Electrical appliances and "grounding"

>
> Hi,
>
> It's not difficult to notice that many electronics and electrical appliances that are sold today come with 2-prong power cords (ungrounded) - as opposed to the 3-pronged cords that have a prong that connects to "ground".  Even some relatively-large, major electronics - like TVs, and VCR-DVD combo players - are manufactured with 2-pronged cords.  Why are so many electronics manufacturers opting for the 2-pronged power cords over 3-pronged cords?  Is it simply a matter of cost-cutting?
>
> Are there reasons other than cost-related ones why manufacturers would opt for the 2-prong power cord?  Are there actually any benefits to having a 2-prong cord?
>
> I recently bought this VCR-DVD-recorder combo that - unfortunately - I often feel when it's in operation (or when it's simply powered on).  Back in the "good old days" - I would have 2 VCRs in my room at the same time (and one of those VCRs was a dual-deck one) with no obvious problems - so I didn't really anticipate that this VCR-DVD player would give me symptoms.  And I noticed, despite it being a relatively-large device (by today's standards) that I guess uses a fair amount of power - it has a 2-pronged power cord.  I'm wondering if figuring out some way to "ground" this device would make a difference.  
>
> But I don't want to do anything to harm or shorten the lifespan of these devices.  Would "grounding" a device that isn't "supposed" to be grounded (that wasn't manufactured with a grounded cord) be harmful?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ~Svetaswan
>

>
> > Noone has any bits of knowledge, speculation, etc. to share on this?
>
> It all seems rather random as to which electrical appliances have
> a grounded (3-pin) plug and which have an ungrounded (2-pin)
> plug.  I've had an old 32" cathode-ray-tube television that had
> a 2-pin plug, and also a new 37" LCD HDTV with a 2-pin plug.
> Yet, I've got a 23" and 26" LCD HDTV that have 3-pin plugs! (???)
>
> Marc
>

>
> > Do you think your appliances with 3-pin plugs are less bothersome than they
> > would be if they used 2-pin plugs?  Does grounding a device make a difference
> > as far as symptoms?
>
> Not that I've noticed -- however, if you really want to "ground" a device that
> only has a 2-pin prong, you can buy something from LessEMF.com that will
> do that (I think!).  What you'd need is a plug with just the ground pin on
> one end, and you'd connect that to part of the metal chasis on the device
> (assuming you can access something metal on the device).
>
> Marc
>

>
> Hi,
>
> It's not difficult to notice that many electronics and electrical appliances that are sold today come with 2-prong power cords (ungrounded) - as opposed to the 3-pronged cords that have a prong that connects to "ground".  Even some relatively-large, major electronics - like TVs, and VCR-DVD combo players - are manufactured with 2-pronged cords.  Why are so many electronics manufacturers opting for the 2-pronged power cords over 3-pronged cords?  Is it simply a matter of cost-cutting?
>
> Are there reasons other than cost-related ones why manufacturers would opt for the 2-prong power cord?  Are there actually any benefits to having a 2-prong cord?
>
> I recently bought this VCR-DVD-recorder combo that - unfortunately - I often feel when it's in operation (or when it's simply powered on).  Back in the "good old days" - I would have 2 VCRs in my room at the same time (and one of those VCRs was a dual-deck one) with no obvious problems - so I didn't really anticipate that this VCR-DVD player would give me symptoms.  And I noticed, despite it being a relatively-large device (by today's standards) that I guess uses a fair amount of power - it has a 2-pronged power cord.  I'm wondering if figuring out some way to "ground" this device would make a difference.  
>
> But I don't want to do anything to harm or shorten the lifespan of these devices.  Would "grounding" a device that isn't "supposed" to be grounded (that wasn't manufactured with a grounded cord) be harmful?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ~Svetaswan
>

