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GFCI Tester - Dim Orange Light - Reversed Hot/Neutral When Button Pressed

GFCI Tester - Dim Orange Light - Reversed Hot/Neutral When Button Pressed


  #1  
Old 05-11-18, 11:35 PM
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GFCI Tester - Dim Orange Light - Reversed Hot/Neutral When Button Pressed

Hello all,

I was checking all my electrical outlets with a GFCI tester. All outlets show correctly wired. Came across one outlet (non-GFCI) where the right orange light is dim. Googled and found that it may be poor ground.

Strange thing is when I press the button on the GFCI tester, red light and middle orange light come on indicating reversed hot/neutral. All other non-GFCI outlets don’t give this result when I press the button. All other outlets have two orange lights remain lit.

Any thoughts what might be going on with this outlet?
 

Last edited by new_diyer; 05-11-18 at 11:38 PM. Reason: Title too vague
  #2  
Old 05-12-18, 06:14 AM
Tolyn Ironhand's Avatar
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You have no grounding path to the device. You need to open the box and remove the device to see if there is a ground available.
 
  #3  
Old 05-12-18, 04:48 PM
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This only makes sense if the middle orange is also ON before you press the button.

In that case what Tolyn said is right. When you press the button, a small current is passed from hot to ground to trip a GFCI, but if your ground is not grounded, it would float and carry a voltage/current sufficient to turn on the red light that sits between ground and neutral.

That's a good trick question. I have to draw a diagram to figure this out.
 
  #4  
Old 05-18-18, 12:22 AM
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Thanks for the responses. I opened up the boxes as well as follow wires in the attic. Found the culprit in a junction box inside the attic— ground wire was loose. Reattached the ground wire and problem solved.
 
 

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