Adding light switch causing Hot Neutral Reverse Error?

676 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by seharper, Jun 12, 2020

basilts

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2020

Hi. I'm doing something I thought would be very straight forward. Just adding a switch to control an outlet I have in my workshop. My outlet tests fine - no error. However when I have the incoming hot wire go into the switch first, and another hot wire out of the switch to the plug (the neutral and ground are both connected only to the plug) I get a hot neutral reverse error.

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

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chandler48

· #2 · Jun 11, 2020

Did you connect the switched hot black to the brass screw, or to the silver screw on the receptacle?

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basilts

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 11, 2020

Hi Larry - The hot wire goes from the switch to the brass screw on the receptacle. The neutral is connected to the silver screw

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joed

· #4 · Jun 11, 2020

Look at the source of the power to the switch. It could be reversed further upstream from the receptacle.
Measure voltage from white ground and black to ground in the switch box.
What reading do you get with the switch off?

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basilts

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 11, 2020

So - I don't know if its coincidence, but I noticed my ground was touching the switch. I repositioned it so it wasn't touching anything else and the error is gone. Strange.
Thanks Larry and Joed

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Missouri Bound

· #6 · Jun 11, 2020

basilts said:
Hi Larry - The hot wire goes from the switch to the brass screw on the receptacle. The neutral is connected to the silver screw

What neutral?
There is no neutral on a switch leg.

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basilts

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 11, 2020

Hi Missouri - yes, I meant to say that the neutral goes directly to the silver screw on the receptacle

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seharper

· #8 · Jun 12, 2020

Missouri Bound said:
What neutral?
There is no neutral on a switch leg.

Was no neutral. There is now. 404.2(C) which was added in NEC 2011. Switch loops need to bring a neutral along also. That's why /4 is suddenly a thing.

If it's conduit you only need to leave room or it, you don't actually need to pull it

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