New Plasma being installed Saturday - do I need an electrician to ground the plug? (1 Viewer)

[Mike S.]

I recently bought an old house (1941) that has a great rec room downstairs. I am planning to put my new Samsung 42 inch plasma above the fireplace.
My only issue is that the two plugs closest to the TV will not be grounded (only has 2 holes).
I did buy the Monster surge protector/signal cleaner that the Circuit City guy suggested (not sure I need it but it seemed like a good idea.)

Anyway, do I need to get an electrician in to safely ground it or will the Monster surge protector do a good enough job to protect it?

Thanks. I appreciate any any and all comments.

 

[Ronn.W]

I would definitely get it grounded. If it's just got the old 2 prong hole, I would be worried about the quality of the wiring, too. I've lived in old homes like that, and it really can go either way.

I'd also reconsider putting the plasma above the fireplace. That was kind of a marketing thing for ads. Unless you're sitting at least 15-20' away from it you're going to get tired of looking up to watch the TV. Also, if you plan on using the fireplace you might find that the TV gets sooty.


I've got mine on a TV stand at eye level.

 

[Craig]

I don't think the surge protector will work properly unless you have a grounded outlet. If your breaker box can handle it you might consider getting a new, dedicated circuit run. I just had a couple of outlets added in the kitchen and the electrician added a new 20 amp circuit for $250, so it might not be that expensive.