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.
165
questions
2
votes
1answer
41 views
Lighting fixture: 2 live, 2 neutral, no ground - Is is okay to have the 2nd neutral used as a ground?
I live in Germany and I have just moved into a new apartment and started to change the light fixtures, but I ran into confusion. Wires coming out of the ceiling are - two black & two white (no ...
1
vote
1answer
78 views
How can I get a neutral wire for this switch?
This switch is in my garage and controls lights at the end of my driveway. I want to replace it with a smart switch that requires a neutral wire. I've learned that I can't steal a neutral wire from ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
Are the grounds and neutrals in this electrical subpanel reversed?
I would appreciate your feed back to help me understand the logic behind Bonding the Neutral and Isolating Ground as shown in the attached pics. Subject sub panel is dedicated to one of four ...
0
votes
2answers
53 views
Does this existing wiring with shared neutrals need to be corrected?
I've come across some existing wiring in my home and I wonder if it needs to be changed.
In my basement, there is a 4" box with a 20a GFCI receptacle. A conduit runs into this box. The conduit ...
2
votes
2answers
38 views
Safety differences between the various types of outlet (two-/three-prong, grounded/ungrounded, with/without GFCI)
I am an ordinary person with absolutely no knowledge regarding electricity and how it works (things like circuits and such) and I never really cared before until now when I sense potential safety ...
2
votes
2answers
37 views
Old house, no Neutral coming from APS pole. Neutral vs Ground
I'm installing some 110v Mini Split Air conditioners and want them on a separate breaker. The Main Panel only has 2 HOT wires coming in from the Mail Pole. The neutral wire is connected to the Ground ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
Sub panel 3 wire and 220Volts
My mom just bought an old house (1917). The Main Breaker has 3 wires two hot from a 30amp 220 breaker and one ground going from the main into a sub-panel, there is no room to feed a 4th neutral wire. ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
Lighting fixture removed, only hot wired to switch
The previous owner of my house removed a light fixture and installed canned lights in my living room. The light fixture location was capped and I had a switch that seemed to do nothing so I assumed ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Is this a MWBC?
I think I have some MWBCs that are not handle tied. Can you tell from this picture if the bottom red breakers and top blue breakers are MWBCs? I can't trace back to the conduit and they supply "...
2
votes
3answers
69 views
Can a neutral be shared beween the line and load side of a GFCI if it's on the same circuit?
All neutrals are crimped together on this circuit. Not daisy chained. So I have one hot and one neutral from panel (line) and one hot downstream (load). And additional no neutral wire for going ...
2
votes
1answer
39 views
Smart Switch Wiring Question: What is the Need for a Neutral Wire? How to Provide One?
I plan to install a Smart Switch to control an outside outlet.
The existing electrical box is in my detached garage and it does not have a neutral wire. The box currently only controls a single GFCI ...
2
votes
0answers
24 views
Neutral line with two circuits
I’d like to install a GE smart dimmer and a GE smart switch into a four gang box. The box currently has four non-smart switches.
I determined that one of the switches is on a different circuit ...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
Can duct tape be used to mark neutral wires?
Hello I’m in search of code requirements as they relate to the use of duct tape for marking the neutral conductor in the service panel. My understanding is this is a code violation as duct tape is a ...
2
votes
4answers
106 views
Can I steal neutral from fixture for 3-way switch device with no neutral?
my 3-way switch is wired this way, because i am unlucky:
so i have neutral in the line box, no neutral in the load box. i want to use a leviton smart switch that requires neutral in both boxes. if i ...
4
votes
2answers
171 views
Why am I measuring 60v at some outlets?
The house I bought a couple years ago had a couple outlets in a small room in the basement that didn't work. Now I'm troubleshooting them. It's a finished basement so I can't tear down walls. There's ...
5
votes
5answers
4k views
240 Volts - No Neutral Required - How does Power Return to Earth?
I think this question is appropriate here in order to help DIYers (me) to understand why a neutral isn't needed on a 240 volt outlet.
I understand that two 120 volt power sources that are 180 degrees ...
0
votes
2answers
106 views
Apartment using ground wire as neutral
I was answering a trouble call in an apartment today that a pendant light fixture had come down and was hanging by the wiring.
I went to remount it, but noticed that the light fixture wiring was ...
3
votes
3answers
309 views
How to test voltage between neutral and ground
I'm not an electrician. Per, https://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA158817/, I want to test the outlets in a room for the following:
Overloaded neutral wire (>5 Volts AC measured between Neutral and ...
