Switched 1/2 of Duplex Outlet - Faint Open Neutral

[shaner]

Hello to all,

I have an IDEAL SureTest ArcTester 61-058 that I use during inspections.

The other day I found some duplex outlets with the bottom halves switched at the door to the room (basement living room). With the switch in the "off" position, the tester showed there was an "open neutral". But the tester light was very faint - not like an open neutral usually looks on the tester. When the switch was turned to the "on" position the tester glowed bright with a "correct wiring" indication.

What condition is causing this faint "open neutral" indication when the switch is in the "off" position?

 

[jeff43222]

I'd say you're looking at induced voltage, also known as "ghost" voltage.

The unswitched side of the duplex receptacle presumably has full voltage on it, and that hot wire is running next to the switched one. Since the switched wire isn't grounded, it is susceptible to having voltage induced on it by nearby conductors that are hot.

 

[busman]

I saw this doing a punch-list from a home inspection about a month ago. The inspector had reported "reversed polarity" on 2 receptacles. After some tracking, it turned out they were both split-wired. They would show a very faint glow on my bug-eye tester with the switch off. When I opened them up, the break off tabs had been cut on the hot side of the receptacle, but not really removed. The break between the tabs was so small, I don't think a piece of paper would have fit between them. I remove the entire middle tab and this solved the problem.

Mark

 

[GUNNING]

Sounds like it is on a three wire circuit. If there is a load on the other side of the three wire and using the same neutral wouldnt that make the neutral less effective? You also might have a loose neutral somewhere in the circuit. (loose wire nut, loose lug, loose screw,loose ground rod clamp)

 

[LarryFine]

Ever since I was a little bitty helper, when splitting receptacles (especially if the sections would be different phases), I got into the habit of widening the gap between sections with a flat-blade screwdriver. The gap just sweemed a bit small to me.

 

[wireman3736]

I have a Ideal sure test that I have had for a couple of years that tests for correct wiring, I don't know what part number it is, they don't have it in there catalog anymore but it tests for gfci, arc-fault, voltage drop, bootleg grounds and a few other things, It simulates a load when you plug it in, I have never seen it show any kind of induced voltage, the IDEAL Sure Test Arc Tester 61-058 that you have I have never tried, I have seen the small plug in gfci tester Ideal makes show an induced voltage. Could be there switching the neutral and it's picking up just enough voltage through the hot to light, I don't know what the minimum voltage on those are.