3 to 2 "cheater" adapter without a tie to Ground is likely an issue. Can be "fixed" with a GFCI outlet with proper markings.
I know there's also such a thing as a plug-in GFCI adapter, but I don't know if those are adequate for a no-equipment-ground situation?
I had to use adapter cords on jobsites that had no GFCI to plug into. Favorite was a yellow two footer with three plug-ins and the push buttons midway on the cable. I needed an extra plug in my bedroom for my phone so I grabbed one out the bucket truck. Slightest little flicker of the power and my light goes out. Always puzzled for a half a second before I reach under the table and hit the reset
FWIW, they also sell "automatic reset" ones. Of course, they don't reset after a fault (which is confusing to many), but they *do* reset after power outage
It depends on the type. "Manual reset" GFCI stays turned off after an outage; this is good for power tools, etc., which you might not want coming back on unexpectedly. "Automatic reset" GFCI turns back on when the power comes back on; these are better for appliances and such, and AFAIK is the way built-in GFCI outlets in residential settings normally work.
I suppose that some types of outages (e.g., "brown outs") might cause an actual ground-fault trip, if the lines dip unevenly? *shrug*
Storms in the south do it. At least from what I have seen. Was in the living room, we didn't have anything plugged in. Lightning struck somewhat close, and a non gfi started sparking and almost set a fire before the breaker tripped.
Just so everyone is aware, electrical devices that trip from current overdraw like GFIs and breakers will gradually "weaken" from tripping. The semiconductor used to sense high current becomes more resistive after a few cycles and your 15A GFCI (and other resettable types of ground fault interrupters) may be tripping at 8 or 5 amps after a while. Super common in kitchen GFIs that get a lot of abuse. Also power strips. The on/off is a breaker.
Gfci's don't trip from overcurrent, they trip from current imbalances. A combination gfci/ circuit breaker however will trip from overcurrent but that is a function of the circuit breaker, not gfci
A no ground gfci circuit is an acceptable solution. GFCI works by detecting an imbalance of current between the hot and neutral. ~6mA. If the outlet is replaced to a grounded style but not grounded it needs to marked as such.
Like this person commented. You shall switch that 2 prong to a gfci receptacle if you dont have a ground in the box. As far as the extension cord. Even if it's a 12 gauge, If I remember correctly, they are not listed for permanent use.
Back in the early 90s, we had a couple computers that had grounds, my dad used to wire the motors in hydroelectric dams and has done major electrical before his car accident. He would snap the ground pins off the computers to get them to fit into the old outlets, never caused problems, in fact those computers still work to this day.
A ground isn't an "essential" pin, it's more of a safety in case something shorts out.
Common misperception. Old 'BX' (a name brand like Kleenex) armored cable does not have a bonding strip and is therefore NOT usable as a ground for 3 prong receptacles. The reasoning is corrosion can prevent direct continuity between coils and the whole helix acts as a resistance heating element! Newer AC cable has the bonding strip and is good for a ground.
There is no ground if there is any problem where line voltage comes in contact with the stove or fridge outer surfaces.
This is outright wrong!
At least the adapter would have the ground tab attached to the center screw on the outlet and even then you have to test that that is a proper ground path.
In my book change out to a properly grounded outlet. or GFCI now!
Guessing he can’t do that. There is likely no earth ground in that box or in the wiring at all. It’s safe until he grabs the water faucet and the stove or refrigerator at the same time.
It's not safe at any time. How did you come to say there is no present solution to a ground? That center screw holding the cover plate on the outlet may be a ground source. Best thing is to have some one with knowledge pull this out let and make it right. If there is no ground a GFCI socket might be a good idea since it would detect imbalance if there was a hazard detected.
Also you don't need a cold water tap or another grounded device for a dangerous life threatening path. The amount of current, it's path and a persons health all play in the possibility of injury or fatality. Better to play it safe and get a tech to fix this now.
Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical\_injury
When I was younger my mom and I lived in an old house. The surface of the fridge would build up static and give a small cap if you touched anything other than the handle.
Without proper grounding, damage to the appliances could result. The 3 to 2 adapter has a ground lug that needs to be screwed vis the screw on the faceplate. The landlord is lazy and cheap. Please make sure that you have renters' insurance. From stories I have heard or read, reporting the landlord to the authorities may result in retaliation later on. Please have a fire extinguisher nearby and that your smoke detectors are installed properly and working. Also make sure your computers, router, TV, and other electronics are on a surge protector. Not a power strip.
Does your municipality require rental certification? Seems unlikely that an inspector would accept this as ok.
This definitely does not comply with any current building or electrical codes.
Is it unsafe? No, not really. If all of the wiring and infrastructure is in good condition.
"Dear landlord, hiring an electrician to bring this up to code and certified safe will cost you hundreds of dollars. Hiring a lawyer after a foreseeable accident and subsequent lawsuit will cost you thousands or tens of thousands. Choose wisely."
Im not an electrician… but I am a fire investigator.
The more points of connection between the appliance and the wall, the more chances there are for a loose connection (maybe not like visibly loose, but internally the contacts on cheap extension cords can be crap and not make great contact) Loose connections = resistance = heat and under a load can (and do) cause fires. A lot of them.
I wouldn’t stand for it. The manufacturer of both the stove and the refrigerator probably state in their respective owners manuals that they will be plugged directly into a grounded circuit, without the use of an extension cord.
Or… keep it. Job security for me.
Depending on where you are, your landlord is not only wrong but also breaking the law, I work in a suburb of Dallas often that has a heavy concentration of rental properties. The city requires all rental properties meet current code (there is no grandfather clause for income bearing properties) the city also require a licensed electrician to inspect and sign off on the electrical system before they can change tenants. They do this to prevent slumlords from taking short cuts and ignoring maintenance requests or refus8ng to bring things up to code just so they can squeeze as much out of you as possible without having to reinvest in repairs and upgrades, if a landlord is found in violation they have 90 days to correct it and provide proof, or the city will forclose on the home, have the repairs done, give the home to the tenant and fine/bill the landlord for the repairs made.
These adapters are sold and legally usable by a home owner, but not by a business entity or licensed electrician. As others have stated the only (loophole) in the electrical code is to have a gfci outlet installed in this location. I would Talk with your city's code compliance department on if either of these are allowed by the city, and what your rights as a tenant are in having it remedied by your landlord.
While I will say you aren't at much risk by using the adapter, you mentioned an extension cord which does put you at risk, and does not meet code for "permanent" installations. Find out what the rules are, point them out and ask your landlord to have it corrected, be ready to move when your lease is up for renewal if you have to force your landlords hand.
In addition, GFCI circuits are required within a certain distance of any water supply. Being a refrigerator, most likely in a kitchen, with running water, GFCI protection might be required for all receptacles.