>
> > Do you think your appliances with 3-pin plugs are less bothersome than they
> > would be if they used 2-pin plugs?  Does grounding a device make a difference
> > as far as symptoms?
>
> Not that I've noticed -- however, if you really want to "ground" a device that
> only has a 2-pin prong, you can buy something from LessEMF.com that will
> do that (I think!).  What you'd need is a plug with just the ground pin on
> one end, and you'd connect that to part of the metal chasis on the device
> (assuming you can access something metal on the device).
>
> Marc
>

>
>
> Here's a brief guide to grounding your appliances:
> http://www.wireless-precaution.com/main/electric.php#grounding
>
> BTW, the building biology checklist does recommend 3-pin over 2-pin prongs.
>
> With electric fields, remember from a recent study on EHS and electric fields that the on/off field transitions themselves may have effects.  So it might be good if there is a way to turn on and off a switch from a distance.  I remember an old video of Per Segerback where he used a stick to turn on and off the switch of a power outlet.
>
>
> --- In [hidden email], "Marc Martin" <marc@> wrote:
> >
> > > Do you think your appliances with 3-pin plugs are less bothersome than they
> > > would be if they used 2-pin plugs?  Does grounding a device make a difference
> > > as far as symptoms?
> >
> > Not that I've noticed -- however, if you really want to "ground" a device that
> > only has a 2-pin prong, you can buy something from LessEMF.com that will
> > do that (I think!).  What you'd need is a plug with just the ground pin on
> > one end, and you'd connect that to part of the metal chasis on the device
> > (assuming you can access something metal on the device).
> >
> > Marc
> >
>

>
> Hi, Sveta,
>
> I am way behind in my email, since I haven't been online due to family illness.  Thanks for your other email you sent me, btw.  I have some info to write you on that, but it might be a week or so before I can get to it. 
>
> The only thing I do know about the 2 prong plugs is, even tho an appliance has a 2 prong plug, it still works best in one particular direction.  So try the appliance plug both directions, and if you feel a difference, tape the top of the plug or paint it with a dot of nail polish, so you can easily distinguish it.  Back when I was working on making my laptop more usable for me, a Dell tech told me to do this and that it would make a difference.  It does.
>
> I often plug 2 prong plugs into a grounded power block (same as a power strip except it is square and uses both sockets of an outlet).  The only problem with this is sometimes power strips or blocks cause their own bad frequencies, so you might have to buy and return some before you find one which works without causing you symptoms.  I especially like to do this with tvs/ vcrs/ other electronics.
>
> Diane
>
> --- On Thu, 9/8/11, svetaswan <svetaswan@...> wrote:
>
> From: svetaswan <svetaswan@...>
> Subject: [eSens] Re: Electrical appliances and "grounding"
> To: [hidden email]
> Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 6:12 PM
>
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> Noone has any bits of knowledge, speculation, etc. to share on this?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> ~Svetaswan
>
>
>
> --- In [hidden email], "svetaswan" <svetaswan@> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Hi,
>
> >
>
> > It's not difficult to notice that many electronics and electrical appliances that are sold today come with 2-prong power cords (ungrounded) - as opposed to the 3-pronged cords that have a prong that connects to "ground".  Even some relatively-large, major electronics - like TVs, and VCR-DVD combo players - are manufactured with 2-pronged cords.  Why are so many electronics manufacturers opting for the 2-pronged power cords over 3-pronged cords?  Is it simply a matter of cost-cutting?
>
> >
>
> > Are there reasons other than cost-related ones why manufacturers would opt for the 2-prong power cord?  Are there actually any benefits to having a 2-prong cord?
>
> >
>
> > I recently bought this VCR-DVD-recorder combo that - unfortunately - I often feel when it's in operation (or when it's simply powered on).  Back in the "good old days" - I would have 2 VCRs in my room at the same time (and one of those VCRs was a dual-deck one) with no obvious problems - so I didn't really anticipate that this VCR-DVD player would give me symptoms.  And I noticed, despite it being a relatively-large device (by today's standards) that I guess uses a fair amount of power - it has a 2-pronged power cord.  I'm wondering if figuring out some way to "ground" this device would make a difference.  
>
> >
>
> > But I don't want to do anything to harm or shorten the lifespan of these devices.  Would "grounding" a device that isn't "supposed" to be grounded (that wasn't manufactured with a grounded cord) be harmful?
>
> >
>
> > Thanks,
>
> >
>
> > ~Svetaswan
>
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>
>
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>
>
>
> --- In [hidden email], "Marc Martin" <marc@> wrote:
> >
> > > Do you think your appliances with 3-pin plugs are less bothersome than they
> > > would be if they used 2-pin plugs?  Does grounding a device make a difference
> > > as far as symptoms?
> >
> > Not that I've noticed -- however, if you really want to "ground" a device that
> > only has a 2-pin prong, you can buy something from LessEMF.com that will
> > do that (I think!).  What you'd need is a plug with just the ground pin on
> > one end, and you'd connect that to part of the metal chasis on the device
> > (assuming you can access something metal on the device).
> >
> > Marc
> >
>
>
> Thanks Marc - I just may try this.  It's possible - though I won't hold my breath on that - that I could feel some difference - since there have been times when I seemed to react instantly to the most "trivial" adjustments.  And I know that I can't necessarily use your personal reactions - or lack thereof (in this case) - as a foolproof indication of how I would react.  (And of course this doesn't only apply for you - we're all different when it comes to what we do or do not react to.)  For ex. - you don't seem to experience any symptoms from dimming the backlight of a LCD TV - whereas I do in a lot of instances (at least to some degree).  
>
> I think I'm going to buy a Furman PST-8 first - perhaps the power strip could make some difference on its own.  I'm not crazy about shelling out the $$ - but perhaps it would be worth it in some ways (not just from an e.s. standpoint).  And the power strip will give me some needed ground pins in which to ground my devices - with the set-up I have now, I don't  have all of the "grounding connections" I need.
>
> ~Svetaswan
>

