120 V SINGLE PHASE ,Rec circ not working, Pin plug shows hot and Neu revered. Tested and found 120 to Grn on Neu and on Hot, but same phase ,no 240 accross Neu and Hot. Checked panel, switched breakers, opened all devices looking for problems but all test the same.Then circiut misteriesly returns to normal. Got call back 1mth later after big storm, Bath has lights on switch loop and same thing Neu to grn 120 ,Hot to grn 120. Circiut started working again while removing and testing all devices misterisly.I turned on lamps,tested every outlet ( note: all resisitive loads) with pin plug all tested o,k,.I leave and customer plugged in fax and boom back to problem again. Could this be a aplliance problem and if so How come system does not return to normal upon removing appiance IE: fax machine ?.
Pin plug shows hot and Neu reversed ,Neu to grn 120v
- Thread starter tunny
- Start date
- Status
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
You have a break in the grounded circuit conductor, in or after the panel. The 120v on the neutral is passing through the loads.
Try plugging a light into an affected receptacle, and have someone watch it while you wiggle other ones with the plug-in tester.
Try plugging a light into an affected receptacle, and have someone watch it while you wiggle other ones with the plug-in tester.
Thanks ,thats what I thought so I did that with every rec affected,"nothing". Then I went back to the panel and tryed tightning everything and trying to cause that condition by a little wiggle on all the wires term blocks,breakers,etc...Still nothing..The wiring was done by the same person who did the addition. So I'm affraid the problem is burried beings the bath has switch loops. And each Rec downstairs in the addition is a single wire drop.The upstairs three bedrooms are also affected but they don't supply the downstairs drops ?.,Thier just old wire in and out sideways diasy chained. I opened them up checked them and there was no problems.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Okay, next step: plug a good 3-wire cord into a known-properly-wired receptacle, and carry the other end around with you, alond with a solenoid or other low-impedance voltage tester.
Plug the tester into each slot of the cord and check against the slots of the bad receptacles for expected indications: hot cord to grounded receptacle slot, etc. There's an open somewhere.
You may have to pull some receptacles out of the wall. Work logically; if it's in a box, it will be either the "last" good one or the "first" bad one. You know how wires are usually routed.
Plug the tester into each slot of the cord and check against the slots of the bad receptacles for expected indications: hot cord to grounded receptacle slot, etc. There's an open somewhere.
You may have to pull some receptacles out of the wall. Work logically; if it's in a box, it will be either the "last" good one or the "first" bad one. You know how wires are usually routed.
- Status