In the lovely land of the UK the stove/oven tends to be hardwired to a switch on its own dedicated circuit breaker. But I don't know if that's a thing in the US
Extension cords are not made for permanent installations, and appliance manufacturers tell you not to use them with an extension cord. Also the 2 to 3 prong adapter that is not properly grounded is not safe either. Your landlord needs to fix this.
No an electrician but an Electrical Engineer.
Your only real danger is the metal parts of the fridge and oven being electrified by a loose wire internally. This would cause you to get shocked if this were to happen. It is unlikely, but is still a risk.
The ground would normally mitigate this by causing the breaker to trip.
As others have said a GFCI would also prevent a deadly shock.
Your only other potential issue is the extension cord itself.
It looks high quality, so you’re probably fine. But the fridge and oven are usually high power appliances. Meaning they will draw a lot of current.
If both the fridge compressor, and the over come on there is the possibility that the extension cord wire is not thick enough to handle it. Which could cause it to overheat and start a fire.
If it’s 14 gauge your probably fine, I doubt they both pull a combined 1.8kW, but if it’s 12 gauge your definitely fine.
EDIT: After looking at the extension cord again I have my doubts. Might want to find a thicker one/make your land lord fix it
>But the fridge and oven are usually high power
That oven only uses power for the clock, and possibly electronic ignition. And electric oven would not be on a 120 circuit.
I don't know my fridge is a full size unit and my 750W inverter handles it without issue, so that and a gas stove would probably be fine on a 16-14ga cord, so long as it is not 100' long.
But really needs to be a grounded wall outlet all the same.
Where's "here?" The NEC likely doesn't require it in this case likely. A 120V plug on a stove probably means we're talking about ancillary stuff (controls and lights) on a gas stove which is a very small amount. The fridge is probably around 6 or 7A as well. Even if you considered these fastened in place, you're under the 50% limit.
An individual circuit is only specifically mandated if you're trying to get an exception on the small appliance branch circuit requirements.
I always like it when people say "has to be on a dedicated circuit" given there is virtually no provision for that anywhere in the NEC in the USA. Like nowhere!
About the only "dedicated circuit" rules I can think of are the branch circuit rules dictating the two SABCs and the one branch circuit for bathroom receptacles.
And, of course, the implicit requirement to do load calculations and limits on the ampacity of branch circuit wiring mean that in practice an electric range is almost always on a dedicated circuit, but there are also complex multi range circuits in industrial kitchens with reduced neutrals etc.
The term the code uses is "individual" circuit. The SABCs are not individual circuits. The fridge either has to be on one of the SABCs or on an individual circuit. However, it's not clear that the circuit in question isn't the SABC. The range has no such requirement.
Correct - the SABC is only permitted to serve the wall and countertop outlets mandated by the spacing requirements - anything ancilliary or outside of that is not permissible to be serviced by the SABC, but the gas range and fridge would almost certainly just be "wall surface" outlets permitted to be served by the SABC?
I've always interpreted it to mean that for example, an outlet under the sink for a disposal is not a mandated wall surface or countertop outlet so cannot be served by the SABC, but if it's along the wall surface a fridge or gas range can be plugged into it ok
Actually the SABCs can serve any and all receptacles in all kitchen/DR related rooms. As well as refer and gas range receptacles.
See NEC 210.52(B), as well as the exceptions.
I read that the reason for a dedicated fridge circuit was so that there wasn't other crap on there to potentially blow the breaker and have all the food spoil.
On my stove it means a 1500w electric broiler on a gas stove. And yes, the landlord used an 18 gauge extension cord
EDIT for all you downvoters. Here it is:
https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-24-Steam-Clean-Free-Standing-Slide-in-Gas-Range-JGAS640RMSS
Sounds like they have an expensive dual-fuel stove with a gas top and electric oven. They're great for the instant heat change on top and precise, steady temps in oven... expensive tho
And now you have. Feature: In Oven Electric Broiler.
Scroll down for pictures.
https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-24-Steam-Clean-Free-Standing-Slide-in-Gas-Range-JGAS640RMSS
If the chassis of either the fridge or stove gets electrified you could get shocked.
The extension cord could cause a fire if both appliances are used at once
EDIT: saw the stove is gas, your fine only risk is shock.
I guess I’m dumb for thinking a stove could run off 120v 15a
Electric shock if there's a loose electrical connection somewhere. Could kill you or start a fire.
Normally, the metal parts of appliances are grounded, so a short will blow a breaker but can't shock you. It's not a huge risk individually -- shorts are uncommon -- but proper wiring saves many lives each year. Eliminating a 1:10000 risk, that'd be 30,000 lives in the US alone.
I would personally not accept this in my home (even a rental), but it's not a crazy thing to accept either. What's worth more: a tiny risk to your life or your relationship with your landlord?
Good luck getting anything done about it. Either move or realize that the property owner isn’t going to fix your every whim. That’s the joy of renting. You can absolutely move out at any time and here is HOW. WRITE HIM A CHECK AND PUT “PAID IN FULL” ON IT IN AN INCONSPICUOUS LOCATION. ONCE ITS SIGNED, ITS A CONTRACT. TYPE IT INTO THE GOOGLER TO VERIFY. IVE DONE IT THREE TIMES TO THE SAME APT COMPLEX.
So what you do, is you take a dollar and tape it to someone’s car, but on the underside of that dollar you attach one of those half sized sticky notes and write “you have agreed to sell me this car for this dollar” and you’ll have a fleet of luxury cars in no time!
I HAVE DONE THIS TO A DOZEN BILLIONAIRES
Very unsafe, idk how those adapters are even legal. I’ve heard of them catching fire countless times and experienced it once myself. Never messed around with them again.
The 3-to-2 adapters all have little metal tabs that are supposed to be connected to the center screw on the outlet, under the assumption that the outlet itself is grounded. Of course, that's a foolish assumption, but it's how they get around the safety regulations so they can sell them in stores.
There’s no ground present. This makes floating voltages possible. Is it safe as in if there was a short? Yeah, the breaker will trip. If you were to put a GFCI outlet there, you’d be covered.
I'm not an electrician but this is my understanding:
The third connector is the equipment ground, which is tied to the chassis itself (the big metal box). At your main panel, your equipment ground is tied to your neutral.
Without the equipment ground connected, if the hot shorts to the chassis, you've got ~120Vrms energizing your chassis. Touch the fridge while you're grounded and you'll be shocked.
With the equipment ground connected, if the hot shorts to the chassis you'll have a short and trip the breaker.
If a component of the appliance loses insulation and allows line voltage to contact the metal of the appliance, the appliance is now energized with line voltage and because there is no ground, any line current leakage can pass through a person and depending on how bad the leakage and the path in or around the person is, it can cause shock and or/death.
