Electrical conundrum quiz
I have solved this problem, but thought the electrical experts might try their hand at diagnosing this problem. My father in law made a homemade extension cord. He took a 12/2 wG cable and put a pl...
Forum Discussion
Hiking Hunter wrote:
I'm having a hard time buying that...
I understand how a couple of loose whiskers can give a false indication for a hot-neutral reverse when the switch is open, but when you close the switch the whiskers would immediately be burned or the breaker would blow, UNLESS the whiskers provided just a high resistance connection and not a dead short. BUT, If that were the case and the breaker didn't blow, then why wasn't the load powered?
But, I don't have any better explanation.
I agree with you. One easy way that I can explain both the 3 lights on and the hot/neutral reversed scenarios is if the system is indeed hot/neutral reversed AND the neutral wire is switched by the switch. The discrepancy with the OP is the 3 lights would then happen with the switch OFF and 2 with it ON, plus the receptacle would "work" with the switch on.
This could easily happen if the hot and neutral were swapped at the plug and the rest were wired correctly. The black wire would now be neutral but have a switch and connect to the hot terminal of the receptacle. With the switch ON, you get the 2 hot/neutral reversed lights. With if off, you get a floating neutral and 2 of the 3 lights turn on dimly (series connected between hot and ground) with the 3rd at normal brightness (between hot and ground).
OP, are you 100% sure of the switch ON/OFF state for the light cases? Did you re-check things after "fixing" it? Did you take apart and check all of his connections?
The filament being the only issue does not explain the symptoms at all. At the very least, if both the neutral and ground are connected to the receptacle at all times, there is NO way to light the red light on the tester.
Bobbo wrote:
That let enough current go up the neutral wire to give a hot/neutral reversed test when the switch was off.
With the switch off (and truly switching the hot wire), where is there any current in the system at all?
Did you by chance take more than one wire apart in the plug and put them back correctly in the process?
