Can I file down the polarized plug of my replacement Pro Endurance bathroom fan to fit the existing female receptacle?
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4Can you? Sure. Is it a good idea? Not even a little bit.– Daniel GriscomCommented Jul 2, 2016 at 23:47
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1Your receptacle is THAT OLD?– ThreePhaseEelCommented Jul 3, 2016 at 3:01
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1@ThreePhaseEel Hard to believe there are still houses built before 1970, huh? Now get offa my lawn you young punk.– Carl WitthoftCommented Jul 3, 2016 at 12:06
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1@CarlWitthoft -- non-polarized plugs are still a thing because Class II (double insulated) devices don't give a hoot about which way hot and neutral go.– ThreePhaseEelCommented Jul 3, 2016 at 20:54
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1Nonpolarized plugs, yes Nonpolarized sockets, no.– Carl WitthoftCommented Jul 3, 2016 at 21:55
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1 Answer
No, no, no! It's polarized for a reason.
Just replace the receptacle with a polarized receptacle. Make sure the taller slot is on the neutral side.
They look like this, note the absence of a ground pin. There may be a green screw on the outlet nonetheless, that grounds the outlet. It should be left disconnected unless ground is actually present in the box. This is a current product legally sold all over in white, ivory or brown.
As a footnote, this is a polarized receptacle. The other type, with 3 slots, is a grounded receptacle. If you really need one of those, there's a legal way to do that using GFCI's. As such there is never a reason to break off a ground pin.
answered Jul 3, 2016 at 1:42
Harper - Reinstate MonicaHarper - Reinstate Monica
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Ummm.. no, you can't "just replace" the receptacle unless the wiring supports ground as well as neutral. It's clear the OP is not familiar with electricity in general, and is unlikely to identify hot vs neutral in the first place, so advising him to DIY may lead to a dangerous situation. Commented Jul 3, 2016 at 12:09
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@CarlWitthoft -- no, there are Code provisions in 406.4(D)(2) supporting the replacement of an ungrounded receptacle with another ungrounded receptacle, or with a GFCI if a safety upgrade is desired without running new wires. Commented Jul 3, 2016 at 15:03
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Edited my answer to clarify any misunderstanding about what a polarized outlet is. @CarlWitthoft It seems weirdly imperious to try to judge a poster's skills based on a single sentence they wrote, moreso, an answer for presuming competence. This is a DIY forum and our job is to give right answers. As discussed elsewhere, "Hire a professional" answers are not desired unless a case can be made for why. meta.diy.stackexchange.com/questions/1155/… Commented Jul 3, 2016 at 21:29
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@Harper Maybe, but I get very nervous when people start suggesting filing down a pin. That is not anything I'd expect to hear from anyone who knows enough about electrical wiring to safely rewire things. Yes, it's DIY, but that doesn't mean we should let people free-run w/o warnings. Commented Jul 3, 2016 at 21:54