Any electricians?

Question

I am trying to up grade an outlet with a GFCI. In order to keep from getting an "open neutral" reading on  my tester, It obvious I am going to reroute some of the wiring. Do real electricians use jumper wires to find out where wires go to and what they feed? I do have enough sense to turn the breakers off before I make that connection. I have two breakers feeding this junction to control a bath, a hall light, and one bedroom.
Don

Gary Parker · Answer

Sounds like Rusty is on to something.  You probably have a 3 way switch and they can be "hooked up" different ways.  The black connected to the red could be for a 3 way switch.  So please tell me, and I appologise if you indicated what I am asking earlier,  is there 2 switches operating the same light, where the red wire is is there a black white and red in the same sheathing (white or yellow wrapping and not the one wire netted to it) and the white wire that is "hot" is that with a black wire or black and red?

More of a description of how each wire is hooked up would be helpful.  If your tester is registering open neutral I am surprised the plug works as you suggested.  Did you plug something into it to make sure?  Does the GFCI work...trip when tested?

Rusty Thompson · Answer

I'm trying to figure this out....
OK
You have both legs in the panel feeding one outlet....If that was true you would be getting 240 @ the outlet?

The light in the hallway. Is it controlled by two switches?

Don Hines · Answer

Well the fix was pretty simple. I am almost embarrased; but, I am glad I asked for help to be sure. It turns out that the hot neutral was a back feed and only had 60 volts. I am still not sure where the electrician found the problem. He simply wired everything to the "load" side of the GFCI. I knew that had to be the fix. But, I had everything on the line side. This is the only outlet in the bath, so there are no outlets futher down stream that requires GF protection. We both agreed that it was whacky that the junction served so many rooms. 
Thanks for all of the help.
Inspection today. I didn't know the appraisal was yesterday. But, hopefully this deal will go smoothly from now on.
Don

Don Hines · Answer

You must be real proud of thos pants! I don't remember what I had on yesterday. :)
I will be there about 5:30 with the electrician today. 16 Lakeside in Western Hills. I will be glad to show you around.
Don

Demetrus Gibson · Answer

Hey,
Don 
I met you at the Tax REIA meeting a few months ago. ( The guy with the Black and Red Wind Pant). I'm interested in Rehabbing but chose to get in the real estate business through wholesaling...
 I would love to come by and see your house your working on.  What's the address?
Demetrus AKA Eric

Don Hines · Answer

Gary, both you and Rusty are right. There is indeed 240 volts less than 18 inches from a bath vanity sink. And yes, the sheathing with the red, black, and white are probably to the hall way that is operated with two three way switches; one on each end. I have checked the hallway switches; a white wire feeds the two "common" terminals. This junction has all kinds of functions. I know the bath lights and fan, the hall light and one receptical, and a bedroom light and recepticals all join here, as well as all of this being tied together to function by a receptical.
I have an electrician scheduled to look at it this evening. I will let you know what we find. 
Thanks so much
Don

Don Hines · Answer

Thanks for the quick reply Gary. I should have said there are two circuits entering the same junction box as the GFCI. 
I have a total of four cables entering the box. One is pretty standard as it has a black (hot), ground and neutral. The second cable has it's black wire joined to a 3rd cable's red wire. I am assuming this one feeds the hall lights that has a switch at each end of it. A 4th cable has a black wire that is not hot, but, the neutral (white) wire is.
When I hook all of these up to the GFCI as they were on the old receptical, everything works fine. But, my tester shows "open neutral". I think it could be the hot Neutral wire messing me up. It gets real scarry considering the two hot wires in there are on sperate circuts and total 240 volts.
I was just wanting to figure out where all of these wires feed without hooking them up to an outlet. They are getting pretty short to be loosing any length by cutting or breaking. Is the "open neutral" a problem? If not, I am OK with it since everything works.
Thanks
Don

Gary Parker · Answer

Use to be licensed electrician in a previous life.  Explaine a little more why you are going to reroute some of the wiring and to what.   Again a little more info on the use of jumper wires.  Lastly, there should not be two breakers feeding the same circuit.

Any electricians?

Most Popular Reply