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11-06-2009, 11:35 PM
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#1
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 11
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Wiring a Receptacle
Hello, I opened a receptacle from the wall, and the wires
I found inside the box were like this:
Two black wires, one bare wire, two white wires.
I tested with a meter and I found this:
one black to one white = no current
another black to another white = no current
one black to one bare = current measuring 120 volts
I am afraid to connect the black wire and the bare
( ground) on the receptacle. Do you think I should
connect it? Do you think there is no danger?
Why are the white wires ( neutral) whithout current?
Before I make any connections, I wait for your advice.
Thank You!
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11-07-2009, 01:54 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,226
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One set of black/white is power in.... black hot, white neutral.
The other set is power out to the next recep or switch.
The incoming black should read 120V to ground (bare) and to it's neutral.
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11-08-2009, 12:26 AM
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#3
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 11
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wiring a receptacle
Ok. Thanks. But I think it should be wired like this:
Incoming black to the brass terminal and neutral (white) to the silver terminal.
Outgoing black to the second brass terminal and neutral to the silver
terminal. And the bare ground to the green screw.
The Problem is that the incoming neutral and outgoing neutral
do not have current. And to connect bare wire to the green screw
is very dangerous because it will conduct current to the entire sysyem.
Am I right? I want to avoid the danger.
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11-08-2009, 12:36 AM
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#4
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Extreme DIY Homeowner
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Rockland, MA
Posts: 5,803
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How was it originally wired ?
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11-08-2009, 01:04 AM
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#5
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 11
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Wiring a receptacle
I am not sure how it was wired before. I do not remember. It must have
been wired with incoming hot wire to the brass terminal and the bare ground to the silver terminal. But that is wrong. The bare wire should be
connected to the green terminal.
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11-08-2009, 10:10 AM
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#6
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Extreme DIY Homeowner
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Rockland, MA
Posts: 5,803
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Normal wiring is black to brass, white to silver, ground to green
Unless it might be a weird outlet or wiring setup
You always write down how the old wiring is connected before you disconnect anything
Any pics of the outlet?
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11-08-2009, 10:19 AM
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#7
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Licensed Pro
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SC
Posts: 919
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Having 120V between a hot and a ground (bare) wire is normal.
You should also have 120V between that hot and its corresponding white (in the same cable). Go back and check for voltage between the hot and EACH white... one of them should show 120V. If not, you have a loose white wire somewhere between there and the panel.
__________________
"Life is hard. Life is harder when you're stupid." John Wayne
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11-09-2009, 11:28 AM
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#8
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 3
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A picture of the outlet and the wires would be a great help. Sounds like they just chain the outlet to the next one. Not bad just not the way i would do it.
Pig tails only for me.
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11-09-2009, 12:57 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Nashua, NH, USA
Posts: 1,071
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Bare wire should be connected only to the green screw. Also all bare (and green) wires should be connected to one another.
__________________
Bait gone and the mouse trap has not snapped? Maybe ants got there first.
Last edited by AllanJ; 11-09-2009 at 01:01 PM.
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