Reversed wiring

sparky69

Any ideas? I have an outlet that quit working. Testing with circuit tester shows hot and ground reversed. Testing with voltmeter shows 120V between either terminal and ground, but 0V between terminals. Outlet has been working fine for 8 years - so what could have changed? Could be related, but a pull-switch light fixture in basement on same circuit quit working at same time. Ideas?

220/221

I hear this all the time. Things break.


If you are attempting to repair this yourself you need to start taking things apart and find a loose connection. Often you will find it in the back of a receptacle where the wires are stabbed/plugged in.

The pull chain fixture IS involved. Anything on the circuit may be involved.

Map the entire circuit and use some logic to determine the path of the wiring. It starts at the panel and goes from recep to recep to light switch etc. Sometimes they wire the hot circuits thru the light boxes. If your switches have only 2 wires (blk/wht) in them, the power does go thru the light boxes and you may have to pull down fixtures to check connections.

Keep in mind that the problem may be at a working recep. It might have power going in, but not out to the rest of the circuit.

PS. I am suspecting the problem to be with a white (neutral) wire.

Yoyizit

Use an incandescent test lamp.
And, check voltages and continuity w/respect to a known good ground.
0v could be open or could be a short.
Non-working light fixture is downstream of this outlet?

InPhase277

I've seen this before from plug testers. Your voltage readings indicate an open neutral somewhere along the line. Go back to the pull chain light first. Start there looking for loose or bad connections.