How to fix an "open ground" on a receptacle

[Shaitan00]

In the master bedroom on one wall there are two receptacle that when tested shows “open ground”, I have replaced the receptacle on both (with new tamperproof receptacles) and while doing that checked to ensure there was a “ground” wire connected from the receptacle to the box (see image below). One thing to note – the room is aluminum wiring (but so are most of the house and no other receptacles have this issue).

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• Shaitan00
• 3 Feb 2015
• 1

At this point I am not sure what could be causing it, any suggestions?
Thanks,

 

[OwainDIYer]

where's the ground on the cable coming into the back box?

 

[Shaitan00]

What do you mean?
The ground is that aluminum wire going from the receptacle to the screw on the box and then out to never-land ...

 

[OwainDIYer]

Never-land is not ground.

You need to trace the cable back all the way and find where it should connect to ground and connect it.

 

[bernardgreen]

In the USA and Canada a lot of domestic installs use flexible metal conduit and this provides the earth conductors around the building. If this back box has conduit on the two wires then check the tightness of the nut or other fixing that connects the conduit to the back box. Also check the other end of the conduit is properly connected to the distribution box

 

[theflyingpolak]

Replace receptical with a GFCI if no bond is provided.
Check the box with an ohm meter to see if the bonding there can be jumpered to a new receptical.

 

[securespark]

In the Canadian Electrical Code, is it acceptable practice to fit a GFCI in order to protect against the absence of grounding?

 

[Echo the husky]

where's the ground on the cable coming into the back box?

Isn't it coming out from the supply cable on the left, then looped around the box screw then to the receptical?

 

[PBC_1966]

Isn't it coming out from the supply cable on the left, then looped around the box screw then to the receptical?

All being well it's all been sorted out by now, but it certainly looks that way to me. And it's NM-type cable entering the box, not any sort of conduit: You can see the NM-type clamps on the box, and the paper wrapping which is under the plastic sheath of NM cable. So it looks as though the ground connection is/was broken somewhere else.

In the Canadian Electrical Code, is it acceptable practice to fit a GFCI in order to protect against the absence of grounding?

Not sure about the CEC, but here in the U.S. the NEC has permitted it since, I think, the 1984 edition, so long as the receptacle is labeled as having no equipment ground. It's not one of the better NEC rules in my opinion, and certainly not something I would ever want to do myself.

 

[Echo the husky]

Oops I didn't see the date!