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Post subject: Is this safe?
Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:48 am
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I'm moving into an apartment that doesn't have any 3-prong outlets for my Super Champ XD. I have heard that using a 2 to 3-prong adapter could result in me getting a severe/fatal shock. Is that true? Is there any safe way to play through an amp when none of the outlets are grounded? Thanks.


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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:24 pm
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I do it all the time.


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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:05 pm
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Just to be on the safe side I would plug the amp into a 3 prong surge protector and then plug the three prong surge protector into a reducer plug (3 to 2) and then plug into the outlet.


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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:28 pm
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Kenny V wrote:
Just to be on the safe side I would plug the amp into a 3 prong surge protector and then plug the three prong surge protector into a reducer plug (3 to 2) and then plug into the outlet.


Accomplishes precisely nothing.

Arjay

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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:41 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Kenny V wrote:
Just to be on the safe side I would plug the amp into a 3 prong surge protector and then plug the three prong surge protector into a reducer plug (3 to 2) and then plug into the outlet.


Accomplishes precisely nothing.

Arjay
Yep, an ungrounded outlet is an ungrounded outlet.Changing the receptacle in the wall to a 3 prong wont do anything unless you run a ground .


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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:41 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Kenny V wrote:
Just to be on the safe side I would plug the amp into a 3 prong surge protector and then plug the three prong surge protector into a reducer plug (3 to 2) and then plug into the outlet.


Accomplishes precisely nothing.

Arjay


So it's not safe?


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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 5:03 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:

Accomplishes precisely nothing.

Arjay


dang arjay, let em down easy bro lol.

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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:26 pm
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In your home I would not call it "unsafe".

The most hazardous situation would be elsewhere, where you're playing with others whose amps might be polarized differently from your own, or you're using a PA that is polarized opposite your amp.

At home, I'd recommend using one of those 3-to-2 conductor adapters that has a ground wire attached to one end. Affix that to something metal in the house itself such as a steam radiator or HVAC duct using a jumper wire with an alligator clip at each end. That should provide a modicum of safety.

Elsewhere though, always use a grounded 3-conductor outlet.

I want you at my funeral -- I don't wanna go to yours.

:mrgreen:

HTH

Arjay

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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:58 pm
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No ground where you live? Move. Period. Or of you own the place have it fixed. Tomorrow. It's intrinsicly unsafe for anything and everything especially humans. If you're renting call the local building inspector and have them force the landlord to comply with code. Then move anyway because the landlord will make your life hell for ratting him out but at least he won't be able to put other people's lives at risk. I have zero tollerance for that kind of crap. The 3 wire system (meaning with a ground) was invented over 170 years ago in 1836 by Karl August Steinheil a German scientist working for a Telegraph company. It's time these 19th century domiciles entered the 21st century.

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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:27 pm
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I remember back in the dark ages of my early gigging(late 60s) I'd often touch my lips off a mic that wasn't the same polarity as the guitar my fillings would almost pop out. -not a nice feeling and I still cringe when I think of it.BMW-KTM is right,as far as I know any building that's used for commercial purposes-that goes for rental properties also-must have the proper grounded 3 prong wiring not to have is a risk and illegal.

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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:01 am
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Are there any laws over there requiring ELCB installation? Over here in Oz we have to fit ELCB's (Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker) in the house's power box. I'm not sure how long it's been law here but it's been a while. When we built our house 16 years ago we had to have them fitted as part of the building regulations.

They are a great thing to have though, if someone does something really dumb like drop a hairdryer into a bathtub or a kid pokes a metal object into a wall outlet it will detect any current leakage and break the circuit in milliseconds.

Even faulty appliances will trip it, mine tripped recently when I tried to use an old heater in the garage, I took the hint and got rid of that heater.


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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:38 am
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I work for an electric utility,there has been electricity to homes in this area since around 1938...there are all sorts of wiring configurations and though they were within code back then,they are not now....but we can only make someone conform to codes if they are rewiring meter bases,breaker panels and general upgrades...like a complete rewiring of an old house.
We just can't make everybody upgrade to current codes as they stand now in 2010 just because they were wired 10/20/30/40 years ago....then in 2011/12/13/14/15 the codes will still again be different...see what I mean?
If the local Fire dept or codes inspectors deem it unsafe and condemn it that's another thing.
If your landlord gets your complaint,he probably won't be forced to rewire the house...it might be different in your area though.


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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:43 am
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agreed rebel.
you can however have a guy come out and wire up your guitar room for you with grounded outlets.

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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:52 am
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way cool jr wrote:
agreed rebel.
you can however have a guy come out and wire up your guitar room for you with grounded outlets.
Yeah that's true,but landlords around here and I would think elsewhere in the country usually don't do anything they're not forced to do...and tenants paying rent expect the owner to do it,then if they pay for it to be done,expect to be reimbursed on their rent.
We see this all the time.
I would like to see everything upgraded to current codes,but people think,why? it's working okay the way it is. :roll:
Electricity doesn't give you many chances to be stupid around it. :wink:


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Post subject: Safe?
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 7:14 am
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36 chambers wrote:
So it's not safe?


No, it is not safe! Playing with ungrounded equipment can be fatal. I have a friend, he has the outlets grounded in his house, but often has the ground pin broken off of the plugs on some of his amps (stupid!). He refuses to replace the plugs because a new plug "is not original". I used to play at his house, until I got shocked when touching his amp with my guitar in my hands. My amp was properly grounded, his was not. I have not/will not jam with him again since I found out about his plugs the hard way. I also watched another friend become frozen in place as he was shocked by the same thing, an ungrounded amp (improper use of the 2-prong adapter). The electricity caused his hand to "clamp" onto the guitar and he couldn't let go. He managed to free himself by falling backwards. It happened very quickly and was scary to watch, even scarier when a shock happens to me.

Wherever you play, if your amp isn't properly grounded, it is an accident waiting to happen. The ground is all about safety, it is the only reason to have a ground! Definitely use it! Check any and all amps that you encounter to make sure that some goober didn't break off the ground pin on the plug.

To the guy who "does it all of the time", you are playing with fire my friend. :cry:

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