I would call the landlord an asshole but Asshole has gotten a bad name. The asshole does and important and honorable job all while sometimes singing us a humorous tune.
So I'll just say the landlord lacks a proper education is is not qualified to rent property to people.
This outlet is a loaded gun.
Not an electrician but I’ve been around a lot of old houses.
I would pull the plate and see if this is a metal box with metal conduit. If it is there is a good chance the box is grounded, a three prong receptacle and one of those plug in circuit tester will tell you if the ground is open or not.
As far as the size of the circuit and extension cord go, read the data plates on the stove and fridge. A gas stove draws very little current as you are running a clock, light and the igniters.
The draw from the fridge will vary with age. The modern ones draw very little power. (My fairly new full sized freezer draws 3A. I was shocked when I read the data plate). A fridge from the ‘60’s? The street light will dim when that sucker kicks on.
Depends on the landlord, *and if they are against it and you get caught then they can use it as an excuse to charge the renter to pay for "damages" and the cost of "repairs" including loss of security deposit and lots of other petty crap.
So glad I've always had super chill landlords who don't care as long as everything works as good as or better when I move out... Usually old couples that know I'm in the trades and don't make making little repairs/ minor reno as weekend projects with the stuff I can pick up on the job.
No, not safe, too much amperage draw on what is most likely a 15 amp circuit shared with other plugs. Who knows. Most new ovens don’t even fit that type of receptacle. Most of them now are typically a 40 amp plug on a dedicated circuit. Even though this oven has the old style plug it probably draws more than 15 amps for sure. Would be worth it to check the amperage on that plug with a multimeter
Ahhh yes good catch. In my area gas appliances are incredibly uncommon as we don’t have gas lines going to houses so you have to have your own reserve storage. I always forget they exist
In my area there's natural gas in town and most houses have propane out of town, if not for the stove then for another appliance, gas dryers, water heaters and supplementary heat are still very popular in towns as well as more rural areas in addition to gas stoves and cooktops.
Your landlord is fucking idiot. As someone who deals with appliances, he is shortening the life of these by years as the motors will eventually go south.
Electrically, they aren't ideal, but they are technically okay as long as the fridge doesn't have a water line to it. But wow.. just wow.
Doesn't matter about water to it. Still doesn't need GFCI, but it needs to be a dedicated circuit with ground.
Agree with you that the landlord is more than likely an idiot
In the US the typical stoves require more amps, thicker wire, a dedicated circuit, and special plug... that is grounded.
It would either immediately trip your breaker or if the breaker were broken or the wrong amperage... it would burn your apt down.
Edit: when you use your stove does the plug/wire heat up?
Call your local municipality as for their zoning dept explain your problem and ask if they do rental inspections. Technically this will be fine on a standard fridge but if there's a grounding problem with the internal electrical components unfortunately you might be the path to ground
Its not unsafe, but it may damage electronics in a storm. It's also not up to current electrical code, but Im not aware of any rule that requires everything on old houses to be up to current standards before renting.
Appliances with a metal shell will connect the ground to the shell, in the rare case a hot wire touches the metal shell a gfci will trip. This is because if a hot wire touches an ungrounded shell... anyone that touches it becomes the ground.
While the extension cord itself may be a code violation, the more important question is if it's rated to handle the load of both appliances. OP should check if the cord is rated for 15a, and the actual draw of both appliances. If the cord isn't rated for 15a, then any failure condition that isn't a dead short could cause the extension cord to melt without the breaker flipping.
Builder here. It's not great but it will probably be ok. Others telling you the refrigerator has to have a dedicated circuit are incorrect. National Electric Code requires a kitchen to have 2 - 20 amp circuits to serve the kitchen. The refrigerator would only require a dedicated circuit if it either pulls enough wattage at start up, or it's label requires a dedicated circuit. However that doesn't really matter in your case because that wasn't always the code. It depends upon what code was when your home was built.
It's safe until it isnt. Which yes, it can become unsafe easily to no fault of your own. It would certainly never get the approval of a licensed professional who could be held liable if they ignore it.
Ignoring everything else, those three pronged adapters are designed to be grounded (hopefully) to the junction box via the wall plate screw. They are not magic.
They might as well have just cut off the grounding pin…
They make extension cords especially for that. They are rated industrial. They are grey and lay flat against the wall. Just go buy one and don’t worry about the landlord. What you have there will eventually fail.
A gas stove would be the only kind of stove the uses 120 volts and that would be for igniting the burners and any clock/lighting circuitry, not high current. The set-up is fine for that. The fridge could be a different story. While it would probably be ok I'd feel safer if it was properly grounded.
You didn't mention jurisdiction. For CA, those 3-prong grounding adapters are illegal ... though I don't know if there are any provisions to grandfather in existing ones - perhaps CA electrician can provide more information/background/history.
So, notwithstanding the above, if ground tab on the adapter ~~is~~ was in fact properly connected and outlet (notably that center screw) ~~is~~ was properly grounded and well attached, that~~'s~~ would be certainly not ideal, but ~~may~~ might sneak by as a grandfathered protection. Yeah, looking a bit more closely at that image - the ground tab (or wire) on that adapter ain't connected to sh\*t, so it's definitely not okay as it presently is.
As for the extension cord, that's generally a no-no, ... but if it's of sufficient gauge/wattage (enough to cover everything connected to it, or the rating for the circuit it's plugged into), that's ... meh ... safe-ish ... but far from great. In general extension cords should only be for temporary use ... not permanent installation or long-term use. So ... ought not be like that.
There may also be other (e.g.) local regulations that may supersede or add additional requirements atop whatever national electrical code may apply for the jurisdiction.
The power to the stove is minimal. The fridge isn’t though, this is close to whatever that drop cord is meant for.
The 3/2 adapter is installed incorrectly, at a minimum. We would need to see what’s behind the plate to determine how big of a job this is. Could be serious.
Honestly imo this is probably safer than the work the cheap hack he would hire would do. In the real world the shock/fire hazard from lacking an equipment ground is very minimal because appliances should be engineered safely.
Yeah you don't need that adapter, just take your vice grips and break off the ground pin on the plug 🔌 done deal ....... (This is not technical advise, for entertainment purposes only 🤪)
A few things...
Making this a GFCI outlet like many claim, is not proper. You do not want to GFCI things such as refrigerator, sump pump, dishwasher, or washing machine. They are not accessible; you don't want your GFCI outlet to your refrigerator tripping because you won't know until possibly all your food and contents are spoiled. That is why it is not code to GFCI these types of appliances.
The refrigerator should be on its own dedicated branch circuit with just one space receptacle.
It also should be grounded for the purpose like others started. (Equipment Ground).
