Outlets not working after but power is there

My outlets quit working the other day in the master bedroom on the breaker are the bathroom lights and exhaust fan, but not the bathroom outlets. The bathroom lights work fine but the outlets do not. I checked the voltage and what I am finding is the following 120v from black(hot) to ground and 120v from white(neutral) to ground but nothing from hot to neutral. I am suspecting the neutral is messed up at some point but not exactly what has caused this problem. Can anyone clarify it for me.

Thanks

 

You are correct, the neutral is an open circuit. It often begins with the use of some high-current appliance such as a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner. This can cause a backstab connection, or sometimes the GFCI receptacle itself, to fail. The only way to solve it is to check everything.

 

what exactly is a backstab connection and do the neutral wires becoming "hot" usually happen at a connection site or in the wiring itself?

Thanks

 

Back stab connection are connection where the wire pushes into a hole in the back of the outlet.
Neutral wires become hot because the line voltage feeds through a device plugged in the circuit somewhere. The neutral is not actually connect to the hot. Since the neutral is open it rises to line voltage. If you turn off all lights and unplug anything plugged into the circuit the neutral should loose its line potential.

 

I took apart all the outlets and everything seems to be fine. I removed everything plugged into them and checked the outled with a receptacle tester and the lights indicated it was wired correctly although the middle light was not quite as bright as the one next to it. Then I plugged in a simple alarm clock with the receptacle tester applied as well and it indicated with the lights that the hot/ground contacts were interchanged. And when I unplug the clock it goes back to saying wired correctly. I had originally thought my neutral wire was the problem since I had power from hot to ground and neutral to ground but no power between neutral and hot. Can someone tell me from y statements above what the problem could be now?

Thanks

 

The problem is unchanged. You still have an open neutral.

Did you move the backstabs to the screws? Did you check the wire nuts on all white wires to make sure they were snug and that no wires could be individually pulled out of the wire nuts? Did you check all the switch boxes and light fixture boxes as well as all the receptacle boxes? Did you replace any GFCI receptacles on the circuit with new ones? Are you sure you found all the outlets on the circuit, including ones in the garage and basement and porches and other bathrooms?

If after all of the above, you still have a problem, have a qualified person check the neutral connection in the panel.

 

I believe since you got a hot/ground reversed that you have 2 problems. If the alarm clock only has a 2 prong cord (most do) this is even more likely than if it has a 3 prong cord. Normally you should get a hot/neutral reversed not hot/ground reversed.
1. You have an open neutral.
2. You have a ground/neutral cross connection somewhere. They are only supposed to connected at the main disconnect. Some one may have tried to "FIX" this problem by connecting a ground wire to the silver screw as a replacement neutral.