using an adapter, is it safe to plug a end with 3 ends into a 2 end wall electrical outlet?
Answers:
You either blew a fuse or you tripped a 'breaker.'
The typical outlets in an older home were designed to carry a power load of up to about 15 amperes (amps) and they have an outdated 2 conductor receptacle.
1) Yes, you can plug 3 prong appliances into a 2 conductor receptacle by using an adapter. (That's what the adapter was made for.) You should take the screw out of the cover plate, insert the adapter into the outlet and then replace the screw. The screw connects the 3rd prong of the appliance to the grounded metal box.)
2) Can you run an air conditioner from this receptacle? Probably not. Most air conditioners draw about 20 plus amps when they first start up and this will blow a 15 amp fuse and trip a 15 amp breaker. You need to verify that the wire is of large enough diameter (guage) to carry the increased current and then install a heavier fuse or breaker into the box for that circuit.
You should also verify that the box that contains the receptacle is indeed grounded. Some old houses don't have a ground wire connecting the boxes together and running them to ground at the load center (breaker panel / fuse box).
You can go to Home Depot and buy an inexpensive tester. It is a little plastic box with 3 prongs on it that you can plug into your receptacle. It has a series of LEDs on it that light up according to various wiring situations. If the box is grounded and the polarity is correct (Yes AC has polarity), you will have all green LEDs lit.
If I were you, I'd go to the local vocational school and talk to the electronics instructor to see if he had any students that need some practical experience and could come out and look at your situation.
Alternatively, you could call a professional electrician to remedy your woes, but be ready to pay professional fees.
Johnny
Other answers:
You probably blew a fuse. Go to your fuse box & check it.
That is probably what is wrong with your other room too.
You probably blew a fuse. Go to your fuse box & check it.
That is probably what is wrong with your other room too.
im not sure