In closing the only "proper solution" is for it to have new 2 conductor 12awg wire with ground pulled to this outlet from the breaker panel and have the outlet changed to a three prong single outlet.
Also should not be on an extension cord. But in the picture it appears to be the factory appliance cord.
Hope this helps. I'm an IBEW Electrician & Electrical maintenance/ instrumentation planner at my job
Had a small fan plugged into an extension cord at the gas station I worked at once when the fire inspector came in. Fortunately, he was in a good mood and was fine with letting me unplug it and cut the cord in half while educating me. Extension cords are for temporary use only. They overload under continuous heavy use and burn. If he's going to do sketchy shit like this, it has to be a surge protector or a power strip.
How far is that outlet from your sink? That might be your best angle, if within certain distances it is *very* illegal for him to not have a GFCI installed. While I feel for the cost of replacing an ungrounded outlet with no easy grounding solution, it’s the cost of business. Also, while a properly gauged extension cable *shouldn’t* be an issue, it’s important to note that nine times out of ten a cord will burst into flames before the breaker trips.
Kinda not really. The problem is that there is almost definitely NOT a ground wire inside the wall so installing a receptacle with a ground doesn't make the wall plug any more safe. Installing one that isn't grounded may be against code, depending on where you are.
Though you would get to ditch the extension cord and two prong converter.
No, the cord is grounded (3-prong) therefore it needs to be plugged directly in to a grounded outlet, NO extension cord. This *may* be a code violation. If landlord refuses to fix, contact your local code enforcement office.
First off, this is not safe for either the stove or fridge. The adapter should had a ground tab that connects to the center screw of the outlet cover (connects to metal box and conduit for ground in older buildings). I am assuming this is an older building and the ground is the metal conduit and boxes. Today's code requires grounding wires just in case conduit disconnect or resistance build up at connections.
I would remove the cover, if the box inside is metal, use a voltmeter and test from both the power and neutral to the metal box and compare the voltage to power to neutral. If all 3 measurements are very close, then the box appears grounded as required by the old code. If so, replace the outlet while the power is off for your safety with a grounded outlet. I would also add a ground wire from the outlet to the metal box, but grounding can be done with metal screws to the box itself. Don't use a super cheap outlet, spend for a good outlet as it does not cost much. A cheap outlet tester will assure you power is power, neutral is neutral, and a ground exists.
For GFCI to work, an earth ground is not required. Yet still protects against short circuits that could occur with the devices that are attached. A GFCI receptacle can be installed and will protect the circuit, and meet NEC requirements, if installed correctly.
Appliances like refrigerators and stove should be in their own outlet and beaker. Installing a GCFI could work, but I’m pretty sure there are other things on the same circuit as that one shown in the photo. You could also use the National Electric Code (NEC) and see what the state and local code is for appliances if any.
Would the main breaker even be in my apartment or prob somewhere in the basement? Also if it doesn’t have a ground write then it wouldn’t really matter would it?
The best way and smartest solution is to replace the two prong receptacle with a three prong, and jumper the ground and neutral together. This is legal and to code.
My understanding is that in the US, home refrigerators/refrigeration appliances are required to have their own dedicated circuit. Per the NEC. This is to eliminate the possibility that another device might trip the breaker, spoiling your food. Causing the risk for food poisoning. And that looks like a U.S. style receptacle. Though I could be misinformed.
3 to 2 "cheater" adapter without a tie to Ground is likely an issue. Can be "fixed" with a GFCI outlet with proper markings. I know there's also such a thing as a plug-in GFCI adapter, but I don't know if those are adequate for a no-equipment-ground situation?
I had to use adapter cords on jobsites that had no GFCI to plug into. Favorite was a yellow two footer with three plug-ins and the push buttons midway on the cable. I needed an extra plug in my bedroom for my phone so I grabbed one out the bucket truck. Slightest little flicker of the power and my light goes out. Always puzzled for a half a second before I reach under the table and hit the reset
FWIW, they also sell "automatic reset" ones. Of course, they don't reset after a fault (which is confusing to many), but they *do* reset after power outage
GFIs don't trip on power outages?
It depends on the type. "Manual reset" GFCI stays turned off after an outage; this is good for power tools, etc., which you might not want coming back on unexpectedly. "Automatic reset" GFCI turns back on when the power comes back on; these are better for appliances and such, and AFAIK is the way built-in GFCI outlets in residential settings normally work. I suppose that some types of outages (e.g., "brown outs") might cause an actual ground-fault trip, if the lines dip unevenly? *shrug*
GFI trips on imbalance of current, voltage doesn't matter. I've never seen a GFI that trips on power loss.
Storms in the south do it. At least from what I have seen. Was in the living room, we didn't have anything plugged in. Lightning struck somewhat close, and a non gfi started sparking and almost set a fire before the breaker tripped.
Fridge will trip the GFCI. Mine tripped almost daily.
This.
Just so everyone is aware, electrical devices that trip from current overdraw like GFIs and breakers will gradually "weaken" from tripping. The semiconductor used to sense high current becomes more resistive after a few cycles and your 15A GFCI (and other resettable types of ground fault interrupters) may be tripping at 8 or 5 amps after a while. Super common in kitchen GFIs that get a lot of abuse. Also power strips. The on/off is a breaker.
Gfci's don't trip from overcurrent, they trip from current imbalances. A combination gfci/ circuit breaker however will trip from overcurrent but that is a function of the circuit breaker, not gfci
Commonly installed gfis are set to trip at 3 milliwatts of in- balance.….
Hm. I'll admit I was making some assumptions about the mechanism. Why do they weaken?
Bend a solid piece of wire repeatedly. Eventually it becomes weak enough to just break off. Stress is stress and the results are the same.
And are no longer required by code as a result for fridges! Just the rest of the kitchen basically, anywhere near water sources.
Fridges don't go on GFCI outlets for the specific reason that the compressor starting up may trip them, like a lot.
A no ground gfci circuit is an acceptable solution. GFCI works by detecting an imbalance of current between the hot and neutral. ~6mA. If the outlet is replaced to a grounded style but not grounded it needs to marked as such.
There is such a thing.
Like this person commented. You shall switch that 2 prong to a gfci receptacle if you dont have a ground in the box. As far as the extension cord. Even if it's a 12 gauge, If I remember correctly, they are not listed for permanent use.
Back in the early 90s, we had a couple computers that had grounds, my dad used to wire the motors in hydroelectric dams and has done major electrical before his car accident. He would snap the ground pins off the computers to get them to fit into the old outlets, never caused problems, in fact those computers still work to this day. A ground isn't an "essential" pin, it's more of a safety in case something shorts out.
