48 volts on neutral

[Aspenpatrick]

I am actually a pretty good electrician, but am baffled by what I found today. During a remodel and adding a few new boxes for future lights I received a shock from a neutral wire and a floating ground. The house is old and there are no grounds on most of the circuits. I was confused for there is no ground except for about 20 ft going from one new box to another but not connected to panel ground. In fact the ground is terminated with a wire nut in each box but are not connected to anything. Yet when I tested the neutral to ground voltage, I found 48 volts. Subsequently I tested a few other outlets in the house and also found neutral to ground voltage of 48 v. I then unplugged all devices. Voltage to ground disappeared. Only when I plugged in a device with a ground did the neutral to ground voltage reappear. I then went to the main panel thinking I had a bad neutral somewhere, and disconnected each circuit one at a time and found no neutral to ground issues at the panel and the neutral voltage only disappeared when I turned off hot to circuit. Different circuits were found to have neutral to ground voltage only when a grounded plug was put into that outlet. I assumed that the ground of the device was allowing me to read neutral voltage. Hot to neutral is correct everywhere. I am baffled. Suggestions?

 

[ptonsparky]

Use a different meter or tester, like a Wiggy. A high impedance meter will give you a ghost voltage.
I would not trust wiring in homes , especialy more experienced ones, to have proper polarity.

Is there a chance you were connected to a switch loop where the white is often the hot? Marking that wire has not always been required.

 

[Aspenpatrick]

The wire I originally felt voltage on was new 14/2 that I installed. It was pre wired for drywall, with only the neutral tied into the house neutrals mount from a home run junction box. Th grounds from the new wire were attached to nothing but wire nuts to other new 14/2 grounds, that in themselves were attached to nothing. No grounds available from panel. Old 2 conductor cloth/paper. And yet I received a shock between this unconnected ground and neutral. Tested it and found 48 v. Then found this existed throughout house.