Electrical Wiring Safety and Home Inspections
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How to Troubleshoot Home Electrical Wiring Problems: Testing Electric Circuit Wiring, Home Electrical Wiring Inspection, Upgrading Older Home Electrical Wiring. |
Troubleshooting a Reverse Polarity Problem
Electrical Question: Why does my tester show that the neutral wire and the hot wire reversed?
- I have an 80 year old home that has electric service to the second and third floor bedrooms using standard Romex brand Type NM wire with a ground wire coming from the breaker box to a junction box.
- The home has some updated electrical wiring and now my polarity tester shows that the wiring is incorrect.
- The wiring turns into the old individual 2-wire, and then on the third floor the wiring changes back to the standard Romex with a ground where it feeds grounded outlets.
- The polarity tester shows that I have the neutral and the hot reversed but it is not the case that I can find
Do you have any suggestions?
Background: Wes is a Homeowner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Wes.
Application: Troubleshooting a Reverse Polarity Wiring Problem.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced – Best performed by a licensed electrical contractor or certified electrician.
Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with hand tools and electrical troubleshooting skills.
Precaution: Identify the circuit, turn it OFF and then Tag it with a Note before performing any wiring or inspections.
Troubleshooting Outlet Circuit Wiring
- Testing Electric Circuit Wiring
- This circuit condition should be tested so the circuit polarity can be corrected, and checked for an open ground.
- Important: If the circuit wiring does not have a separate ground wire then polarity tests can have mixed results.
- Replacing Outlets Where There is No Ground
- From what has been described, the circuit does not have a continuous bonded ground wire, therefore grounded outlets should not be installed, however the receptacles should be replaced by 2-prong ungrounded outlets.
- Home Electrical Inspection
- Older homes such as this, that have a mix of original electrical wiring spliced together with other wiring types, should have an electrical inspection to determine the safety and integrity of the home electrical system.
- Upgrading Older Home Electrical Wiring
- Upgrading and replacing older electrical wiring is highly recommended to provide safe electricity for the home and its occupants.
- Ungrounded electrical cable, or old knob and tube wiring should be removed and replaced with Type-NM cable which has a ground wire and two insulated wires.
- Before grounded receptacle outlets are installed a ground wire must be present and verified.
More about Electrical Troubleshooting and Electrical Wiring
Troubleshoot Electrical Wiring
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Troubleshooting and Repairing Old Electrical Wiring
- Secrets of Successful Electrical Troubleshooting Methods used to solve the majority of the home electrical problems and wiring failures encountered.
- Electrical Safety and Voltage Testers
- When working on home electrical wiring, quality voltage testers can play an important part in electrical safety.
- Electrical testers enable you to identify electrical circuits and help prevent the possibility of accidental electrical shock.
- Wiring Electrical Outlet for the Home
- Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home.
- See how to wire electrical outlets for the home.
Guide to Electrical Wires and Cable
- Electrical Wire for the Home
- Complete listing of electrical wire types and parts used for home projects with electrical code information serves as selection guidelines.
Home Electrical Safety
Electrical Safety Articles covering several topics of home electrical safety and Do-It-Yourself Electrical Safety.
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Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all Electric Wiring Projects.
The Safest Way to Test Electrical Devices and Identify Electric Wires!The Non-Contact Electrical TesterThis 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 TesterThis 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 CutterMy 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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how can i make connection on a four way circuit to feed 2 lights, originally wired with 2 wire cable all the switchs.
Hi Emmanuel – here are wiring diagrams that will help you:
http://www.ask-the-electrician.com/4wayswitchdiagram.html
Will a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter or Residual Current Device(termed in USA) help in making my home safer for electrical accidents?
A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter will help prevent electrical shock in areas where required, such as bathroom outlets and kitchen counter top outlets and outdoor receptacles to name a few.
Equally important are the AFCI or an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters, which will help prevent fires when an arc is detected, and are required for new circuits in areas including bedrooms.
Both the GFCI and AFCI require either a special circuit breaker or receptacle, and the circuit wiring must be appropriately configured as well.
Dave
I purchased a home that required minor repairs. Among the repairs were replacing the lighting fixtures in the bathrooms. I purchased a new light fixture from Lowes. Each bathroom has two light fixtures. The first fixture has two black and white color lines, but the second fixture has only one of each line. After replacing the light fixtures and restoring the power only the second fixture works. There is no activity from the fixture with two lines. Please help me understand what have I wired incorrectly?
Hi Vertice,
First, be sure the light bulb in the first light fixture is new or good.
Next, make sure the wiring of the first light fixture is made where the wires are connected color to color, that is: the black wires together, and the whites wires together, and the same for the ground wires.
Also be sure that one of the wires from the light fixture to the line wire splices has not slipped out of the wire connector, which is a very common and easy mistake to make, but very easy to fix.
Enjoy your new lights,
Dave