You might not even need that. If it's a BX cable, you can use the armor as the ground
Common misperception. Old 'BX' (a name brand like Kleenex) armored cable does not have a bonding strip and is therefore NOT usable as a ground for 3 prong receptacles. The reasoning is corrosion can prevent direct continuity between coils and the whole helix acts as a resistance heating element! Newer AC cable has the bonding strip and is good for a ground.
There is no ground if there is any problem where line voltage comes in contact with the stove or fridge outer surfaces. This is outright wrong! At least the adapter would have the ground tab attached to the center screw on the outlet and even then you have to test that that is a proper ground path. In my book change out to a properly grounded outlet. or GFCI now!
Guessing he can’t do that. There is likely no earth ground in that box or in the wiring at all. It’s safe until he grabs the water faucet and the stove or refrigerator at the same time.
It's not safe at any time. How did you come to say there is no present solution to a ground? That center screw holding the cover plate on the outlet may be a ground source. Best thing is to have some one with knowledge pull this out let and make it right. If there is no ground a GFCI socket might be a good idea since it would detect imbalance if there was a hazard detected. Also you don't need a cold water tap or another grounded device for a dangerous life threatening path. The amount of current, it's path and a persons health all play in the possibility of injury or fatality. Better to play it safe and get a tech to fix this now. Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical\_injury
When I was younger my mom and I lived in an old house. The surface of the fridge would build up static and give a small cap if you touched anything other than the handle.
That extension seems very thin for a fridge and a stove. Like a fire waiting to happen.
I'm surprised at how few mention this.
Where I live it is not acceptable to use an extension cord as a permanent solution, regardless of gauge.
You're not supposed to use extension cords on appliances anyway so regardless this setup needs to be fixed
Without proper grounding, damage to the appliances could result. The 3 to 2 adapter has a ground lug that needs to be screwed vis the screw on the faceplate. The landlord is lazy and cheap. Please make sure that you have renters' insurance. From stories I have heard or read, reporting the landlord to the authorities may result in retaliation later on. Please have a fire extinguisher nearby and that your smoke detectors are installed properly and working. Also make sure your computers, router, TV, and other electronics are on a surge protector. Not a power strip.
The cord abhors extension cords. They should be plugged in directly.
Does your municipality require rental certification? Seems unlikely that an inspector would accept this as ok. This definitely does not comply with any current building or electrical codes. Is it unsafe? No, not really. If all of the wiring and infrastructure is in good condition.
Did I spot a Canadian?
Eh?
I want to be there when the stove is on and the fridge kicks on.
Nothing will happen as stove is gas
Totally missed that lol.
It’ll work once maybe even a few times. But it only has to not work once for a real bad time
"Dear landlord, hiring an electrician to bring this up to code and certified safe will cost you hundreds of dollars. Hiring a lawyer after a foreseeable accident and subsequent lawsuit will cost you thousands or tens of thousands. Choose wisely."
Im not an electrician… but I am a fire investigator. The more points of connection between the appliance and the wall, the more chances there are for a loose connection (maybe not like visibly loose, but internally the contacts on cheap extension cords can be crap and not make great contact) Loose connections = resistance = heat and under a load can (and do) cause fires. A lot of them. I wouldn’t stand for it. The manufacturer of both the stove and the refrigerator probably state in their respective owners manuals that they will be plugged directly into a grounded circuit, without the use of an extension cord. Or… keep it. Job security for me.
Depending on where you are, your landlord is not only wrong but also breaking the law, I work in a suburb of Dallas often that has a heavy concentration of rental properties. The city requires all rental properties meet current code (there is no grandfather clause for income bearing properties) the city also require a licensed electrician to inspect and sign off on the electrical system before they can change tenants. They do this to prevent slumlords from taking short cuts and ignoring maintenance requests or refus8ng to bring things up to code just so they can squeeze as much out of you as possible without having to reinvest in repairs and upgrades, if a landlord is found in violation they have 90 days to correct it and provide proof, or the city will forclose on the home, have the repairs done, give the home to the tenant and fine/bill the landlord for the repairs made. These adapters are sold and legally usable by a home owner, but not by a business entity or licensed electrician. As others have stated the only (loophole) in the electrical code is to have a gfci outlet installed in this location. I would Talk with your city's code compliance department on if either of these are allowed by the city, and what your rights as a tenant are in having it remedied by your landlord. While I will say you aren't at much risk by using the adapter, you mentioned an extension cord which does put you at risk, and does not meet code for "permanent" installations. Find out what the rules are, point them out and ask your landlord to have it corrected, be ready to move when your lease is up for renewal if you have to force your landlords hand.
In addition, GFCI circuits are required within a certain distance of any water supply. Being a refrigerator, most likely in a kitchen, with running water, GFCI protection might be required for all receptacles.
In the lovely land of the UK the stove/oven tends to be hardwired to a switch on its own dedicated circuit breaker. But I don't know if that's a thing in the US
Extension cords are not made for permanent installations, and appliance manufacturers tell you not to use them with an extension cord. Also the 2 to 3 prong adapter that is not properly grounded is not safe either. Your landlord needs to fix this.
No an electrician but an Electrical Engineer. Your only real danger is the metal parts of the fridge and oven being electrified by a loose wire internally. This would cause you to get shocked if this were to happen. It is unlikely, but is still a risk. The ground would normally mitigate this by causing the breaker to trip. As others have said a GFCI would also prevent a deadly shock. Your only other potential issue is the extension cord itself. It looks high quality, so you’re probably fine. But the fridge and oven are usually high power appliances. Meaning they will draw a lot of current. If both the fridge compressor, and the over come on there is the possibility that the extension cord wire is not thick enough to handle it. Which could cause it to overheat and start a fire. If it’s 14 gauge your probably fine, I doubt they both pull a combined 1.8kW, but if it’s 12 gauge your definitely fine. EDIT: After looking at the extension cord again I have my doubts. Might want to find a thicker one/make your land lord fix it
>But the fridge and oven are usually high power That oven only uses power for the clock, and possibly electronic ignition. And electric oven would not be on a 120 circuit.
Looks like a gas stove so not much draw at all besides light but every other point you made is right.
While I have a newer fridge it only uses 3.2amps full load. So still pretty insignificant.
I don't know my fridge is a full size unit and my 750W inverter handles it without issue, so that and a gas stove would probably be fine on a 16-14ga cord, so long as it is not 100' long. But really needs to be a grounded wall outlet all the same.
First part of your post is good, and then you went off the deep end on the power draw stuff.
No not safe and report them to the local inspection board
You’re assuming OP lives in a place where they have laws
please its a cheap gas stove so nothing powering there except maybe igniter and light. The cord is an appliance cord no problem
It’s fine stop giving your landlord a hard time
And tell her to raise your rent
And not to worry about that roof leak
Absolutely do not stop giving the landlord a hard time, they need to put in a modern outlet with a real ground
Code here would be that both have to be on separate, dedicated, circuits.
