Questions tagged [neutral]
For questions relating to the neutral wire, or "grounded conductor" as it's sometimes called. The neutral, or "grounded conductor" in NEC, is the normal return path for electricity in a household AC circuit.
226
questions
0
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2answers
73 views
Electrically distinguish neutral from hot
I have a box with three conduits. These are in-wall/under the floor steel conduits from an apartment built in 1950. One conduit has hot and neutral wires coming from panel. The second has hot and ...
4
votes
3answers
249 views
Attach Smart Switches to Shared Neutral
I am trying to figure out my options for installing a smart switch in my configuration without running a new wire with a neutral. This is quite similar to other questions I'll reference later, so ...
0
votes
2answers
95 views
Neutral and ground seperation at a sub-panel
Could someone explain to me why the neutral and ground bars are never bonded on a sub panel? It's my understanding that the reason they're separated is so that the current returning on the neutral ...
6
votes
1answer
448 views
Using 10/2 and/or 8/2 for a 240 only 3-prong
I have 2 dedicated circuits:
40 amp water heater
30 amp electric range
Both have 2 hots and a neutral grounded at the panel. One runs through a junction box where the wires are connected and ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
200 amp service wire jumping from house, to barn to pool house. Somewhere the Neutral is broken
My question is a bit more technical then most as I have narrowed the problem down to a bad neutral somewhere in the system. There is a service wire from the house overhead to a barn, then another line ...
1
vote
3answers
70 views
Move neutrals to subpanel or leave them on main?
I have a 150A Square D QO panel that is full and won't allow for tandem circuits. I'm going to take out the bottom 2 breakers and replace them with a 100a breaker to feed a subpanel via 4AWG copper ...
1
vote
2answers
68 views
Correct voltage of hot wires with common neutral
I just bought a house and am changing around some outlets in the garage, and I want to make sure the electricity is wired properly. There are 6 wires in a conduit going to the garage, three hot (red, ...
0
votes
0answers
63 views
Do I have an neutral wire? Could it be red?
I'm trying to install a smart switch over the current 3-way 3 gang switch. I can't tell if I have a neutral wire as there are 2 red wires. One of the red is twisted with one other white wire.
After ...
3
votes
2answers
148 views
Ground and neutral bus considerations when wiring a gfci breaker
Hello all,
I am adding a gfci breaker to my main breaker panel. By the looks of my panel I think the ground bus and neutral bus are bonded but not certain of this. It looks like my right bus bar is ...
2
votes
1answer
216 views
Are generator “bonding plugs” safe and legal?
I've been researching portable generators, and I have learned that models with a floating neutral need to be grounded. Some people say you can bypass this requirement by plugging a "bonding plug&...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Max amperage for “neutral tie strap” in daisy chained Siemens panel
200 amp service.
We have a service disconnect upstream of our main panel, which effectively means our neutrals and grounds are still isolated in our main panel (as one does when setting up a sub panel)...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
Identifying Wires (especially Neutral) in Complex 3-Way Light Circuit
I'm planning to replace a number of 3-way switches with smart switches and as a necessary first step have been trying to map out the wiring in each of the relevant boxes. This is what I've come up ...
0
votes
2answers
71 views
Using white/neutral for light switches
I’m not an electrician, but I sure have added LOTS of lights and switches in my home. I’m almost done remodeling my basement and have just noticed that I have been splicing into the white/neutral wire ...
3
votes
1answer
115 views
Should I have current running through my neutral wire in breaker box?
There's 146v on one hot pole, 106v on the other and the neutral wire has 36v on it. My tester at some of the outlets in this trailer (made in the 80's) says hot/ground reverse and hot/neutral reverse. ...
0
votes
0answers
40 views
No Neutral Wire to Install Smart 3 Way Dimmer
I am replacing a 3 Way switch (master) and remote dimmer with Decora Smart devices. The master has the correct wires to install the smart 3-way dimmer master. The remote box had a dimmer device with ...
0
votes
2answers
53 views
How to tell whether metal junction box is properly grounded?
I have a detached garage that is powered by a circuit breaker in the main house’s breaker box, which is properly grounded. The outlets in the garage have metal junction boxes, fed by metal conduit ...
1
vote
3answers
578 views
Where do I attach the Ground and Neutral inside a sub-panel?
