Hot wire Pulsating

[kemory]

Have a socket that is not grounded two prong style 120 volts USA
socket shows 123 volts hot wire on tester light pulsates shows open
ground, does not pulsate on meter test. nothing else on this circuit
to make this happen.

 

[roger]

Please don't take this wrong but, being that you are a General Contractor, don't you have an EC that could help you with this?


Roger

 

[kemory]

Pulsating Hot Wire

Pulsating Hot Wire

Thanks Roger I do have EC but he does not know ,tried All Experts.Com
That did not know No one has an answer THIS ONE HAS BEATEN EVERYONE
But I do have a building inspector with a three light socket tester that can see
this line pulsate and wants an answer, Owner does not really want to rewire
house if we can not be sure what this problem is..I do not want to rewire
if the problem is still going to be the same..

 

[LarryFine]

Have you tried this with a light plugged in?

How can a 2-prong receptacle show an open ground?

 

[76nemo]

I have to ask, you mean pulsating on a tester such as the Ideal SureTest? Oh wait, you said no grounding conductor
Let me read this again. I like the "No one can figure this out" conversations. Are you sure you have nothing else to add?????????

 

[76nemo]

Please don't take me wrong, but you answered your own question. The meter does not fluctuate and the tester does because your tester is indicating an open ground. I might get struck by lightning for this, but get rid of your EC!!!

 

[SiddMartin]

You have 123v H-N? whats wrong w/ that?

 

[kemory]

hot pulsating

hot pulsating

The center light pulsates the light each side stays off.
no ground wire what so ever just hot and neutral wires, only ,
Has a 50 amp pushmatic panel 1 x double 50 amp mains
3 x 20 amp breakers; 1 x 20 amp double ; 1 x 15 amp breaker
and a double 30 amp breaker;at the bottom of the panel
Does this help anyone

 

[480sparky]

2-wire, no ground = old wiring & device.
Old device = worn out receptacle.
Worn-out receptacle = poor blade retention.
Poor blade retention = bad connection to tester.

Try installing a new receptacle, or using a different tester.

 

[SiddMartin]

If your tester pulsates, couldn't it be possibly your tester's batteries or like 480Spark said, bad connection? Does the voltage fluctuate with a volt meter??

 

[dcspector]

2-wire, no ground = old wiring & device.
Old device = worn out receptacle.
Worn-out receptacle = poor blade retention.
Poor blade retention = bad connection to tester.

Try installing a new receptacle, or using a different tester.

Yep......agreed. Had a HI call no ground in a Town House. HO called me I wiggled my Sure Test a bit and nothing more than weak contact blades(retention) in the devices.

 

[76nemo]

What kind of tester is it exactly? Alot of the cheaper, "Hope you don't get electrocuted" testers will blink with an open ground. Stick a DMM on the task, and don't lose any sleep. You said the multimeter doesn't pulsate, you answered your own question

 

[captaincrab55]

Thanks Roger I do have EC but he does not know ,tried All Experts.Com
That did not know No one has an answer THIS ONE HAS BEATEN EVERYONE
But I do have a building inspector with a three light socket tester that can see
this line pulsate and wants an answer, Owner does not really want to rewire
house if we can not be sure what this problem is..I do not want to rewire
if the problem is still going to be the same..

Does the Building Inspector always do the Electrical Inspections?

 

[SiddMartin]

does not pulsate on meter test.

sorry, just re -read

 

[76nemo]

Yep......agreed. Had a HI call no ground in a Town House. HO called me I wiggled my Sure Test a bit and nothing more than weak contact blades(retention) in the devices.

Here spector, you spoke of wiper tension:

http://www.professionalequipment.com/receptacle-tension-tester-1760-lss/electrical-accessories/


A good friend found that one, he bought one, I didn't.

 

[76nemo]

Any other spectors tried these?

 

[480sparky]

What kind of tester is it exactly?

I gathered by the OPs statement in post #3 that is is one of those plug-in, 3-light testers.

The fact that he didn't mention an adapter would make me think someone has installed a grounded recep on a non-grounded circuit. That alone should warrant a bit more investigation.

 

[captaincrab55]

I gathered by the OPs statement in post #3 that is is one of those plug-in, 3-light testers.

The fact that he didn't mention an adapter would make me think someone has installed a grounded recep on a non-grounded circuit. That alone should warrant a bit more investigation.

Looks just like a two prong socket tester.....:grin:

 

[76nemo]

I gathered by the OPs statement in post #3 that is is one of those plug-in, 3-light testers.

The fact that he didn't mention an adapter would make me think someone has installed a grounded recep on a non-grounded circuit. That alone should warrant a bit more investigation.

Didn't you here me say ungrounded?????

 

[480sparky]

Didn't you here me say ungrounded?????

Yes, as well as the OP. That is why I suggested finding out why a 3-light tester is being plugged directly into an ungrounded receptacle.

Yes, it may be GFId. But that hasn't been posted, nor has the use of a 3-2 grounding adapater.

I myself have never seen a plug-in tester 'pulse', but to me, the word 'pulse' means the light is varying on a regular cyclic basis, like a heartbeat. I have seen them 'flicker', which to me means irregular. And that I've found to be caused by loose connections.