> **
>
>
> Appliances are "grounded" to earth for safety/
>
> If an appliance isn't earthedd then if the appliance suffered some damage
> that caused a short circuit between the mains power and the case of the
> appliance, the damage would make the case live and it would cause an
> electrical shock to anyone who touched it.
>
> If the case is earthed, if that same damage occurred the mains would be
> shorted to ground and in theory cause the fuse to blow or circuit breaker to
> trip, thus eliminating the danger of a live case.
>
> Many items nowadays have entirely plastic cases and thus the risk of
> electrical shock due to short is nil thus its perfectly reasonable for
> manufacturers to not provide an earth as there is no need from a safety
> perspective.
>
> Regards
> Mike
>
>
> --- In [hidden email], "svetaswan" <svetaswan@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > It's not difficult to notice that many electronics and electrical
> appliances that are sold today come with 2-prong power cords (ungrounded) -
> as opposed to the 3-pronged cords that have a prong that connects to
> "ground". Even some relatively-large, major electronics - like TVs, and
> VCR-DVD combo players - are manufactured with 2-pronged cords. Why are so
> many electronics manufacturers opting for the 2-pronged power cords over
> 3-pronged cords? Is it simply a matter of cost-cutting?
> >
> > Are there reasons other than cost-related ones why manufacturers would
> opt for the 2-prong power cord? Are there actually any benefits to having a
> 2-prong cord?
> >
> > I recently bought this VCR-DVD-recorder combo that - unfortunately - I
> often feel when it's in operation (or when it's simply powered on). Back in
> the "good old days" - I would have 2 VCRs in my room at the same time (and
> one of those VCRs was a dual-deck one) with no obvious problems - so I
> didn't really anticipate that this VCR-DVD player would give me symptoms.
> And I noticed, despite it being a relatively-large device (by today's
> standards) that I guess uses a fair amount of power - it has a 2-pronged
> power cord. I'm wondering if figuring out some way to "ground" this device
> would make a difference.
> >
> > But I don't want to do anything to harm or shorten the lifespan of these
> devices. Would "grounding" a device that isn't "supposed" to be grounded
> (that wasn't manufactured with a grounded cord) be harmful?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > ~Svetaswan
> >
>
>  
>