another post about grounded outlets...my new outlet tester shows the gfi in my bathroom <hot and nueteral reversed> is this a major problem im assuming the black wire is not on the brass screw...should i reverse the wires right away....also the guy who redid my bathroom did use the screws on the gfi,he pushed the wires in the back,and he cut the wires short,so should i pig tail them and use the brass screw for the black and silver screw for the white,or just pushing them into the outlet back is fine....i have a 2 wire bx wiring...

 

Your post is a little confusing. Try using punctuation and capitalization so it is easier to read.

I gather from your post that the GFCI is wired backwards. If this is the case, then yes you should fix it.

As for the wires, there may not be a problem. Some receptacles have a metal plate that is tightened with the screw. You do insert wires from the back, but they are held by the pressure of the plate against another piece of metal. No spring is involved. These connections work fine, so go ahead and use them.

If, however, true spring type backstabs are involved then yes, use wire nuts and pigtails so that you have one wire wrapped around the screw terminal.

 

thanks ra.sorry about the confussing post.
im not 100 percent sure of the gfi,im assuming going by the outlet tester and the person who did the work that the wires are crossed,and as far as the gfi ,i remeber him pushing in the wires,and i think there is a slot u push a screw driver into to relese the wires.ill know for sure this weekend when i take it apart.

 

If the contractor did use the back-stabs then the receptacles are not GFCI.What indicator lights are lit when the receptacle tester is plugged in the outlet in question?

 

red and green...red green blank...

 

You need to tell us what those lights mean. ampz was not asking for the light color, but for what those lights indicate.

 

oh sorry bout that ...red and green light mean...hot/nuetral reversed....

 

Easy way to find out. Turn off the power to the circuit, remove the faceplate and see if the wiring is reversed. If you can't see it that way, loosen the receptacle and pull it out until you can get a visual.

Black to brass screw. White to silver screw.