Does a GFCI Outlet Still Provide Protection Without A Ground Wire? 

You are awesome and so is your information! I have ADHD and find it difficult to understand a lot of people's descriptions on how to do things, but you make your information clear, even for me! Thank you!

Nice detail at 4:25. I was wondering why my tester wouldn’t trip the gfci. I figured it was cuz there was no ground. Makes sense. 👍

20 years ago I was buying an older triplex with 2 wire outlets and the home inspector mentioned putting in a GFI to protect people and eliminate those adaptors. I am glad he shared the information just as you are. Thanks.

Perfect explanation even though there are always those that will argue the point 'till hell freezes over. Remember, the question was if you "NEED" ground for gfci to work. The answer is no. If the question was if it was preferred, then yes.

many guys are talking about this application on youtube but your explanation is the most complete that i have seen...it explaines every aspect of replacing a 2-prong receptacle outlet with a gfci...thanks

Fantastic video. I've never seen this called out so clearly.

Thank you for explaining WHY to those who didn't know this situation......I work on older homes where adding a ground is financially impossible..... otherwise adding a ground to every outlet is advisable

Without a ground wire, I couldn't figure out why the GFCI worked. This was the best description I've heard and completely clarifies it. Thank you very much!

Doing this project today and ran into every confusion mentioned. Wow everything explained clearly. Thank you.

4:26 - saved me! Swapping out old outlets and then using my old plug-in GFCI tester and nothing was tripping. Thought I'd weird everything incorrectly. Thank you for explaining. Great video.

This totally changes my plan for my class B camper van build. I wasn’t going to include a GFCI on the 120v system because I had read they wouldn’t add any protection without a true earth ground. The exception being of course if you’re connected to shore power where the supply is supposed to be grounded to earth. So much for experienced electrical “experts” on the ‘net. Thanks for the helpful vid!

That was beautifully explained. You also put my mind to rest, as my daughter's apartment has those labels on some of the outlets and we were unsure what sort of protection they actually provided.

Thank you. With your instructions, I just completed the installation of multi GFCIs. My Family is safer now given your gracious assistance. Bless you!

I just re-did all the two prong outlets in our place, which was built in the early 1950s. Was wondering why the Klein tool did not trip the non-rounded GFCI outlet. Great that there will be some protection from the GFCI outlet by itself. Thanks for the education.

These things are great for old homes without a ground wire. Love the option.

By code, GFCI’s must trip between 4-6 mA’s. A Hubbell rheostat type tester is a great tool to properly test a GFCI. It ranges from 1-7 mA, 1 mA at a time so when it pops, you know exactly what mA set it off. Anything less than 4 mA that trips it is considered a nuisance. Anything over 6 mA is not enough protection. Toss the GFCI for a new one if it’s outside the 4-6 mA range.

Thanks for your excellent explanation! I knew all this but your explanation is much clearer than mine when trying to explain it to others.

They also make DFCI receptacles (dual function) which provide ground fault and arc fault protection as well. They are the same size and shape as a standard GFCI receptacle and can also be used for the same application.

Very informative video! Been a lab tech do-it-yourself for years and never knew about GFCI and grounding! Super to learn!

That's a terrific explanation and the way you were so deliberate in your delivery made it clear how important the topic is and to take the time to fully understand it.

something I already knew but great explanation of the safety feature a gfci can provide when there is no equipment ground.

GFI or GFCI are a wonderful device. They measure the current that travels out on the hot lead, and what returns on the white Neutral wire. If there is any difference it will shut off, and potentially protect you. Normally it will trip at 10 miliamps and has saved many many people. If you took the Hot and Neutral and pretended they were on a sea saw, if they get out of balance, the circuit will open with a GFI. Its one of my favorite upgrades as a electrician to bring a house up to code with minimal investment for the customer. Ideally I would do a whole house rewire, because that would make me more money, however, this option is not really great most of the time because of the amount of labor it is to run new circuits threw the home. Arc Faults are finally getting better then when they were introduced are a different animal that works by listening to the wire and tripping of there is any arc. Different job, reason and purpose.

Thanks for the info on a very informative video. I’m a licensed GC and I installed GFI’s on an old apartment. I labeled the load outlets with the No equipment label but I didn’t put the GFCI protected labels. I will do so in the future! Thanks

Excellent explanation. I had always wondered "why" a GFCI was still advised with an ungrounded outlet.

I was going to make a video explaining this exactly as you stated for my friend. You nailed it. Your video was very detailed and easy to understand you. Great job!

