Three-prong outlets where you need them, done one of the three ways the code allows. Not a three-prong face on a two-wire box.
Next Phase Electric upgrades two-prong and ungrounded outlets in older homes across South King and Pierce County. Houses wired before the mid-1960s often have no ground wire in the walls. The code allows three fixes: run a ground wire to the outlet, replace it with a GFCI outlet labeled "No Equipment Ground", or protect the whole circuit with a GFCI breaker. We check what is in the walls, tell you which fix suits each outlet, and price it before any work. A whole house is usually done in a day.
One outlet for a computer, or every outlet in the house.
A real ground run to the outlets that need one: computers, the TV, kitchen appliances, anything on a surge protector.
A GFCI outlet or breaker makes the rest safe to use with three-prong plugs, labeled the way the code requires. No walls opened.
"Open ground" or "ungrounded three-prong outlets" on a home inspection. We correct each one and give you a written list of what was done.
Every two-prong outlet in the house in one visit, replaced with tamper-resistant outlets and priced per house rather than per outlet.
It is the most common shortcut we find in older houses, and inspectors flag it every time.
A three-prong outlet on a two-wire cable has nothing connected to the ground hole. A tester shows open ground, and so does a home inspector.
Some outlets are "fixed" with a jumper from the ground screw to the neutral. It fools a tester and can put current on the metal case of whatever is plugged in.
The three-to-two adapter with the little tab only works if the box itself is grounded. In a two-wire house it almost never is.
Both are legal. They protect different things.
| Ground wire | GFCI protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Protects people from shock | Yes. | Yes. It trips before a shock can hurt you. |
| Lets a surge protector work | Yes. Surge protectors need a real ground. | No. Electronics are no better protected than before. |
| Walls opened | Sometimes. Easiest with a crawl space or attic. | No. |
| Best for | Computers, TVs, kitchen and laundry appliances. | Bedrooms, hallways, lamps and chargers. |
If the house was built between 1965 and 1975, we check for aluminum wiring before touching any outlet.
Licensed, bonded and insured. Background-checked crew.
Tell us the year the house was built and roughly how many outlets, or send the page from the inspection report. A technician reaches out within 1 business hour.
What cable is in the walls, whether the boxes are grounded, where a ground wire could run. Exact price before any work, approved by you first.
Every outlet tested, the GFCI-protected ones labeled, and a written list of what was done.
Repairs: King and Pierce County south of I-90. Installations: greater Puget Sound.
Yes, in one of three legal ways: run a ground wire to it, replace it with a GFCI outlet labeled "No Equipment Ground", or protect the circuit with a GFCI breaker and label the outlets. Fitting a plain three-prong outlet with nothing on the ground terminal is not allowed.
First we find why it is open. In a newer house it is usually a loose or broken ground connection in one box, and we repair it. In an older house there is often no ground wire at all, and the fix is a new ground or GFCI protection.
GFCI protection is the less expensive route because no walls are opened. Running ground wires costs more and depends on access from a crawl space or attic. We open a few boxes, then give you the exact price for the house before any work.
Yes. A GFCI does not need a ground to work. It compares the current going out with the current coming back and cuts the power if they differ. What it does not do is give a surge protector anywhere to send a surge.
Usually not. Two-wire cable in good condition can stay, with GFCI protection and grounds added where they matter. We recommend rewiring only when the insulation is brittle or the wiring is knob-and-tube that has been disturbed.
It is one of the most common findings on houses built before the mid-1960s. Send us the page from the report. We correct each outlet and give you a written list of what was done for the buyer, the seller or the insurer.
Replacing an outlet with a GFCI outlet does not need one. Running new ground wires is new wiring, and we pull the electrical permit as part of the job.
Book online or call. Tell us the year the house was built and roughly how many outlets.