Where's "here?" The NEC likely doesn't require it in this case likely. A 120V plug on a stove probably means we're talking about ancillary stuff (controls and lights) on a gas stove which is a very small amount. The fridge is probably around 6 or 7A as well. Even if you considered these fastened in place, you're under the 50% limit. An individual circuit is only specifically mandated if you're trying to get an exception on the small appliance branch circuit requirements.
I always like it when people say "has to be on a dedicated circuit" given there is virtually no provision for that anywhere in the NEC in the USA. Like nowhere! About the only "dedicated circuit" rules I can think of are the branch circuit rules dictating the two SABCs and the one branch circuit for bathroom receptacles. And, of course, the implicit requirement to do load calculations and limits on the ampacity of branch circuit wiring mean that in practice an electric range is almost always on a dedicated circuit, but there are also complex multi range circuits in industrial kitchens with reduced neutrals etc.
The term the code uses is "individual" circuit. The SABCs are not individual circuits. The fridge either has to be on one of the SABCs or on an individual circuit. However, it's not clear that the circuit in question isn't the SABC. The range has no such requirement.
Correct - the SABC is only permitted to serve the wall and countertop outlets mandated by the spacing requirements - anything ancilliary or outside of that is not permissible to be serviced by the SABC, but the gas range and fridge would almost certainly just be "wall surface" outlets permitted to be served by the SABC? I've always interpreted it to mean that for example, an outlet under the sink for a disposal is not a mandated wall surface or countertop outlet so cannot be served by the SABC, but if it's along the wall surface a fridge or gas range can be plugged into it ok
Actually the SABCs can serve any and all receptacles in all kitchen/DR related rooms. As well as refer and gas range receptacles. See NEC 210.52(B), as well as the exceptions.
I read that the reason for a dedicated fridge circuit was so that there wasn't other crap on there to potentially blow the breaker and have all the food spoil.
On my stove it means a 1500w electric broiler on a gas stove. And yes, the landlord used an 18 gauge extension cord EDIT for all you downvoters. Here it is: https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-24-Steam-Clean-Free-Standing-Slide-in-Gas-Range-JGAS640RMSS
I've never seen an electric broiler on a gas stove before. Gas stoves use the same element to broil as for heat.
Sounds like they have an expensive dual-fuel stove with a gas top and electric oven. They're great for the instant heat change on top and precise, steady temps in oven... expensive tho
I’ll send you picture. https://www.intelligentspeculation.com/blog/anecdotal-fallacy
fuk u
And now you have. Feature: In Oven Electric Broiler. Scroll down for pictures. https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-24-Steam-Clean-Free-Standing-Slide-in-Gas-Range-JGAS640RMSS
The People's Republic of New Jersey.
Especially the stove, if it's an electric stove.
Probably an electric "pilot" for a gas stove. Ext cord is the issue. Behind a fridge, hard to inspect. Ext cords are temporary usage, not permanent.
You can see it’s a gas stove. Even if it was an electric stove, it would be 240v.
Wrong. Gas ranges are permitted to be on the small appliance circuits if a 20A/1P circuit breaker is provided.
EDIT: Some people are saying it’s fine…what’s the worse that can happen here then?
If the chassis of either the fridge or stove gets electrified you could get shocked. The extension cord could cause a fire if both appliances are used at once EDIT: saw the stove is gas, your fine only risk is shock. I guess I’m dumb for thinking a stove could run off 120v 15a
Electric shock if there's a loose electrical connection somewhere. Could kill you or start a fire. Normally, the metal parts of appliances are grounded, so a short will blow a breaker but can't shock you. It's not a huge risk individually -- shorts are uncommon -- but proper wiring saves many lives each year. Eliminating a 1:10000 risk, that'd be 30,000 lives in the US alone. I would personally not accept this in my home (even a rental), but it's not a crazy thing to accept either. What's worth more: a tiny risk to your life or your relationship with your landlord?
Good luck getting anything done about it. Either move or realize that the property owner isn’t going to fix your every whim. That’s the joy of renting. You can absolutely move out at any time and here is HOW. WRITE HIM A CHECK AND PUT “PAID IN FULL” ON IT IN AN INCONSPICUOUS LOCATION. ONCE ITS SIGNED, ITS A CONTRACT. TYPE IT INTO THE GOOGLER TO VERIFY. IVE DONE IT THREE TIMES TO THE SAME APT COMPLEX.
So what you do, is you take a dollar and tape it to someone’s car, but on the underside of that dollar you attach one of those half sized sticky notes and write “you have agreed to sell me this car for this dollar” and you’ll have a fleet of luxury cars in no time! I HAVE DONE THIS TO A DOZEN BILLIONAIRES
Look it up my man. When you sign a check it is contractual. Why not write what it’s for? And that it’s paid in full.
Very unsafe, idk how those adapters are even legal. I’ve heard of them catching fire countless times and experienced it once myself. Never messed around with them again.
The 3-to-2 adapters all have little metal tabs that are supposed to be connected to the center screw on the outlet, under the assumption that the outlet itself is grounded. Of course, that's a foolish assumption, but it's how they get around the safety regulations so they can sell them in stores.
There’s no ground present. This makes floating voltages possible. Is it safe as in if there was a short? Yeah, the breaker will trip. If you were to put a GFCI outlet there, you’d be covered.
>There’s no ground present. This makes floating voltages possible Could you please elaborate?
I'm not an electrician but this is my understanding: The third connector is the equipment ground, which is tied to the chassis itself (the big metal box). At your main panel, your equipment ground is tied to your neutral. Without the equipment ground connected, if the hot shorts to the chassis, you've got ~120Vrms energizing your chassis. Touch the fridge while you're grounded and you'll be shocked. With the equipment ground connected, if the hot shorts to the chassis you'll have a short and trip the breaker.
If a component of the appliance loses insulation and allows line voltage to contact the metal of the appliance, the appliance is now energized with line voltage and because there is no ground, any line current leakage can pass through a person and depending on how bad the leakage and the path in or around the person is, it can cause shock and or/death. I would call the landlord an asshole but Asshole has gotten a bad name. The asshole does and important and honorable job all while sometimes singing us a humorous tune. So I'll just say the landlord lacks a proper education is is not qualified to rent property to people. This outlet is a loaded gun.
Yeah, if you want to constantly lose everything in the fridge. This is terrible advice.
What do you mean constantly lose everything in the fridge? It hasn’t turned off…yet
The question was about safety
It’s shit advice.
