Two-prong outlets = evil?

[Tygur]

There's an older woman (with an older house) who's been having problems with her computer. A while ago, it broke (I replaced some stuff to get it working again). Now she's telling me the same exact thing happened again two days later. I didn't go back there yet, but I suspect more dead hardware.

I recall that the last time I was there, I was concerned because the outlets had two holes (instead of three), and she had an adaptor that allowed her to plug the three-prong cord from the computer in. This means that the third prong (ground) isn't plugged in anywhere. I'm not sure if that adaptor had one of those little wires coming out of it, but if it did, I do know it wasn't connected to anything.

So, could this (lack of grounding for the computer) be the source of her problems?

[fyxxer32]

Anything is possible but that scenario is not likely in my own experience. You're not specific on what the previous problem was so I can't even guess. If you have access to a multimeter you might check the voltage at the outlet just to cover the bases.Usually those adapter things have a little prong that can be secured to the screw that holds the outlet cover on, or a short wire that can be secured there. If you have to go back you might try doing that.IF the outlet is grounded it will ground the pc, and only take you a second.Better yet stop and buy a new one. I try to keep a few in my junk box for just such a time in need.They are cheap enough.

[eagle1]

If I remember correctly, most power supplies WILL WORK without the rounded hole (or ground hole) BUT I have seen some weird cases in which the PS unit did turn on, the system did turned on but the fan on the power supply didn't. This situation caused a lot of heating problem and eventually the PS unit died.
Maybe this is what is happening!

[butch81385]

even if the adapter doesnt have a wire, most have a little metal tab that goes under the screw by the outlet (which grounds it)

[Siliconjunkie]

If the box is grounded the tab thinger will work.

[Bovon]

Originally posted by Siliconjunkie
If the box is grounded the tab thinger will work.

Thats right. In an older home, where the older two wire romex was used to wire the place, the metal box in the wall where the receptacle is placed will not be grounded. In industrial plants (which I would think have all been upgraded long ago) the cables to the outlets were in metal conduit. This conduit ran all the way to the main breaker box..which was grounded.

The only thing that third wire is there for is to protect users from getting a big jolt if a power drill etc. shorts out. In a computer, it doesn't matter...well..on second thought, I suppose the power supply could short and run some juice to the frame.

I have never seen it done..but I don't see why it would not work..in a three wire cable, there is a black wire, a white wire and a bare copper wire. The black wire is the hot wire, the white goes to the ground bus in the main breaker box..so does that bare wire..the bare and white wire are grounded in the breaker box...so, for all practical purposes, they are the same thing...therefor, could the white wire in a two wire electrical outlet serve as the grounding for such as this?..it would seem so, but there must be a reason a third wire was placed in the cables when the house wiring codes was updated some 50 or so years ago.

[Tygur]

well, there, the outlet is just two slits in the wall for some reason. There is no place to attach anything for grounding. I remember that from the last time I went over.

[Bovon]

Thats correct. Older house wiring had cables with two wires in them. The wall outlets were two "slit" type connectors. When the wiring codes changed, the new wall outlets had the original two "slits" plus a third rounded type hole for the ground lug on the newer types of appliances. These appliances would not plug into the older two slit type sockets, so somebody made an adapter...with two spade prongs to fit into the older two slit type wall sockets, but had a third hole for the new type that had the ground lug. They all had that extra wire for grounding the adapter..this was required by law..no body used it, but it was there..nothing to ground it to.

There is (or was) a third type slit type "polarized" type of wall socket...one of the spade type prongs was wider than the other. It had to be turned the right way to plug it in..this kept the white wire in the wall socket going to the white wire in whatever device was plugged into it..same with the black. What this did was, if a drill or some other device shorted out, the person handling it would not get the "hot" (black wire) going to the ground circuit in the device and electrocuting the person.

The only way around this is to get a newer type of three hole or slit type wall socket and replace the two slit one that is there now..the new type will work, but there will not be the third grounding wire to connect to the rounded lug for the ground to work properly. The other way of course is to purchase one of those two spade type to three spade/hole type adapters.

[woodbutcher]

Originally posted by Tygur
well, there, the outlet is just two slits in the wall for some reason. There is no place to attach anything for grounding. I remember that from the last time I went over.

Could be that it (the screw/s) has been painted over multiple times.
This is a common thing in older homes as people do not take the time to pull the plates and tape the outlets.
As a contractor I have seen this many, many times in older homes.
You can replace the outlet (highly recommened) but only if the ground is present.
If it's a steel box check the hot to nuetral voltage and then check hot to the steel box.
If the votage is relativly close you can install a grounded outlet without a problem.


WB

[Tygur]

Well, back to my original question: Could this lack of grounding be what's causing these problems?

Last time, it turned out to be a dead motherboard. I also replaced the power supply just in case, because I had no idea what could've caused the motherboard to die. She said the computer just wouldn't turn on one day. So if the motherboard is dead again, which is what I'm fearing, something's definitely not right.

In both cases, she did mention "cleaning around back there" (back there = the area behind the computer table). I don't know how that could affect anything, tho. None of the wires showed any signs of abuse or anything. They were all plugged in firmly.