Electrical Anomaly

angrysmileyface · 08-17-2009, 07:28 PM

Something has changed on one of the circuits in the house. Running a "Hot" checker (the little wand that beeps in the presence of current) says both the Hot side of a circuit and the neutral side both have current in them. Other outlets in the house only show the hotside as being live. The only thing that changed was another outlet on a different circuit being moved and that circuit breaker is currently off. Nothing plugged into these outlets works. However, this circuit while being hte kitchen, shares outlets in the living room, a cieling fan in the living room and god knows what else. I am confused and dont have any idea where to start. My thought was there is something wired directly from hot to nuetral, but the cieling fan is still working in the living room. though it seems like nothing else is working.

220/221 · 08-17-2009, 07:36 PM

The little wand that beeps in the presence of current is often inaccurate as it detects induced EMFs.

Get a tester with leads on it if you want to feel secure. Check hot to ground (120V) hot to neutral (120v) and neutral to ground (0 volts)

angrysmileyface · 08-17-2009, 08:02 PM

In a properly functioning outlet, I get what is suggested. On the messed up circuit, I get .5v between hot and nuetral and .6v between hot and ground and .6v between neutral and ground.

220/221 · 08-17-2009, 08:08 PM

To me, fractions of volts mean nothing. I write it off as "fantom" voltage picked up by digital meters. Anything over 3-4 volts, I would look deeper.

angrysmileyface · 08-17-2009, 08:17 PM

THat sounds possibly true. When I shut off the breaker for the room adjoining the same wall, the voltage wand stopped reporting anything. So Im betting this anomally was providing miniscule induced voltage for a circuit that is temporarily killed due to the outlet being moved

angrysmileyface · 08-21-2009, 08:59 PM

Turned out to be phantom voltage. Finished out the moved outlet, reset the breaker, everything turned out to be alive and the phantom voltage disappered, It appeared too be induced from the living room circuit sharing the same wall.

08-17-2009, 07:28 PM	#1
angrysmileyface Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 14	Electrical Anomaly Something has changed on one of the circuits in the house. Running a "Hot" checker (the little wand that beeps in the presence of current) says both the Hot side of a circuit and the neutral side both have current in them. Other outlets in the house only show the hotside as being live. The only thing that changed was another outlet on a different circuit being moved and that circuit breaker is currently off. Nothing plugged into these outlets works. However, this circuit while being hte kitchen, shares outlets in the living room, a cieling fan in the living room and god knows what else. I am confused and dont have any idea where to start. My thought was there is something wired directly from hot to nuetral, but the cieling fan is still working in the living room. though it seems like nothing else is working.

08-17-2009, 07:36 PM	#2
220/221 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,294	Electrical Anomaly The little wand that beeps in the presence of current is often inaccurate as it detects induced EMFs. Get a tester with leads on it if you want to feel secure. Check hot to ground (120V) hot to neutral (120v) and neutral to ground (0 volts)

08-17-2009, 08:02 PM	#3
angrysmileyface Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 14	Electrical Anomaly In a properly functioning outlet, I get what is suggested. On the messed up circuit, I get .5v between hot and nuetral and .6v between hot and ground and .6v between neutral and ground.

08-17-2009, 08:08 PM	#4
220/221 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,294	Electrical Anomaly To me, fractions of volts mean nothing. I write it off as "fantom" voltage picked up by digital meters. Anything over 3-4 volts, I would look deeper.

08-17-2009, 08:17 PM	#5
angrysmileyface Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 14	Electrical Anomaly THat sounds possibly true. When I shut off the breaker for the room adjoining the same wall, the voltage wand stopped reporting anything. So Im betting this anomally was providing miniscule induced voltage for a circuit that is temporarily killed due to the outlet being moved

Electrical Anomaly