where do you plan to get the ground from and why are you showing us a picture of an old guy with a beard?

This post was edited by joefixit2 on Thu, Jan 8, 15 at 21:09

A GFCI doesn't make a ground and a surge protector, depending on it's construction, may not offer protection if there is no ground.

The GFCI does not protect the TV, it (hopefully) protects people.
The properly-grounded surge arrestor probably will offer some protection for the TV.

I suppose installing a new dedicated 14/2 cable back to the panel and install a good surge protector at the TV location would be the best option that would be a legitimate improvement.

OOPS
I guess I misunderstood the "Image file to upload" option; sorry.
I've already driven a new ground rod just a few inches from the outlet in question, purchased a Leviton X7899-K smartlockpro to give the box a little more room.

Now I'm ready to install:

{{gwi:2137889}}

Sorry but a ground rod doesn't do a thing for equipment grounding, in fact if there is a ground fault all you will end up with is an energized ground rod. You need an equipment ground path all the way back to the panel. In other words, a new circuit as was suggested. Please do not utilize a grounding rod for your equipment grounding, it is totally wrong and unsafe.

As far as an isolated ground, it is simply a separate grounding path back to the panel that is isolated from any other ground paths. With a dedicated circuit you will have this.

This post was edited by joefixit2 on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 17:58

Isolated ground = snake oil in most cases.

"Isolated ground = snake oil in most cases"

They are good in recording studios. That and isolation transformers help keep the ground loops and humming away.

Isolated ground is of no use if it's not installed properly and the equipment itself isn't suitably isolated.

The usually use for it is in medical environments.

What the original poster is talking about is NOT an isolated ground. It's just the first ground. I guess the it gets "isolated" in that there isn't any other ground.

The only place I personally installed isolated ground (and and it was likely silly there) was in a major computing facility for the Army but they had a lot of money and clicked off every option on their power distribution system. I'm fairly certain the system doesn't care. The only thing that would have been connected to the non-isolated ground was the faceplate on the receptacle box. The conduit was liquidtight (under a raised computer floor) and effectively insulated.

I've worked in recording studios and broadcast facilities. NEVER EVER have I used isolated ground there. I've done a lot of audio path isolation, but if you've got problems with the gorund side of your power system, you've got serious problems. You can not legally "isolate" the ground sufficient to make a difference there. It's still the legal equipment ground so it can't be "isolated" from where the grounded conductor is going.

This post was edited by ronnatalie on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 8:39

Maybe so Ron but it's always on the job specs so we do it. I don't know enough about it myself to say one way or the other, but I do know if we DONT do it and there is a hum we will get blamed, so we always do it.

I guess my earlier post should have said "It helps keep the liabilities away"

"there's a hum, did you guys run an isolated ground???"

"Ummm yes, just like we always do..... We're outta here"

This post was edited by joefixit2 on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 8:53

Yeah, much hocus pocus in hum issues. You're more likely getting the benefit of running in conduit (I assume that you were using conduit or else what was the isolated ground isolated from) than the grounding itself.

Same as with the computer installation I mention.

Isolated ground is one that is in addition to the equipment grounding conductor for the circuit. Equipment grounding conductors might have currents on them for various reasons-- most of them unintentional. That could cause electrical "static" on certain equipment. The isolated ground is an extra grounding conductor run from the outlet for the equipment and runs to the grounding bus on the service panel. It is not connected nor shared at any other point. It is the electrically "cleanest" ground possible. Early personal computers often specified such grounds. I did them by using EMT and pulling a green conductor along with the circuit conductors. The EMT was the circuit ground and the green was the isolated.
I think the original post just displayed confusion about isolated grounds.
Isolated ground receptacles and Hospital Grade receptacles are not the same thing.

Here is a link that might be useful: IGR

This post was edited by bus_driver on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 20:51

I never said hospital grade and isolated ground were the same thing, but it is not uncommon for them to spec isolated ground in medical situations. Next time you are in the ER or even your doctor's office take a look at the receptacles. I'll bet you'll see the little isolated ground mark next to the ground pin.

This post was edited by ronnatalie on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 8:43

For observers looking for the markings on the face to identify receptacle types, hospital grade is a small green circle, while isolated ground is a green outline triangle.

We're getting a bit far afield since the original poster wasn't really talking about what is called an "isolated ground" in practice.

Here's a pretty good article on what it is, and what the benefits are.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hows of isolated grounds