Two-prong outlets don’t have a grounding wire

Most new appliances and electronics come with three-prong plugs. If your older house is equipped only with two-prong receptacles, you’re probably using adapters with three-prong holes and two-prong plugs.

That will let you fit your plug into the outlet, but it’s not necessarily safe. A better solution is to replace your two-prong receptacles with three- prong models.

When you buy the replacement receptacles, choose models that include a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This will serve as a sort of “imitation” ground and can greatly eliminate the chance of an electric shock.

It’s a good idea to use GFCI receptacles wherever you replace two- prong outlets in your house, but it’s especially important in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and garage, where you use water and electricity in the same room.

An electrical outlet is pictured