You always explain things so clearly. Thank you.

Great video! I have an outdoor GFCI outlet mounted to a plastic box and was going insane trying to figure out how to ground it. This was very educational.

Excellent information, thank you!!! I just rewired my entire house (born in 1942) and I obviously installed a couple gfcis but EVERYTHING I did is grounded!! If it wasn't before, it is now!!!

I've been looking for these answer over 30 different videos. THANK YOU

Super great and concise video. Maybe I am nitpicking but the only thing a might change is the bare copper is the grounding conductor, the white is the grounded conductor, and the black is the ungrounded conductor.

Thanks for the link to the GFCI electric outlet tester, I ordered the one with the LCD display thru your link as well as the Wago connectors which I had been wanting...

Great info. You are my go-to channel for electrical questions. Well-deserved subscription! MD

I watched your previous video where you were fixing someone's receptacles. I am glad I did, I just ran into that at my daughter's house in Tampa. She had a relative install a gfci on an interior wall so they could be put a outside receptacle in. The gfci would not stay on. There was no ground, just the old two wires with like a cloth outside. I took apart the inside gfci and separated the wires. They had two whites on the line side and two blacks on the line side. I determined the gfci was bad ( I was wrong). Bought a new one, installed with only the line side with one white and one black, everything else went on the load side. Still did not work. Took apart the outside receptacle, they put a jumper from ground to white side. Needless to say, everything worked, I already knew without a ground it would be ok from having watched your previous video. Thanks. not an electrician, previous carpenter lol

This was a GREAT VIDEO! with all the details needed on this subject. Thank you very much for your service!

This is what I thought. Thanks for the info. I'm an Ironworker and I'm rewatching an old Csi episode where a construction worker dies from electrocution and the super says a gfci won't work if the tool's ground prong is cut. But I KNEW that couldn't be correct.

Great vid. Another point to consider is that gfci should never be used in series on the same circuit. If multiple gfci’s are to be on the same circuit they must be connected to the line side to line side NOT load side to line side. Or else the most upstream gfci will trip and be a nuisance. Nice.

Awesome explanation, simple and concise. Thank you

OK, I was one of the 66% that had this wrong. Great explanation. Clear, concise, simple and Very Useful! Thanks..

Thanks! Great info I'll be using this if a complete rewire is too big of a job.

Great info. Your channel is very informative. I have taken home electric courses and I’m a Diyer so everything you share is very helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge 😊 Artie

Good info video. Most older homes, post knob & tube era and pre romex era have BX cable attached to metal electrical gang boxes. Most of the breaker panels in those post k & t homes are grounded, and the BX cable continues that ground up to the boxes. By using that gray grounding adapter and screwing it onto the outlet plate screw a grounding path will occur. An easy test should be performed to confirm that the screw is part of the house's panel ground.

Yeah, I wondered about this. I live in an older home. I had the fuse box upgraded to a proper breaker box about 15 years ago. I also have had to change outlets to GFCI around the bathroom and kitchen sink about 12 years ago. But I still run into issues with DYI electrical issues that I am not always sure if it is O.K. Since it is an older home, at some time (don't know when) extra wiring has been added to handle more modern appliances. One issue is a 30-amp wiring to a large window AC unit. The AC is the only thing on that circuit (nothing else upstream or downstream). However, testing all the outlets I found out that one is not grounded. However, all the normal 15-amp outlets throughout the home are grounded. The AC unit itself has a breaker on the plug (so my understanding is that essentially acts like a GFCI to the unit itself). The outlet has a 3-prong outlet with an open ground. I was not sure if this was safe with no ground. Even though the cord has a breaker, I should still probably install a GFCI to prevent possible elicitation (especially being 30-amp).

I have never heard of the labels. Great information as always from this channel.

Great Info! Clarity is paramount!!

Thank you for all your very informative clips and outstanding presentations. I did use your Amazon link to order several of your recommended tools.🔌

From Buffalo, N.Y. Thank You explaining this. It does most certainly help.

Thank you for another great video. the information you provide is so precise and to the point.

excellent explanation. Our home inspector did highlight for us that, while recepticles had been changed from 2-prong to 3-prong (not GFCI) the underlying wires had not been changed. He described this as "common". (No label, either.) He did recommend GFCIs be put in wet areas. Based on your and other youtube input, we will be letting him know he is not giving the best advice to potential home buyers.

