Hot Ground Reverse


  #1  
Old 09-19-14, 02:51 PM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hot Ground Reverse

So all the things I have read online say that the back stabbed plugs can become a problem. So I have done nothing with my wiring. All of sudden my power goes out. I plug in my tester and shows that I have a hot ground reverse. Well I noticed that if I wiggle the wires on one plug, that it starts to work. So I then replace the back stabbed setup with the terminal setup. Still nothing. So then I do the same to all the plugs that are showing the same "reverse" reading. I now know that when I shut off the breaker, it shuts off more than I thought it would. It seems there is one light fixture on this line which is a bathroom light. From that light to the end where I played with the wires is "reversed" but the other things do not seem to be reversed.

So my question is, would the issue be the light fixture or the last plug before the light fixture?
 
  #2  
Old 09-19-14, 03:10 PM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
I plug in my tester and shows that I have a hot ground reverse.
Those testers often misdiagnosis an open ground or neutral as a hot ground reverse. Either light or switch or receptacle could be the problem. First you need to test with a multimeter, preferably analog, to determine what problem is.
 
  #3  
Old 10-04-14, 10:31 AM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
When you say the light, switch, or outlet could be the problem, do you mean that I should swap them out?

So I have a light switch that is the last working item along the chain of wiring. This light switch actually controls the outlet on the other side of the room. This works. I then move to the next item on the chain which is an outlet that was hidden (someone covered it up with a cabinet). So because this outlet was hidden and seemed to be the outlet that was giving me the problem, I punched a hole in the wall and moved the outlet up so it will be useful. New plug outlet and box. Wired it all up and still nothing.

So I wonder if the wiring is bad between the switch and the outlet I just moved.

If I use a multimeter, what am I looking for to tell me what the issue is?
 
  #4  
Old 10-04-14, 11:37 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
The multimeter will most likely tell you what the problem is. At the original receptacle that seems to have a reverse hot/neutral make the following measurements:
  1. Hot to neutral
  2. Hot to ground
  3. Neutral to ground
Wide slot = Neutral
Narrow slot = Hot
Half moon = ground
 
  #5  
Old 10-05-14, 06:23 AM
CasualJoe's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 9,871
Received 185 Upvotes on 166 Posts
do you mean that I should swap them out?
They really only need to be changd if they are old and worn or show signs of being overheated or burned from overload or loose connections. More devices are changed for cosmetic reasons than being worn out.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: