troubleshooting question

[starsandstripes]

I was called for a duplex receptacle not working in a mid-forties house and found a reading of only 22v h-n at the nm with g in the metal 2g box. Everything reads ok in the panel and this seems to be the only outlet on this circuit.

Other readings at this outlet; h-g 60v, n-g 33v.

I checked other receptacles (not on this circuit) and found similar h-g and
n-g readings but h-n was 120v.

I did not have my inductive tester with me so I don't know for sure if the hot was truly the hot.

I don't know if this is one problem, or two different problems.

What could cause these odd voltage readings?

 

[hockeyoligist2]

Are you using a digital meter or a wiggy? A digital can show induced voltage.

 

[hillbilly]

I was called for a duplex receptacle not working in a mid-forties house and found a reading of only 22v h-n at the nm with g in the metal 2g box. Everything reads ok in the panel and this seems to be the only outlet on this circuit.

Other readings at this outlet; h-g 60v, n-g 33v.

I checked other receptacles (not on this circuit) and found similar h-g and
n-g readings but h-n was 120v.

I did not have my inductive tester with me so I don't know for sure if the hot was truly the hot.

I don't know if this is one problem, or two different problems.

What could cause these odd voltage readings?

Just a opinion..
The 60V to ground might be a faulty connection on the grounding conductor.
As for the strange readings on the receptacle power...your meter might be fooling you. You really need a solenoid tester to check these circuits.
Is there a switch somewhere that operates the receptacle??
I got a call about a receptacle that had stopped working. The old couple has lived in this house for 40 years. Upon arriving and checking the voltage on the receptacle (40V hot to neutral on my meter, no grounds) and seeing that the receptacle was for a light on the night stand, I started looking for a switch. Sure enough, there was a switch (switch leg) on the other side of (behind) the bedroom door that operated the receptacle. The owner had no idea that this switch operated the receptacle, said that he'd never known what the switch did and was suprised and embarassed that I found it that easily.
Found out that the couple had hired a new housekeeper and apparently she had flipped the switch (after 40 years!).
I felt kinda bad having to charge a service call for 2 minutes work, although that feeling didn't last long. He's a retired bank president.
If it had been someone who was poor or down on their luck, I wouldn't have charged.
Anyway, I left with some of his money and a good feeling because I was smart enough to recognize the cause of the problem that quickly.
Look for the obvious.
hope this helps
steve

 

[aline]

I felt kinda bad having to charge a service call for 2 minutes work,

You were able to drive to the customer's home, get your tools out, talk with the customer, find the problem, put your tools away, fill out the invoice, present it to the customer for payment, drive back to the office and process the invoice in 2 minutes?

I'm impressed.

Don't forget you still have to deposit the money in the bank.

Never feel guilty about charging for your time. You only have so much before you're 6 feet under. Your time is the most valuable thing you own.

 

[jeff43222]

You were able to drive to the customer's home, get your tools out, talk with the customer, find the problem, fill out the invoice, present it to the customer for payment, drive back to the office and process the invoice in 2 minutes?

Yeah -- why did it take you so long? Were you loafing to pad the bill?

I'd be looking for a switch for that receptacle, too, especially if it's split-wired.

 

[U. P. Chuck Electric]

Did you leave the job with out fixing the problem? How un professional is that!
Forget the DVM Use a wiggy.
next determine if its a broken hot ot neutral. Use an extension cord pluged into a good receptacle, with your wiggy measure between the two & figure out which is missing, from there its an easy fix.
But I'd be surprised if they would let you back as you showed them no confidence in your abilities to fix their probelm.

 

[jeff43222]

Did you leave the job with out fixing the problem? How un professional is that!
Forget the DVM Use a wiggy.
next determine if its a broken hot ot neutral. Use an extension cord pluged into a good receptacle, with your wiggy measure between the two & figure out which is missing, from there its an easy fix.
But I'd be surprised if they would let you back as you showed them no confidence in your abilities to fix their probelm.

Sometimes it's not possible to fix it. I had a troubleshooting call a few months ago where several outlets on a circuit stopped working. The outlets all showed a good hot but no neutral. I spent over four hours tracing the circuit through the house looking for the break in the neutral wire. My tracing gear kept indicating the broken neutral was in an area where there were no visible outlets. I was able to remove a ceiling box in a closet, and through the hole I cold see a buried j-box with lots of BX running to it (all the dead outlets were fed with BX, while the working ones weren't). At that point I told the HO I was 99% certain the problem was in the buried j-box, but the only way to know for sure was to open the j-box and investigate, but that would involve breaking open the ceiling so I could get to the j-box. He declined.

The HO whined about paying me for four hours of troubleshooting that didn't result in a fix. I explained to him that I wasn't the one who illegally buried a j-box, nor was I the one who decided not to let me have access to it.

I can't find/fix the problem if they won't give me the access I need.

 

[starsandstripes]

Did you leave the job with out fixing the problem? How un professional is that!
Forget the DVM Use a wiggy.
next determine if its a broken hot ot neutral. Use an extension cord pluged into a good receptacle, with your wiggy measure between the two & figure out which is missing, from there its an easy fix.
But I'd be surprised if they would let you back as you showed them no confidence in your abilities to fix their probelm.

You might want to ask questions to obtain more info before you pass judgement. 1.) The house is vacant.

2.) The call was free.

3.) I knew I had to return to do other work which required more
material.

I've used the ext. cord method before, but was looking for troubleshooting opinions, nothing more.

 

[U. P. Chuck Electric]

3.) I knew I had to return to do other work which required more
material.

So Stars?
Did you fix it?
WHat was the problem?
How'd you find it?
How long did you spend on it?
Let me know if I can help.