I just bought a house that was built in 1953. I was working on some interior plugs and noticed there is no ground wire ran to the plugs. I went to the interior subpanel and that panel is not grounded. I then went outside to the main box and it is not grounded either. I just have 2 hots and a neutral coming in from the utility company. Question is should I ground the main panel if I cannot ground the subpanel that feeds the plugs? There are only the 2 hots and neutral running to both subpanels from the main. The way I see it is grounding this main panel will only benefit me if I lose the neutral somewhere between the transformer and the panel and will do nothing for the plugs. The panel I really need to ground is in an interior closet of a slab house with no attic access. I was going to install GFI plugs on all of my receptacles as a precaution. I started poking around the main panel for a good spot to drive and ground rod and saw what appeared to be the top of an old ground rod sticking out of the dirt. I was going to run a 6awg wire to that just to ground the main and drive another one on the other side of the panel. If anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them. Thanks

You said your sub-panel is in a closet. To ground this sub-panel you could probably just take a masonry bit and drill through your slab right next to the wall under the sub-panel and hope you don't hit a beam. If you are lucky you will only be drilling through about four inches of concrete. Then you could take a T-post driver and drive a ground rod right there. This won't be the best looking work you ever saw, but should work.

If you drill and hit a beam, which is going to be probably eighteen to twenty-four inches of concrete then you will have to move over some and give it another shot.

I would go ahead and ground the main panel as well.

As a side note, I have been told that even though a GFCI plug has a grounding screw that it doesn't really have to be grounded for the plug to trip. I would still ground those panels just for the safety issue.

Here are a couple of links on the subject. The first link is from a home inspector's forum.

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/gfci-no-ground-31370/

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wiring/msg0723313013123.html

You should know that "code-wise", a ground rod is only supplemental. It is not the only required ground in a house.
Now, considering what you have now, a ground rod will be better than what you have.

Also- you should check the code. You're only allowed to go to earth ground with the service entrance panel. Any subsequent panels should be grounded through a grounding conductor, which ties into the ground at that main panel. This doesn't apply if the sub panel is in a seperate structure, NOT connected or bonded in any way to the main panel.

Also- are you planning to add a ground bar to the sub panel?
You can't tie the neutral and ground together beyond the service entrance panel either.

Again, "getting by" is one thing.... If there was ever a suspicion of liability against you, you'd be in the wrong.

I just wanted to make the plugs as safe as possible. There is no ground coming in from the utility so a ground rod is the only way I can see to ground the main panel. Running a ground wire from the main panel to the subpanel is impossible without ripping out drywall. There is no attic area and it is on a slab. I think grounding the main panel will not help me with my desire for a safer plug. I think short of ripping out a ton of drywall to pull wire the best thing would be to just replace all plugs with a GFI style.

I have heard this before and always wondered why. The nuetral and ground buss are electrically the same and there is 0 ohms resistance between the two. This is the way my subpanel in the detached garage is wired. They are both on the same bus with no ground to that panel either.

Unless your sub panel has its own meter... than it shares the same grounding "GREEN or BARE" and grounded coundutor "WHITE" as your main service entry. You can also take a #6 wire from main panel to the cold water pipe w/ grounding pipe clamp, coming thru the slab, as an effective earth ground. Newer homes require both at least 2 of...cold water pipe, ground rod and or structural steel by National electric code.
If I can help any way please feel free to msg me, I'm Licensed in Texas, Colorado,Oklahoma, Nevada, S.Carolina, 19yrs exp.

Envy,
If the sub panel is in a separate structure, in no way connected or bonded to the structure which houses the service entrance, can't you use an additional ground as if it's a new service, and BOND the neutral to the can in that separate structure ?

I bought a rent house in that condition and the seller gobbled up my lowball offer...$10,000 later the house is totally rewired and the drywall completely repaired...the other issue is the relocation of the breaker box out of the closet, that's pretty much a no-no nowadays and potentially a good bone of contention if you decide to sell the house...

Decided to ground the main and install GFI plugs. It is better than what I have now.