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Electrical Repair for an Outlet Circuit


I have one circuit in my house that appears not grounded on my plug-in circuit tester, although the electrician I called tells me that the hot to ground voltage is around 66 volts…



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Electrical Question from Gordon about Outlet Grounding Problem
Background: Gordon, a Homeowner from Los Angeles, CA
[ad#block]Question: I have one circuit in my house that appears not grounded on my plug-in circuit tester, although the electrician I called tells me that the hot/ground voltage is around 66 volts. He says there’s probably a ground wire that’s not tightly connected somewhere in the circuit, since the hot/ground at the breaker is 110 volts. Two questions:

1. Is there a gizmo that would allow me to track the wire from the breaker to the first box on the line without tearing out walls (all outlets appear to have the same problem)?

2. How dangerous is it to have only partial grounding for the circuit? Electrician wants to charge $1500 to find the problem, and that seems pretty steep to me.

I’ve done a bit of wiring, and I’m pretty sure I could fix the problem if I could locate the line, but wife will kill me if I go tearing up walls to find it. Any help will be much appreciated.

Additional Comments:

Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Gordon.

No need to tear open walls or pay $1500 to find the problem (that is an insane amount for the electrician to quote!)
Follow this link:
Receptacles Not Getting Full Power

The Following links will assist you with your electrical question:

For more information about Grounding
Electrical Grounding

This link is helpful as a Homeowner
Do-It-Yourself Electrical

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Dave's Guide to Home Electrical Wiring:

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  electrical wiring  

Complete Guide to Home Electrical Wiring

Perfect for Homeowners, Students,
Handyman, Handy Women, and Electricians
Includes:
Wiring GFCI Outlets
Wiring Home Electric Circuits
120 Volt and 240 Volt Outlet Circuits
Wiring Light Switches
Wiring 3-Wire and 4-Wire Electric Range
Wiring 3-Wire and 4-Wire Dryer Cord and Dryer Outlet
Troubleshoot and Repair Electrical Wiring
Wiring Methods for Upgrading Electrical Wiring
NEC Codes for Home Electrical Wiring
....and much more.


Learn more about Home Electrical Wiring
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Be Careful and Be Safe - Never Work on Energized Circuits!
Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all Electric Wiring Projects.

Electrical Tips to Help You Wire it Right

The Safest Way to Test Electrical Devices and Identify Electric Wires!

The Non-Contact Electrical Tester
This is a testing tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and is the first test tool I grab to help identify electrical wiring. It is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.

The Quickest Way to Check for Faulty Electrical Wiring!

The Plug-In Outlet Tester
This is the first tool I grab to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring. This popular tester is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect Very handy and easy to use.

Strip Off Wire Insulation without Nicking and Damaging the Electric Wire!

The Wire Stripper and Wire Cutter
My absolute favorite wire stripping tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and this is the tool I use to safely strip electrical wires.
This handy tool has multiple uses:
The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation.
The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets..

The wire stripper will work on both solid and stranded wire. This tool is Very Handy and Easy to Use.


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