quick, dumb novice question about VOLTAGE

HotelNeptune

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Hi! I just moved into a new apartment up in Northern CA in a big, old building. I have a Super Mario Bros. cabinet I'm plugging in from an ungrounded outlet, using a chain of three 2 prong cords (the ground for the arcade has been clipped). My basic question is: am I going to set the building on fire? I don't know how many volts these things take, and I want to make sure I'm not doing anything unsafe... I don't think these cords I'm using are intended for heavy duty (looks like they're rated at 120V? I know nothing about electricity, I'm assuming it has something to do with wizards). Any suggestions? Should I get a thicker, heavier duty extension cord plugged into a surge protector? Thanks.
 
I have no experience with this sort of thing... is it okay for someone with no technical / electrical proficiency to cut the cable and rewire a new head on it? I've never done anything like this before.
 
I have no experience with this sort of thing... is it okay for someone with no technical / electrical proficiency to cut the cable and rewire a new head on it? I've never done anything like this before.

110% yes it is VERY easy, i dont know a voltage from a cheeseburger and i can and have done it. Go to your local hardware store and pick up a new 3 prong head.
If your cord is beat up, they sell replacement cord too.

Cut the old head off, and look at how it was wired, and just do the same to the new head. Its really easy, there are 3 wires, you just strip them and wrap them around a screw inside the head. Its really really easy

Please do it too, way to easy of a repair to not do. Let me know if you have any questions
 
Will do. So I guess this means I should use grounded, heavier duty 3-prong cables rather than the thinner ones I'm using, huh? I already spent all this time stapling 'em along the baseboards, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry (the outlets are 2 prong since the building is so old, but I have grounded 3 prong adapters). Thanks so much for the advice!
 
Will do. So I guess this means I should use grounded, heavier duty 3-prong cables rather than the thinner ones I'm using, huh? I already spent all this time stapling 'em along the baseboards, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry (the outlets are 2 prong since the building is so old, but I have grounded 3 prong adapters). Thanks so much for the advice!

If your building has 2 pronged outlets, you should install a new 3 prong one. Those are not to hard either, but its been so long Im not sure how to do it anymore, you should google it.
You can also buy outlets that have built in surge protection which is great.

You have to have a 3 pronged outlet to get a ground, if you dont fix your wall outlet you are wasting your time.
 
Forget wasting money on buying a new end to put on a 30 year old cord.

Simply buy a new 15-20 foot 16 gauge extension cord (the orange or green outdoor ones) and then wire that in. You get a brand new flexible cord, undamaged and unstressed, a new end, and more than heavy enough gauge wire (16). Most video games are 1-2 amp draw, meaning you could get by with a smaller size, but why when they're so cheap.

Around here they're about $5 regular price, free after rebate on rare occassion, 99 cents to $1.99 after rebate quite frequently at our home improvement store in the upper midwest (Menards). YMMV.


Connecting is simple: Black = HOT or the small blade/outlet slot. White = NEUTRAL or the wide blade/outlet slot (typically connected to the ribbed side of old flat power cables but you should meter to be sure it was done correctly), and Green = GROUND or the round pin/crescent slot.

If the old one was soldered or screw terminal connected, it's a quick change. If into a molex/Amp connector, then unless you have new pins and crimper (order from BobRoberts) simply cut the old wires about 6" from the connector, then strip off 5/8" of insulation from both the new and old cord, then use 3 wire nuts + electrical tape to seal them down to connect inside the cabinet.
 
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Grounded out let.

The 3rd prong is the mechanical ground. Basicaly it runs from the third prong of the outlet to a metal rod driven in the ground outside. It is used to avoid electrical shock. If the building you are in has metal conduit. It is probably grounded. If it is just 2 wires (hot and neutral) running to the existing outlet. A new 3 prong outlet will not make a difference. No ground point to hook the 3rd (green screw) prong to. On modern wall outlets. The left side (silver screw) is the neutral. Usualy a white wire. The right side (gold screw) is the hot. Usualy a black wire. All this said. If the wall box is mechanicly grounded, you can get an 2 prong to 3 prong adapter that has a grounding tab sticking out that goes under the screw that holds the wall plate in place completing the circuit for the 3rd prong. The small guage cords are fine since classic games only run on 2 or 3 amps max anyways. Always use a surge protector for arcade games. One lightning strike and you will be glad you did.
 
none of the 2 prong outlets in my house are grounded

putting one of those 3 prong adapters with the 3rd prong screwed into the center of the 2 outlets does nothing and is not grounded

had to install a new circuit from the main fuse box to the game room so i can utilize the 3rd prong and be grounded
 
if the place was built in the 50s-70s, you likely have conduit running the wires around, and could get a ground by bonding the ground to the box. I did this at my old apartment, and it worked great. If your place was built before the 50's, you likely just have aluminum wire with a cloth shield, which doesn't do you any good. You can also make a ground if you wire over to your cold water pipe, and bond to it. A ground wire clamp for your water pipe looks similar to the one in the pic. You will want one that is split so it can go onto a pipe without having to cut the pipe. Any hardware store should have them. Just run that wire to the ground screw in a 3-prong receptacle. It may not look pretty, but it will do the job. I would get at least a 16guage wire for ground as well.
 
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