Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Surge Protection

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Is it not possible to just re-wire a new circuit with a new breaker for the one outlet, and have that a three prong? Perhaps the breaker you need doesn't work in the old panel. I ran three new circuits for my theatre, but I have a new home so it was pretty simple, just had an electrician hook it to the panel and I did the rest.

I have seen the whole house surge protectors from Home Depot, but they are special order items.

My breaker box doesn't accept 3 wires, only 2. It's from 1950 before they added the ground wire. This house ran out of circuits years ago and an additional panel has been added to satisfy other things, but they are all full.

Call an electrician. Bring money.

I live in a house that was built in 1910. I feel your pain.

Actually you never know. Just putting in a new sub-panel for the HT room might not be as bad as you think.

I'm going to do it one step at a time.

Step 1: get an electrician to install a new service panel with full home surge protection.

Step 2: Install a dedicated circuit for living room HT, which will be in the closet behind the TV wall.

Step 3: Replace wiring to the rest of the house a little at a time, adding more circuits than there was originally. Right now the Kitchen, dining room, living room and a bedroom are all on the same circuit. Also, add some for additional lighting in the living room (currently pole lamps only).

Step 4: Add another dedicated circuit in a bedroom for 2nd HT location.

Man, I wish I had 3 prong outlets. But I live in a rental.

I hope your not using those 3 to 2 prong adapters for your electronic equipment. Installing 3 prong outlets on a 2 wire system after you have installed a jumper between the white and ground on the back of the outlets is a better way to go.

That scares the bejeezus out of me.

If you're not comfortable doing this, then find someone who is. Here's how to ground a 2 prong electrical plug.

Just turn the juice off at the breaker first. I plug in a radio, turn it up, then go into the basement and start flipping breakers until the radio goes off.

Click [url=www.selfhelpandmore.com/switch-outlet/composition-of-a-standard-electrical-outlet.php] here [\url], scroll about halfway down to the picture of the 2 outlets, with the numbered arrows.

1) Get a short piece of wire the same diameter/guage as what is attached to the plug, then strip off a short piece of wire so you have a bare wire about 2 or 3 inches long for the jumper.
2) Attach one end of the jumper around the silver screw #5 and the other end around the green screw #6. #5 is the neutral and #6 is the ground.
3) Attach the white wire to #3, which is the neutral wire.
4) Attach the black (or red) wire to #10 on the other side, which is the hot wire.