just wondering why u can't use an adapter for a 3 prong...?

Question

I bought my mom a refrigerator. Her house is pretty old and a lot of the outlets are 2 prongs. It didn't occur to me to check (my fault) whether or not the frig was a 2 or 3 prong. My husband told me to get an adapter but the handbook said no extension cords or adapters. Can you please tell me why. Does the cord/adapter get too hot and might cause an electrical fire? Any help will be appreciated. thanks!

Update:

LOWE's is coming back to move my mom's refrigerator to a 3 prong outlet ~ no charge.

Thank you everyone for your advice!

San Diego Art Nut · Accepted Answer

You probably would not have found a new fridge without a three pronged plug.  The third prong is for a ground and prevents shorts and electrocution.
If it is your mom's house install a three pronged outlet in the kitchen.  It is real simple to do it into the opening where you now have two pronged outlets.  Make sure the outlet is grounded when you install it.
You can use an adapter but be sure that it is grounded to the screw and the outlet box is grounded.

thewisies · Answer

A three prong plug is also call a U ground because the one prong is U shaped. In older homes the wiring system was call knob and tub and there was no grounding system in the receptacles. Homes in the 50’s to 60’s would have a ground but many electricians did not hook them up. Funny thing lots of people were getting electrified and died because electricity always travels the least resistant path to ground and in an ungrounded system people were making that path. That U shaped prong was put in to save lives because it was directly connected to grounding system. They call this the equipment ground for a reason. If you remove the U shaped prong and your refrigerator somehow come in contact with a live wire, the frame of the refrigerator becomes hot with live voltage. You come along and touch it and touch your sink or range and you become the path and you will get shocked. If it is through the heart you have a good chance of dying. If the U Shaped prong is there and the outlet is wire correctly so that it is grounded. The short will go through the U shaped ground and trip the breaker or blow a fuss and save your life. Please do not cut off the U ground prong on any equipment or use an adapter. Please have an Electrician correctly wire a grounded outlet in for your refrigerator. By the way, I believe that Electricians call those adapters widow makers because they make you believe that you have safely connected your 3 prong to a 2 prong. You still have no equipment ground hooked up!!!

Anonymous · Answer

Master Electrician for over 40 years. You need the appliance grounded in order for it to be safe for you and for the compressor in the refrigerator. As it stands now you have no ground. DO NOT LISTEN TO THOSE LIKE ABOVE WHO TELL YOU TO BREAK THE GROUND OFF! Grounding is the most important thing you can do with modern appliances. You can't use an adapter and have the unit grounded properly. You will have to run a new outlet to the unit in order for everything to be right and you warranty to be effective. Ungrounded major appliances can be dangerous without grounding.
The reason you shouldn't use an adapter is because your system isn't grounded. Even if you use the screw on the adapter it will do no good if the box is not grounded. Very dangerous...

love_2b_curious · Answer

You "CAN" use a 3 to 2 prong adapter! The manual only says you can't to cover their *** in case of "who-knows-what"! It's just standard verbage used in this day and age of law suits! The 3rd prong is only for additional grounding, (which you don't have wired anyway!). It will "NOT" get hot, and a 3rd prong won't keep it cool... that's a bunch of BULL!!
Use the adapter!

jntt_bnks · Answer

The adapter may get too hot but I would be more inclined to get the power point changed to a more modern one with three prongs.

binary sunset · Answer

You can actually remove the third prong with a good set of pliers.  That is just a ground circuit and is not necessary.  I do this anytime I run into a two-prong outlet only and have something with three prongs.  I just remove the third prong.  It required some bending and twisting and then you can just pop it out.

Anonymous · Answer

best advice, is to call your local electirical repair shop. i had to switch out a 4 prong dryer cord to a 3 prong, my warrenty wouldn't cover it, but the electrician helped me put the wires on right over the phone. They could give you the 100% right answer, rather than wait here and see if its right or not. I wouldn't want you to burn down the house cause of someones wrong answer on here. 

best of luck and it was so thoughtful of youto buy her a new fridge.

frosty62 · Answer

You can use a adapter if you install a GFI receptacle were the circuit begins for surge protection. Actualy you can put in the 3 prong once you have the GFI installed

dickdamick · Answer

there is adapter u can buy. I got 1 4 my air-con here. but it can be dangerous to use.
have electrician come and wire in the outlet u need

catch_me_tito · Answer

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just wondering why u can't use an adapter for a 3 prong...?

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