I'm wiring 100 amp subpanel to detached Garage with 2/2/2/4 copper. I'm hoping to replace the subpanel to my detached garage which was previously wired to run on a 40 or 60 amp subpanel with like 6 ...
0
votes
3answers
90 views
Still reading open neutral after restoring power to lights and outlets
We recently plugged a space heater into an outlet in our son’s bedroom and only ran it at night. At some point, all of the lights and outlets in the room except one outlet on the opposite wall stopped ...
0
votes
1answer
79 views
Neutral wires are burning hot, saw an ember
Removed the outlet and the three connected neutral wires were insanely hot. Have an extension cord running a heater, could it be the draw or do I just need a new outlet?
0
votes
2answers
288 views
Doorbell transformer - Installed in panel -doesn't work when green is connected?
Earlier today I replaced my doorbell transformer in preparation to install video doorbells. The old transformer was connected outside the main panel, and only had 2 wires. One to hot, and the other ...
1
vote
2answers
74 views
Wiring single circuit GFCI circuit breaker where a duplex GFCI breaker is shown in wiring diagram
I am wiring a hot tub. The spa subpanel I purchased (Eaton) came with a 50 amp duplex GFCI breaker which is what many spas use. I bought a used Hot Springs Spa and found instead of a single 240 volt ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
Sharing multiple neutrals?
Found a junction box that splices all the neutrals for 5 separate circuits. 3 on one phase 2 on the other. All 12/2 romex.
Was trying to convince them to change it, but I don't have a good explanation ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Should a smart switch (that requires a neutral wire) cause my non-contact voltage tester to beep?
I installed 3 smart switches which are all on the same circuit in my house. I have never changed a light switch before, but I followed the directions very closely and watched a couple of Youtube ...
0
votes
2answers
118 views
Can I split a shared neutral between two GFCI breakers?
I have two 15A circuits that share a neutral. Currently, they go to two normal breakers, and I'd like to replace two those breakers (side-by-side in the breaker box) with plug-on neutral GFCI ...
0
votes
2answers
36 views
Adding a ceiling light to this circuit
I currently have the following circuit in a room:

I plan to add a ceiling light and was going to tie the light switches black and ground to the new ceiling wires black and ground, and then use a ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Why does my outlet have two white wires on the neutral side and one “neutral” wire is hot?
The breaker for my microwave tripped and when I turned the breaker back on it tripped again after using the microwave again. I tested the microwave in another outlet and it works fine. I went to ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Where should I place the C wire?
I have an old Lennox boiler which doesn't appear to have a PCB board. Originally the old honeywell thermostat had a 2 pair wire attached which included Red and White Wires. I snaked an 18/5 thermostat ...
1
vote
1answer
191 views
Convert 2 gang no neutral light switch into 1 gang to power a smart-switch that requires neutral. Possible? UK
This is probably not possible and instead just highlights my basic lack of understanding, but thought it was worth asking! If it is possible I would get a qualified electrician to do it.
I'd like to ...
2
votes
3answers
375 views
Does a neutral wire need to be run from a switch to the light?
We have an older church building that we would like to put our parking lot lights on a timer. We purchased digital timers only to find out that there is not a neutral wire within the switch boxes. We ...
2
votes
1answer
266 views
How to find a neutral to ground short on my main panel
I've just installed a subpanel in my attached garage. The rough in has passed inspection, however my main panel has standard breakers and has never had fault finding interrupter breakers in it, and ...
0
votes
0answers
46 views
Electrical outlets not working, garbage disposal on same breaker works
We've been running a portable A/C in our studio apartment for 5+ years (coastal CA, no central air). We discovered, upon adding a toaster oven, that if we run the toaster oven while also running the A/...
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votes
1answer
149 views
One hot white wire in a switch box?
I have switch box that controls my under cabinet lights. I was replacing the lights themselves and had issues with them working, started troubleshooting and found that there is a single hot white wire ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
Lost Nuetral - Turning Lights On Stops Others Flickering
Today we had lights flickering, odd brown outs, and power surges. Problems would come and go. Called our power company. The man they sent determined we had lost our connection to the neutral.
Before ...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
Can one circuit trip a GFCI breaker on another circuit with no shared neutral
I have two circuits in my main breaker panel.
