[mikedabike64]

hi I was in my garage and I put a tester into and never used old receptacle
it reads as open ground so I turned off the breaker and pulled a receptacle out
I have a black hot which was connected a white neutral was connected and a ground connected
a red which actually remains hot is connected to nothing,
I was thinking of capping the whole thing off.
but again this is only 1 wire entering the box 14 gauge 3 wire black red white ground
and the red is just happily sitting in the box hanging out doing nothing(hot).
When I capped the red and with a new receptacle, it test 2 yellows, which is what I want

 

[md2lgyk]

Where is the red wire connected in your panel? If opening the breaker for the receptacle doesn't kill it, it's definitely connected to a different breaker somewhere. It' possible whoever wired the receptacle intended to have each half on a separate circuit. It's also possible they just didn't know what they were doing. I don't know what code says about this, but I'd disconnect the red wire in the panel and cap it there too. That would clearly tell some future homeowner that it's not being used.

 

[mikedabike64]

ok

Thank you so very much, Iam still learning, I will trace it back.
whoever did it had feet hot to silver which is wrong and the white to brass.
much obliged on info

 

[md2lgyk]

You're welcome. Connecting the hot and neutral to the wrong slots is a common mistake made by people who don't know what they're doing. Obviously the receptacle will still work, but it is not safe.

 

[AllanJ]

The live red wire can remain capped off (or taped over) in the box.

If it goes directly back to the panel it may only be connected to a breaker positioned so as to have 240 volts between it and the breaker for the black wire, and with a handle tie bar so that if either of the two breakers mentioned should trip, the other one is flipped off.

Another possibility is that the red wire goes to a switch whose feed also feeds the black wire.

Because both the red and black share the same neutral, both must accompany the neutral upstream

 

[mikedabike64]

thanks

I appreciate all the help and I thank you all very much