How to Repair a Disconnected Ground Wire

Home repairs that involve the electrical system and wiring in the home can be annoying. Older homes still have two prong outlets installed. Converting them to three prong outlets meets the needs of many of the electrical items that we all use every day. To connect the ground wire for these outlets, you may need to run a new wire to that outlet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Copper wire, 14G
• Voltmeter
• Continuity tester

1. Remove the outlet covers in the room and check for power on the lines. For each outlet, there should be three wires connected, the power line, the neutral line and the ground line. Each outlet must have connections to each of these lines.

2. Use a voltmeter and continuity meter to check each of the lines on the outlet. If there is no connection for the ground line, you will need to either run a patch line from another outlet that does have a ground line attached or run a new ground line to that outlet from the electric breaker box.

3. Install a new ground line from the electrical breaker box to the outlet. Measure the distance from the breaker box to the outlet. Remember to include the distance up the wall and down the wall and to include the exact route that the wire will have to take to reach the outlet. Attach the ground wire to the ground bar of the electrical panel and route the wire through the ceiling or attic to the outlet box.

4. Connect the new ground wire to the outlet. Recheck the outlet lines to make sure there is continuity on all three lines back to the breaker box.

Tips & Warnings

• If the ground wire is just hanging free in the outlet, reconnect the wire to the outlet and check for continuity.