Circuit 1 is on a 2 pole 60amp GFCI breaker. It goes directly outside from the breaker box and does not interact with the house aside from at the main ...
2
votes
2answers
152 views
Is this a weird or very problematic shared neutral?
I will try to explain it and I made a drawing that give an idea of what it seems to look like.
I just had some work done on my house (built in 1967) and the electrician found this weird connection.
I ...
0
votes
1answer
96 views
Bare neutral to subpanel in detached garage
I have an old house with a detached garage. There is power to the detached garage through a 3-conductor cable that is routed above ground. Power from my house comes from the power pole, to my house. ...
1
vote
1answer
449 views
What is the correct wiring (including Ground) for two main load centers plus transfer switch?
I will be building a new house and plan to have 400A electric utility service split into two 200A main load centers. One of those load centers will be tied to a whole house generator via an automatic ...
5
votes
1answer
485 views
Can I connect the neutral wire ends via a single switch terminal (without a pigtail)?
I installed a smart dimmer switch that requires a neutral wire. It was in the junction box with the two ends wire-capped together.
My switch didn't come with pigtail wires and I didn't have any extra ...
2
votes
2answers
67 views
Open Neutral in Circuit - Need Help Troubleshooting
I recently lost power to about five outlets on an eight outlet circuit in the kitchen. For what it is worth, there is a GFCI on the first outlet and the last outlet. The last outlet (GFCI) is ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
Is the live block connection to go into the STC1000 correct?
The red wire goes into the live block of the STC1000 that I am working with (on the other end.) As I understand it, the red wire should be attached to the right pin (left in the image) of the plug. ...
6
votes
4answers
35k views
What happens if ground and neutral are swapped in a light switch?
I’m replacing a light switch in an old house with lots of uncolored wiring. I removed the switch plate to find two black wires (connected to the switch) and a capped up white wire (see photo below).
...
5
votes
2answers
342 views
Two opposite phase circuits in one conduit… do i need 2 neutrals or an oversized neutral?
Im running two individual single pole 20A circuits though a single 1/2" EMT conduit and hanging a duplex outlet every 6'. They will alternate which circuit (phase) is feeding them (im running ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
Wiring smart switch, confused about mishmash of wires in wall box
I'm trying to install a smart switch to control my 3 outdoor lights. 2 wall lights and a lamp in the yard. The house was built in 53, so I assumed there wouldn't be a neutral in the box, so I picked ...
1
vote
2answers
154 views
Smart dimmer: neutral, ground and copper wire capped together
I called an electrician today to help me install These smart dimmers (Amazon link) in my home. For one of the dimmers, he tied up the neutral and ground wires from the dimmer to the copper ground ...
0
votes
1answer
100 views
How to wire 2 gang smart switch with two neutral wires and wire connecting both COMM
I am finding it hard to find a diagram for my specific case. I have 2 gang light switch and I would like to replace it with a smart switch. I have attached images
Am I right in saying the left COM ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
Two wire at light switch
I have a 14-2 cable at the light switch in my room. White is my hot, black is my switch leg. At my light I have some older cloth braided sheathed wire. This also is a two wire nothing is labeled.
...
0
votes
3answers
191 views
Why did my generator trip the feed breaker in the subpanel?
I connected a Predator 9000 generator to an Intermatic pool subpanel through a 2 pole 30 amp breaker to backfeed the main panel through another 2 pole 30 amp breaker. There is a GFCI receptacle on the ...
1
vote
1answer
165 views
Safely possible? Back feed generator through existing 3 wire OR convert to 50A RV service
First time question asker, here. I have read several threads on this site, which is a great resource. I am still unsure if what I'd like to do is safely possible, so here I am asking about my specific ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
QO Main Service Panel - Ground lug question - CT resident
I have a fairly new QO main svc panel (QO142M200PCAFVP) which is being used as a service panel (bonded, not a sub-panel). The green screw (top right) bonds the panel appropriately.
The main 3 ...
7
votes
4answers
4k views
How to differentiate neutral or ground bar?
This is the main panel, the green neutral bonding screw is there. How to differentiate the neutral and ground bars? In this case, does it matter which one I use as ground or neutral for the interlock ...
