Electrical question, 110 volt

[dhud64]

I have a couple of outlets in my house that appear to be wired incorrectly. When I tested them with a circuit tester, the kind you plug into the outlet with 3 lights: two yellow one red, all 3 light up? (On this tester it shows that a correctly wired circuit will light only the two yellow lights).<br />I have been using these 'always hot' outlets for years and just got a notion to go through the house and test them all. Everything has always worked ok on these outlets. Should I worry? What could be the cause of this?<br />Here's what I've looked at: <br />I started tracing the wire backwards and found that before these 'faulty' outlets there is another outlet that goes on and off with a wall switch, it too lights all three lights on the tester. Before that there is a light fixture with a plug-in on the side of it. It tests OK.<br />I'm sure all the outlets are correctly wired except the one tied to the switch. That extra wire (12-2 cable) throws me for a loop. <br />I guess one wire comes from the switch, one is the 'always hot' and the last is the wire that continues downline. (The only thing down line from here are flourescent light fixtures.) <br />Does any of this make since? <br />All other outlets in the house DO test out OK.

 

[JB]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

Howdy, DHud.<br /><br />Gonna move this to Non-Boating Topics so it doesn't get lost in the chat.

 

[jee70611]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

Could it possibly be a grounding issue? They'll work fine without proper grounding usually, just kinda dangerous.<br /><br />James

 

[oddjob]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

You need to test it with a voltage meter. Put the ground to the plate screw for ground, then place the positive(red) into each blade socket. one side only should have 120 volts.

 

[one more cast]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

Dhud64,<br /> Go to the hardware store and buy yourself a circuit alert pen (about $10). Just press the button and stick it in the outlet slots one at a time, if it is "live,hot" the pen will light up and beep. The smaller of the two slots should be the hot one.(black wire).If the longer slot is hot then My guess is that at the pull chain light the black and white wires are reversed.Turn off the breaker and check with your new circuit pen before switching the wires.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

You have a common and hot wire switched on one of the plug-ins! Use onemorecasts advice and find out whitch plug in it is! whichever one it is, it will follow back to the next circuit! It really should be corrected as some apliances are sensitive to polarity! It will not cause a fire though!!<br /><br />LubeDude

 

[crab bait]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

on the back of the 'plug-in' tester,,, what does it say it is ,,, if the lites lite up in that configuration..??

 

[dhud64]

Re: Electrical question, 110 volt

crab bait it doesn't cover that one!<br />I've got it narrowed down to one outlet or possibly a bad ballast in on of the flourscent fixtures (I was told that could cause a 'backfeed')?<br />Takin' a break now