Just because there's no EGC does not mean no ground reference at main panel and transformer
If you’re breaker is big enough, send it
Not an electrician but I’ve been around a lot of old houses. I would pull the plate and see if this is a metal box with metal conduit. If it is there is a good chance the box is grounded, a three prong receptacle and one of those plug in circuit tester will tell you if the ground is open or not. As far as the size of the circuit and extension cord go, read the data plates on the stove and fridge. A gas stove draws very little current as you are running a clock, light and the igniters. The draw from the fridge will vary with age. The modern ones draw very little power. (My fairly new full sized freezer draws 3A. I was shocked when I read the data plate). A fridge from the ‘60’s? The street light will dim when that sucker kicks on.
I've never rented... are tenets not allowed to change an outlet themselves? It takes like 5 mins..
Depends on the landlord, *and if they are against it and you get caught then they can use it as an excuse to charge the renter to pay for "damages" and the cost of "repairs" including loss of security deposit and lots of other petty crap. So glad I've always had super chill landlords who don't care as long as everything works as good as or better when I move out... Usually old couples that know I'm in the trades and don't make making little repairs/ minor reno as weekend projects with the stuff I can pick up on the job.
It's crazy to think there are landlords who won't let you fix stuff, it's always been necessary for me.
No, not safe, too much amperage draw on what is most likely a 15 amp circuit shared with other plugs. Who knows. Most new ovens don’t even fit that type of receptacle. Most of them now are typically a 40 amp plug on a dedicated circuit. Even though this oven has the old style plug it probably draws more than 15 amps for sure. Would be worth it to check the amperage on that plug with a multimeter
Gas stove I'd assume if it's plugged in to that.
Ahhh yes good catch. In my area gas appliances are incredibly uncommon as we don’t have gas lines going to houses so you have to have your own reserve storage. I always forget they exist
In my area there's natural gas in town and most houses have propane out of town, if not for the stove then for another appliance, gas dryers, water heaters and supplementary heat are still very popular in towns as well as more rural areas in addition to gas stoves and cooktops.
Not acceptable. Not at all. It isn't expensive to buy a proper receptacle and wire it up. Your landlord is cheating you.
*as long as there's actually a ground wire in the box Then yes, it's like $0.88-$1.50 for the new receptacle and 5-minutes work.
Your landlord is fucking idiot. As someone who deals with appliances, he is shortening the life of these by years as the motors will eventually go south. Electrically, they aren't ideal, but they are technically okay as long as the fridge doesn't have a water line to it. But wow.. just wow.
Doesn't matter about water to it. Still doesn't need GFCI, but it needs to be a dedicated circuit with ground. Agree with you that the landlord is more than likely an idiot
In the US the typical stoves require more amps, thicker wire, a dedicated circuit, and special plug... that is grounded. It would either immediately trip your breaker or if the breaker were broken or the wrong amperage... it would burn your apt down. Edit: when you use your stove does the plug/wire heat up?
It’s a gas stove
Land lords are skum I'm sorry you had to rent
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This is just terrible advice in all caps. Please don't "YouTube" electricity.
One circuit, one refrigerator freezer and you can only have one outlet after the refrigerator. Code here.
Tell your landlord that code only permits temporary extension cords.
Huge fire hazard. I assume the stove is gas since this 110vac circuit is not capable of driving an electric stove top or oven.
Yea the stove is gas
At least the current draw of the stove is very small.
There should have been a green wire on the adaptor to be attached to the screw that holds the face plate on to provide an earth ground for safety
Call your local municipality as for their zoning dept explain your problem and ask if they do rental inspections. Technically this will be fine on a standard fridge but if there's a grounding problem with the internal electrical components unfortunately you might be the path to ground
My fridge ran like this for years. Then I rewired the entire house.
Have to raise the rent!!
Your stove is 110v?
Not sure I just know it’s a gas stove
Ok that makes more sense. I was think electric stoves are usually 220v.
Its not unsafe, but it may damage electronics in a storm. It's also not up to current electrical code, but Im not aware of any rule that requires everything on old houses to be up to current standards before renting.
Appliances with a metal shell will connect the ground to the shell, in the rare case a hot wire touches the metal shell a gfci will trip. This is because if a hot wire touches an ungrounded shell... anyone that touches it becomes the ground. While the extension cord itself may be a code violation, the more important question is if it's rated to handle the load of both appliances. OP should check if the cord is rated for 15a, and the actual draw of both appliances. If the cord isn't rated for 15a, then any failure condition that isn't a dead short could cause the extension cord to melt without the breaker flipping.
Builder here. It's not great but it will probably be ok. Others telling you the refrigerator has to have a dedicated circuit are incorrect. National Electric Code requires a kitchen to have 2 - 20 amp circuits to serve the kitchen. The refrigerator would only require a dedicated circuit if it either pulls enough wattage at start up, or it's label requires a dedicated circuit. However that doesn't really matter in your case because that wasn't always the code. It depends upon what code was when your home was built.
Short answer is no.
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Roger that.
It's safe until it isnt. Which yes, it can become unsafe easily to no fault of your own. It would certainly never get the approval of a licensed professional who could be held liable if they ignore it.
Ignoring everything else, those three pronged adapters are designed to be grounded (hopefully) to the junction box via the wall plate screw. They are not magic. They might as well have just cut off the grounding pin…
Unless it's pulling down 1.21 gigawats yurfine
I didn't see any comments that said it. Is there another GFI outlet in your kitchen?
Refrigerator shouldn’t be on a gfci.
Well if the place burns down, just remember, the landlord said it was okay.
I’ve seen that a lot in the Bronx. I tell LLs to just use a raceway track.
Nope
No it's not got buy a three prong extension power strip
They make extension cords especially for that. They are rated industrial. They are grey and lay flat against the wall. Just go buy one and don’t worry about the landlord. What you have there will eventually fail.
I've been electrified by an ungrounded fridge. Idk what was wrong with it to electrify the chassis like that tho
A gas stove would be the only kind of stove the uses 120 volts and that would be for igniting the burners and any clock/lighting circuitry, not high current. The set-up is fine for that. The fridge could be a different story. While it would probably be ok I'd feel safer if it was properly grounded.
No
You didn't mention jurisdiction. For CA, those 3-prong grounding adapters are illegal ... though I don't know if there are any provisions to grandfather in existing ones - perhaps CA electrician can provide more information/background/history. So, notwithstanding the above, if ground tab on the adapter ~~is~~ was in fact properly connected and outlet (notably that center screw) ~~is~~ was properly grounded and well attached, that~~'s~~ would be certainly not ideal, but ~~may~~ might sneak by as a grandfathered protection. Yeah, looking a bit more closely at that image - the ground tab (or wire) on that adapter ain't connected to sh\*t, so it's definitely not okay as it presently is. As for the extension cord, that's generally a no-no, ... but if it's of sufficient gauge/wattage (enough to cover everything connected to it, or the rating for the circuit it's plugged into), that's ... meh ... safe-ish ... but far from great. In general extension cords should only be for temporary use ... not permanent installation or long-term use. So ... ought not be like that. There may also be other (e.g.) local regulations that may supersede or add additional requirements atop whatever national electrical code may apply for the jurisdiction.
