Where is Your Ground?

Does it make a difference if your outlets in your home are grounded or not? It most definitely does. There are many reasons why it matters. The main reason is safety. You want to make sure that you will not be electrocuted because of a failing appliance. A proper ground is also necessary for proper operation of many appliances, and it is vital for the functionality of a surge protector.

So how do you know that your outlets are grounded properly? Unfortunately, looking at the outlet will not necessarily tell you all you need to know. Unless you installed the outlets yourself, you don’t know how they are wired, and if the ground pin on your contact actually connects to ground.

There are fairly cheap testers available, but these will only tell you whether there is a ground or not, they won’t let you ascertain the quality of the ground.

If your outlets aren’t wired properly, it might be necessary to install a GFCI outlet which will protect you from electrocution.