Are Adapters Safe?
You are undoubtedly familiar with a plug adapter, also known as a ground plug adapter—one side has three slots to hold three-pronged plugs, while the other side of the adapter has two prongs to fit more old-fashioned outlets. In the industry, we call these cheater plugs.
While grounding wall outlet adapters are incredibly fast and easy to use, they are NOT safe. Our electrical pros discuss why these adapters aren’t safe, and some alternatives that you can use in your home instead:
What are Cheater Plugs?
A cheater plug is a three-prong/two-prong adapter that allows a NEMA 5-15P grounding-type plug (three prongs) to connect to a NEMA 1-15R non-grounding receptacle (two slots). While it is very common for people to use these kinds of adapters in their homes, this is NOT safe.
Newer three-prong adapters may have a screw tab that ensures contact directly to the grounded center screw in the outlet, but most often homeowners just have the plugin adapter and think they are good to go. In older homes in Tampa Bay, you may find plenty of these non-grounded plugs, but with today’s electronics and increasing working from home power needs, you run the risk of overloading your system.
Don’t cheat yourself out of good electrical, set your home up properly to handle your electrical needs. You don’t want to overwhelm your system and cause a bigger issue like an electrical fire or shock to a family member or pet.
Why Aren’t These Adapters Safe?
Older electronics usually only have two slots, a narrow “hot” slot, and the wider “neutral” slot. A three-slot receptacle includes a “ground” slot for safety reasons. If something goes wrong with the outlet, cord, or electronic, the ground is used as a pathway for the electricity to make it back to the breaker box, instead of taking the easiest path: through your body!
Even though plug adapters are often advertised as safety devices, using a ground plus adapter with older electrical systems that do not have a grounding wire can lead to potential shock. Nowadays, a grounding system, like GFCI outlets, are required by law in all new construction.
But They Sell Them at the Hardware Store...
Just because you can purchase these adapters at just about any hardware store doesn’t mean you should use them!
Why?
Three-pronged plugs that are properly wired help prevent surges, malfunctions, and house fires.
Using a plugin adapter generally removes grounding functionality.
A ground plug does not function the same way that a grounded circuit does.
You may be in for a shock! If a surge occurs, you could be electrocuted or a fire could start.
Circuits tripping? Outlets hot to the touch? Read this! 10 Common Electrical Problems Around Homes
Another Electrical Alternative
If you live in an older home in the Tampa or Orlando area and only have two-prong outlets, the safest option for you and your family is to get them replaced. They are unsafe and unable to handle the scope of the new electronics that we use in our daily lives. Updating all of your outlets to three prongs and installing ground fault interrupter outlets( GFCI’s) will enhance the safety of your home.
Keep in mind, while a GFCI will likely shut off the power before an appliance gives you a shock, GFCI outlets don’t provide a true ground, so a surge protector plugged into the GFCI outlet will not work as designed.
Don’t have GFCI’s in your home? Don’t worry! Axiom Power can help! Call us today to schedule an appointment: 813-308-9328. Our licensed electricians service all of Tampa Bay and Orange County, FL!
How To Test for Ground
If you are handy and a more avid DIY’er (though most experts will tell you not to mess with electrical), you can find out which outlets in your home are grounded by using an outlet or receptacle tester. This tool will tell you whether the outlet is grounded or not, and can also indicate wiring problems such as reversed wires.
The receptacle tester works by having a group of LEDs on the unit light up when different patterns are read, which will signal different problems, if any, exist in the outlet.
Keep Your Electrical & Home Safe
Plug adapters are convenient but are not safe by today's electrical standards. You may not need a complete rewire of your house, we can install new three-prong outlets or GFCI’s to keep your family safe and sound.
Call the pros at 813-308-9328 (residential) or contact local electrician Greg Bennett to book an appointment with Axiom Power!