In the mean time, such devices (garden power tools) are now usually double insulated and have no earth lead, hence such mistakes cannot happen. Also, most consumer grade appliances are no longer sold without a moulded on plug. I still stand by my statement that there are cases where an earth connection can do more harm than good.
I find it worth noting that the old standard of bonding neutral and ground at the outlets (Schema III) requires an inspection every 5 years. I assume that this is exactly because this configuration makes neutral breaks dangerous. I also agree with you that it might be better to just run with 2 prong outlets in this case - that way you know what you get, and it might well better to limit yourself to double-insulated devices on such circuits, no matter what the standard permitted 30 years ago.
But you just get an even more sketchy version of this if you use a 3-2 prong adaptor, no? I mean, in theory if you had such an adaptor, correctly connected to a local ground, with GFI protection, you could turn this into a safe 3 prong connection. But I doubt this is what anybody does . By the time you are setting a grounding rod or mesh, you probably should call an electrician and just pull the additional wires to follow modern standards.
Although not exactly dangerous to the user, you could be breaking the law by using an electronic device designed to have a ground connection, without one.
Filters and cable screening for EMI purposes are designed to work when connected to earth via the three pin plug.
Without this, your equipment could be emitting RF radiation from cables which may exceed legally permitted levels.
I sent the MV Zurich people an email asking about this just now, but it is sounding like the 2-prong outlets might be legal according to some people in this thread?
If that is the case and the landlord won't do anything, what options would I have to set up my electronics in my living room (where there are these 2-prong outlets)?
I have an extension cord with multiple outlets that I want to plug in so I can plug in my TV, my PS5, and my NVIDIA Shield at the same time, but as of now I can only plug in the TV since the extension cord is 3-pronged. I cannot find a 2-prong extension cable anywhere here so far.
Hmm, this might be the simplest and easiest solution actually. It would be annoying to lose one of my sockets from my bedroom but it might have to do.
But surely that can't be very safe? Especially to break off the middle pin of a socket strip? I will have a 65" OLED tv, a PS5, and an NVIDIA Shield all plugged into it.
If you're worried about its integrity then I would look at replacing or supplementing a 2-pin socket with a 3-pin one, marking that the ground/earth is dummy.
First time I am thinking to myself before posting on a forum: "will my advice make OP die and will his family come after me?"
So I won't give you any advice. But what I have seen done is the following: Just play around with two adaptor for foreign devices and you can easily by-pass the earth problem - disclaimer: you should not do this.
Replacing to 3 pronged sockets is easy if landlord knows what he is doing. Replacing to 3 pronged sockets will cost him an arm and likely a leg as well if he were to rely on a Swiss electrician to do it. With a little "Uffffff" at the very start of the electrician giving the quote, as your landlord will understand he is about to get properly shafted.
It's been required here for new installations for the last 10 or 15 years. Required for bathrooms and kitchen sockets since about 25 years ago (which in reality means they usually installed it for everything then as well).
Not necessarily, as I understand it. Even if a general earth leakage circuit breaker has been retro fitted in an old installation, it will be only effective for the sockets for which the earth has be derived from the neutral before that circuit breaker. If say a kitchen in an old house is rewired and with a new earth conductor drawn from behind the earth leakage circuit breaker, only the kitchen will be protected. Any sockets after it in the circuit, where the earth and neutral are still connected together, will compromise its function.
But yes, if there is any major work on an old electrical installation, it would definitely be a good opportunity to consider getting it all up to date.
Or just ground it to a box made out of metal? Job done as you got your grounding and your three pronged socket
Edit: this is a joke, thought best to clarify this...
However you can ground an outlet without going to the panel. I think a metal water pipe or something running in proximity should do the trick. Never did it, but think it's doable.
I would strongly advise against doing this willy-nilly without a qualified electrician around. Yes, a while ago circuits were earthed to the incoming water pipe but this is no longer current or approved practice. Even then, it wasn't earthing to the nearest pipe in the wall but to whatever pipe in the basement was linked to the water feeding system...
Don't do this or you run the risk of electrocuting someone at some point!
It's not a question of "good opportunity", this would be legally required actually. Any work has to be certified, any major work has to be certified according to the current code