thunderstorm.
Now go call the electrician and spend $250.00 tops to run that ground wire.
As the guy above said, you will sleep better and your very nice PC will be happier also.
I would also invest in the best quality UPS that you can afford.

That sounds right :yepp:

What is UPS ?

If the complete wiring job is too expensive, is there anything i can buy to plug in my comp that would prevent it from frying in case of a thunderstorm ? Like some sort of machine that are specially designed for that purpose ?

[Movieman]

That sounds right :yepp:

What is UPS ?

If the complete wiring job is too expensive, is there anything i can buy to plug in my comp that would prevent it from frying in case of a thunderstorm ? Like some sort of machine that are specially designed for that purpose ?

UPS= Uninterupable Power Supply
A battery backup that goes between your wall outlet and your PC.
Generally will keep power to your PC when there is a short interuption in the elec and will also stop voltage spikes to some extent.
That "extent" is variable depending on the amount of $$ you spend on the unit.
I would go with one of the APC-UPS 1500's or one from Tripp-Lite and models from $150.00USD minimum.
Also, remember, they are not a guarantee, just a little insurance.
Best thing in a thunderstorm is to unplug from the wall.

[bizkit35461]

A UPS is an "Uninterrupted Power Supply". Essentially it's a surge protector with a battery. Here's a link to wikipedia with more info on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply

It's one of the best investments I've made. Nice to be able to have that extra time if the power goes out where your computer is still running. Much safer.

[Patriote]

Hmmm... Sounds like a good investment. Should i be aiming at this ? Since there isn't any ground into the house right now, would the UPS still workout the way it's meant to do ?

[Praz]

For personal safety a ground is always preferred. Here in the states and most likely in Canada, it is against code to install a grounded outlet without the ground wire existing or connected.

[Movieman]

Hmmm... Sounds like a good investment. Should i be aiming at this ? Since there isn't any ground into the house right now, would the UPS still workout the way it's meant to do ?

Get the ground done, thats a must, then get yourself a UPS..
I'm off, good luck!

[Patriote]

Ok Thanks guys, i'll do that!

I appreciate all the help!

[cozwin]

just to add to this, i had the same "problem" per say in my old house not quite the same now just had a rewire done lol, but yes as movieman said above those would be ideal solutions to fix this.

[justin_c]

get a 2KVA or 1.5 KVA UPS, with high sensitivity voltage regulation.

i'd do both (rewire, and UPS).

[JargonGR]

It is required by law in my country. And the proper way to do it (required now) is within the foundations inside the concrete.

Here is an example:

Building foundations
http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/6110/2084971970039590762S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2084971970039590762luvslN)

Notice the metal stripe attached on the iron frame (marked)
http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/6903/2831420480039590762S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2831420480039590762xCxbzo)
http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/5928/2186135270039590762S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2186135270039590762nBGYYI)

Ofc we use 220v, 3 phase power in that building with 80amps or higher main fuse.

My point is that although I am not an electrician I own a small construction company and talking with our engineer regarding grounding I am telling you that it is very important. Also if it was not so important they would not oblidge us to do it by law.

So go for it no questions asked for maximum safety.

[Patriote]

Update! I have spoke with the man, he spoke with an electrician that reside just next to us and he said he would be able to do this. Shouldn't be that hard he said and he said that anyway he would have that electrician to help him out. He also said that he won't let me plug my comp until this is done :rolleyes:

BTW: Thanks for the replies guys!