Cheers. Ive got one that has a load output on the back, but only had two wire inputs for that outlet, didnt seem right. Didnt know if i had to short the input ground to load ground.

I already knew the answer to the poll because I watched your 2 prong to gfci install before doing it myself 💪

Great! You mentioned how to replace other two prong outlets in the circuit after the GFCI, by connecting them to the load terminals. That was a bit of info I've sought for long time. At 5:30, you showed the cover plate for a normal three prong outlet with the two labels. That three prong outlet would have no ground wire, but would still be protected by the upstream GFCI.

I didn't know about the tester not working w/o a ground, thanks. Also, the GFCI has to be installed in the location closest the the breaker in order to protect all outlets upstream.

Nicely put. Slow & clear. Thanks

Excellent and very thorough explanation. Thank you.

Very clear explanation. Do i need to ground my whole house or gfci in garage outlet?

Thank you! I couldn’t figure out why my GFCI tester wasn’t making it trip while testing it.

An excellent discussion of the issue. Thanks for this video.

Great video, can't thank you enough for breaking things down to simple explanations. Would you then recommend replacing 2 outlets over to 3 prong GFCI over using the 3 prong adapters for safety? (if you have an old house like you mentioned)

They are now highly recommending gfci/afci for these scenarios, more safety coverage. I would love to hear you take on that or if you already covered it provide the RU-vid link. By the way, great channel.

You did a great job explaining this. 👍🏼

Outstanding electrical education and explanations!

Great explanation , I learned something today( The more you know the more you know you don't know).

Great video - useful and well explained info. Thank you!

My 1961 home in Thousand Oaks had two prong receptacles. Installed GFI's on two wire wiring.

Thanks. You got my subscription. I have a home built pre1860

Excellent, thank you for the refresher ! 👍👍👍👍👍

One thing people shouldn't do is make their own extension cord with a standard GFI in a box on the end. For the GFI to work there must be power to it from the hot and common wire. If the cord would somehow get damaged and the neutral wire breaks, the GFI will no longer trip leaving the hot side of the GFI energized. The commercially made GFI extension cords have a voltage monitoring circuit that removes both hot and neutral from the receptacle if there is a break in either conductor. If you still want to make your own GFI extension cord, Hubble sells a cord end that has a GFI and the voltage monitoring circuit together.

Important and very well explained, well done.

Very good information, thanks!👍👍.

67% I got it wrong too! Thanks for another excellent and informative video.

I immediately subscribed because you answered the question immediately instead of stringing it out

I have a house from the 1960s and many (but not all) outlets do NOT have a ground, and I am glad to learn a GFI will make the circuit at least more safe if not entirely as safe.

Hi thanks for the video. I'll be installing an electric shower head in Mexico. Fairly sure the heating unit doesn't have any internal short/trip protection. The house is brand new but no idea on how up to code it is in terms of proper neutral. Theoretically Will the GFCI without ground be enough for safety to trip protection if something goes wrong with the unit/water gets in the circuit etc

Just Like to add to your good info. Many look at the Hot Leaking or touching to ground as the Cause of Tripping, Neutral touching ground will also cause it to Trip, as Ground would be carrying Current. Hot and Neutral need to Draw Equal, any Difference, then they Trip.

Thank you my friend you have been a great help.

Great video! Had a fee questions. I have a home that was built in 1955 and had a lot of thise two prong outlets that were replaced with 3 prong outlets. Some of the circuits have a ground back to the panel and some don't. Most outlets were converted from one gang to two gang. There are also some outlets added to existing circuits via metal junction boxes that are not grounded because there were no grounds to bond the box. These GFCI sound like they could make my situation safer. I will replace the breaker though instead of individual outlets so the whole circuit is protected. If I put the GFCI breaker in will circuits that have ungrounded metal junction boxes be protected as well as any otjer ungrounded outlet. Also, can I continue to use the 3 prong outlets with no grounds as long as I have a GFCI breaker in and I label the outlet "not grounded"? In other words does the gfci have to be in the outlet because of the 3 prongs or is the gfci breaker ok?

Box clearance is an issue in my old home, as is the fear of damaging these old wires. An electrician said that replacing my breakers with combination arc-fault/GFCI breakers might be a good idea, however I thought the lack of a ground wire negated that?

Fabulous Video. THank you, Sir.

Thank you. You answered all my questions

Thanks for the information is very helpful.

Great video! You mentioned the duplex outlet that run from the load side for GFCI protection - Im looking to do this, do have a video detailing that by chance? Half of my house is ungrounded and looking to do that.