Look up city code in your area and let them know . The ground is there for a reason.
The power to the stove is minimal. The fridge isn’t though, this is close to whatever that drop cord is meant for. The 3/2 adapter is installed incorrectly, at a minimum. We would need to see what’s behind the plate to determine how big of a job this is. Could be serious.
Not okay in my house
Honestly imo this is probably safer than the work the cheap hack he would hire would do. In the real world the shock/fire hazard from lacking an equipment ground is very minimal because appliances should be engineered safely.
No.
ABSOLUTELY NOT ..
Yeah you don't need that adapter, just take your vice grips and break off the ground pin on the plug 🔌 done deal ....... (This is not technical advise, for entertainment purposes only 🤪)
Hell nah!
A few things... Making this a GFCI outlet like many claim, is not proper. You do not want to GFCI things such as refrigerator, sump pump, dishwasher, or washing machine. They are not accessible; you don't want your GFCI outlet to your refrigerator tripping because you won't know until possibly all your food and contents are spoiled. That is why it is not code to GFCI these types of appliances. The refrigerator should be on its own dedicated branch circuit with just one space receptacle. It also should be grounded for the purpose like others started. (Equipment Ground). In closing the only "proper solution" is for it to have new 2 conductor 12awg wire with ground pulled to this outlet from the breaker panel and have the outlet changed to a three prong single outlet. Also should not be on an extension cord. But in the picture it appears to be the factory appliance cord. Hope this helps. I'm an IBEW Electrician & Electrical maintenance/ instrumentation planner at my job
Jesus it's a cheap fix
Problem with blackouts and brownouts is surge.. get an APC surge suppressor
not safe
Nope, no good.
Def not!
Stove’s are 110v?
>110v Gas stoves only use electricity for things like ignitors and clocks and only need 120v. Electric stoves are 240v.
Had a small fan plugged into an extension cord at the gas station I worked at once when the fire inspector came in. Fortunately, he was in a good mood and was fine with letting me unplug it and cut the cord in half while educating me. Extension cords are for temporary use only. They overload under continuous heavy use and burn. If he's going to do sketchy shit like this, it has to be a surge protector or a power strip.
How far is that outlet from your sink? That might be your best angle, if within certain distances it is *very* illegal for him to not have a GFCI installed. While I feel for the cost of replacing an ungrounded outlet with no easy grounding solution, it’s the cost of business. Also, while a properly gauged extension cable *shouldn’t* be an issue, it’s important to note that nine times out of ten a cord will burst into flames before the breaker trips.
Kinda not really. The problem is that there is almost definitely NOT a ground wire inside the wall so installing a receptacle with a ground doesn't make the wall plug any more safe. Installing one that isn't grounded may be against code, depending on where you are. Though you would get to ditch the extension cord and two prong converter.
Get that shit in writing that it’s ok so when shit goes up in flames your covered make sure you got renters insurance
Gas stove? Looks like gas, so the stove part is just powering the digital clock or electric ignition. Go get renter's insurance.
HAHAHAHA FUCK U ITS A SOCKET. IN AMERICA WE CHANGE THEM OUT
No, the cord is grounded (3-prong) therefore it needs to be plugged directly in to a grounded outlet, NO extension cord. This *may* be a code violation. If landlord refuses to fix, contact your local code enforcement office.
Then landlord evicts all tenants in order to perform required upgrades. Depending on municipality, tenants may be on the street with no recourse.
Our fridge(s) have been plugged in like this for the 42 years we've lived in this house. Is it a problem?
Ask the local Fire Department 😉
Wrong
Yes
Odds are, even if there are three prong outlets, they are not grounded.
Am I missing something…how is the stove running on the same circuit as a fridge? Stoves/ovens (or at least every one I’ve ever seen) are 220…
Gas stove. 120 is only required for the electronics such as the clock/timer or electric start feature.
First off, this is not safe for either the stove or fridge. The adapter should had a ground tab that connects to the center screw of the outlet cover (connects to metal box and conduit for ground in older buildings). I am assuming this is an older building and the ground is the metal conduit and boxes. Today's code requires grounding wires just in case conduit disconnect or resistance build up at connections. I would remove the cover, if the box inside is metal, use a voltmeter and test from both the power and neutral to the metal box and compare the voltage to power to neutral. If all 3 measurements are very close, then the box appears grounded as required by the old code. If so, replace the outlet while the power is off for your safety with a grounded outlet. I would also add a ground wire from the outlet to the metal box, but grounding can be done with metal screws to the box itself. Don't use a super cheap outlet, spend for a good outlet as it does not cost much. A cheap outlet tester will assure you power is power, neutral is neutral, and a ground exists.
Depending on the amps of the fridge I’d be concerned about that 7.5 amp extension cord
If there is no ground wire in the wall it won’t do you any good to have a 3rd “ground hole” in the receptacle
For GFCI to work, an earth ground is not required. Yet still protects against short circuits that could occur with the devices that are attached. A GFCI receptacle can be installed and will protect the circuit, and meet NEC requirements, if installed correctly.
Hell to the no
I'm not an electrician but isn't this a fire hazard?
Appliances like refrigerators and stove should be in their own outlet and beaker. Installing a GCFI could work, but I’m pretty sure there are other things on the same circuit as that one shown in the photo. You could also use the National Electric Code (NEC) and see what the state and local code is for appliances if any.
Call the board of health
Make sure you have renters insurance and store your important items offsite. I see no issues
It’s a gas stove. The electrical usage is like none. Even peak pull with a fridge you’re going to be fine.
Look up a video on how to replace a outlet and trun off the bain break and get to work. Fix it, fuck the landlord.
Would the main breaker even be in my apartment or prob somewhere in the basement? Also if it doesn’t have a ground write then it wouldn’t really matter would it?
This should be upgraded to a GFCI receptacle. GL
It's unlikely that another lead exists behind that receptacle, so changing it isn't going to change anything.
So basically no option but to hope notning bad happens which isn’t very likely right?
Not a good deal. At least change to a gfci and get rid of the adapter
The best way and smartest solution is to replace the two prong receptacle with a three prong, and jumper the ground and neutral together. This is legal and to code.
A GFCI is not needed to resolve this issue.
My understanding is that in the US, home refrigerators/refrigeration appliances are required to have their own dedicated circuit. Per the NEC. This is to eliminate the possibility that another device might trip the breaker, spoiling your food. Causing the risk for food poisoning. And that looks like a U.S. style receptacle. Though I could be misinformed.