I was raised in a home built in the early 1940's with post and tube wiring. When Dad put bedrooms in the attic he used Romex with no ground. I had a couple of Short Wave radios up there and to improve the reception we ran a bare ground wire beside the septic tank stack down to the basement where it was connected to the copper pipe bringing our water in from the street. My Mother was vacuuming my room when the vacuum cleaner's metal wand contacted the bare copper wire with a bright blue spark and the fuse blew. We were fortunate no-one was electrocuted! I have worked since then in a large metal stamping plant and noticed that heavy bare ground wires in the open had green insulation. We tend to think that a bare ground wire is safe because it is at zero volts; BUT combine it with a hot appliance or tool in your hand and it now very dangerous!!

well done! Nicely explained. Thank you.

Thanks for this awesome video!!!! Quick question. So if I am using a GFCI on an ungrounded outlet, I shouldnt get electricuted if I plug a heating pad into the same outlet correct?

On old two wire systems, can you pigtail the ground lug to the white to make the tester work?

In an old condo, where the ground is provided by the metal conduit attached to the breaker panel, and metal conduit is used to connect all the outlet locations, CAN you screw a short piece of wire to a metal outlet box then to the ground on the GFCI ? Would that possibly have ground? How do you test for ground?

Thank you. I was wondering about this just the other day.

Outstanding explanation. Thank you!

Great explanation. Thank you

You forgot about a few places like Cook County Illinois where we use metal conduit and Romex is prohibited. The metal conduit acts as ground and is routed back to the Fusebox as such. In situations that have flexible metal conduit over 6ft or over a specific amperage you must run a dedicated ground back to the nearest rigid conduit metal box.

Does running a bare jumper from the neutral post to the ground post on the GFI receptical, and the downstream recepticals, help? Thanks for the reply.

Thank you very much for this informative video

I have a ridiculous situation here. We have an old house in Pittsburgh probably 110 years old and i really love learning about all things electrical and feel i totally missed my calling so thank you for all your informative videos! ANYWAY, I popped open an old outlet here with what looked like a ground wire BUT some sneaky SOB 😸 had simply ran a copper wire from that outlet to another outlet directly on the other side of that wall. Now, I'm wondering if i should do the same with the GFCI outlets I'm about to install or if i should completely just yank that "wanna-be ground wire" out of the wall? Will it even serve any purpose? Everytime i think I've seen it all in this house, i find something new to shock and awe 😸. Hopefully not shock, literally though 😹. Thank you again!!!

Good info here.Thanks.

Thanks for the simple explanation. My remaining question is: does one GFCI on each circuit protect any remaining two-prong outlets on the same circuit? Or would each outlet need to be replaced with a GFCI in order to provide that level of protection? Thank you!

I tried to install a Leviton GFCI in my home - which is wired with old BX and relies on the armor to ground out the metal boxes. In this particular location, a bathroom, some moron had mounted the box flush to the STUD and so there was a layer of drywall and a layer of ceramic tile in front of it ... so the outlet had to float way off the box. Because of this, you couldn't get a reliable ground from contact with the box. My experience is that, in this situation where the GFCI was not connected to ground, the device would not energize ... it would trip as soon as you put power to it and would not reset. I had a box of these GFCIs and tried three different devices and all had the same behavior. In the end, I ran a screw into one of the holes in the back of the metal box, put a ring terminal on a piece of ground wire, and connected that to the ground terminal of the GFCI - problem solved and all worked as expected. So, I think at least some of these devices require a ground connection.

There's a Technology Connections video that goes into detail about how GFCIs work that's quite good.

For the labeling of outlets, I know this is mandatory from NEC. Does the Canadian CEC have similar requirements?

Your exactly right been saying this for years ground is good but GFCI reads between hot and neutral not ground and will trip if different amps between hot and neutral 5 Mil amps! Back in the day sharing neutral with another phase will not work with GFCI Breaker . Example A Phase pulls 12 amps on its own so Neutral pulls the same 12 amps GFCI WILL NOT TRIP. But if you share Neutral with B phase that pulls 10 amps the Neutral will have 2 amps on it the difference between the two loads , the GFCI sees this as a fault and will trip since A phase hot has 12 amps on it and the Neutral will only have 2 amps since is sharing the 10 amp B phase load

Question....is it better to install GFCI/AFCI Combo Receptacles to replace older homes 2 prong receptacles or just GFCI type?