3
votes
1answer
149 views
Understanding ground to earth and neutral, trying to make my home safe
I've been reading for hours and still confused in regards to my situation. I'm trying to improve electrical safety in my house, especially with a growing family.
Any help would be great.
I'm in ...
3
votes
1answer
308 views
Could a neutral wire be black?
I have these two switches which the left one is for the bathroom fan and the right one for the light.
Everything already works.
Now I want to add a minuter switch to the fan and the minuter have all ...
1
vote
1answer
136 views
Replacing timer with no neutral wire
I bought replacement for my bathroom exhaust fan. Basically what i bought was this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-50-CFM-Wall-Ceiling-Mount-Roomside-Installation-Bathroom-Exhaust-Fan-ENERGY-...
1
vote
5answers
3k views
GFCI in a 3-wire sub panel with bonded neutral and ground
My detached garage has 100-amp 3-wire service from the main panel in my house, with a 100-amp breaker at each end of the feed. The grounds and neutrals are bonded inside the sub panel due to the lack ...
3
votes
3answers
132 views
Legal/safe? Neutral in box goes to different panel than the one that provides the hot
TL;DR:
in summary: the load (light) is in the garage, it is fed by a hot that originates in the garage, and it sinks into a neutral in the garage. The odd thing is that a switch loop extends from ...
1
vote
2answers
100 views
Can I use the ground wire as a neutral for an outlet?
I had a bulb light outlet, and I decided to convert it to power outlet.
Now when I took the bulb light off, I discovered that there is only two wires in the wall, brown and yellow green, so I assume ...
1
vote
2answers
89 views
4 neutral wires bundled, two smart switches, how to pair neutrals
I have 4 neutral wires bundled together, and two switches requiring neutral. Each switch allows an in and an out for neutral, as pictured. My question is, does it matter how I pair the neutral wires ...
1
vote
4answers
90 views
Can you have neutrals on ground bar only bonded through main panel body
I have just added a circuit to my main panel and saw something I wanted clarification on. For reference, my main panel is a Homeline 30 space panel with 2 extra grounding bars on the sides. Picture ...
13
votes
7answers
4k views
Why does my old table saw power switch cut both hot and neutral?
I am refurbishing an old Craftsman 10" table saw that has been collecting dust in the back of my shop for years.
I don't remember exactly how I acquired it, but to my recollection the one time I ...
3
votes
5answers
155 views
How do I know if this switch box has a neutral wire?
This outlet is two rocker switches. Left controls my bathroom light (4), right controls my bathroom fan (3). I am trying to install a timer switch so the fan is only on for ~30 min at a time.
The ...
0
votes
0answers
58 views
no neutral wire for smart thermostat
I want to install a smart thermostat 240 volt but there is no neutral available. Can I connect to the neutral of an adjacent 120 gang box (receptacle)?
3
votes
2answers
210 views
Can I combine ground and neutral wires before they connect to their bus bars?
I finally did my 50 AMP 15-40 Nema wiring. Couple of questions on it.
I don't have enough ground and neutral wire to reach the ground bar of the electric panel. Is it ok to join both neutral and ...
0
votes
2answers
40 views
Wiring a Smart Wall Switch
I’m considering on buying a Xiaomi smart wall switch but I had to consider the neutral or no neutral switch which led to me opening my wall switch to check. Which got me even confused...
May I know ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Trying to wire switch outlet combo to existing two outlet. But the outlets each have 3 wires
I have 2 outlets, I want to replace with switch outlet combo (outlet always hot).
But looking online, I keep seeing everything has only one white neutral, but in my case, both outlets have a black ...
0
votes
2answers
245 views
Open Neutral Circuit yet all circuits outlets and wiring appear connected
I am stumped...I have not had an electrical problem in my family room and have lived in this home for 11 years...until a few days ago. A few days ago I plugged a laptop charge cord (new and in normal ...
1
vote
3answers
37 views
Connecting smart switch, identifying neutal wire
Im looking to switch out an old rocker switch to a smart switch, but the wiring appears to be unconventional. Two black wires attached to the same screw, and a white wire, which I am trying to ...
0
votes
5answers
249 views
Can I connect the ground pin of the wall socket to neutral?
I have leaking currents issues in my apartment. There are some appliances in the apartment that don't have a problem with a wall socket that doesn't have a ground; like, TV, mobile charger, laptop ...
3
votes
4answers
745 views
Trying to install 2 smart switches but neutral wires in box are not connected
I'm trying to install 2 smart wifi switches to replace 2 dumb switches in a box. 1 switch powers a dining room light. The other switch powers two kitchen lights that turn on/off together. As ...
1
vote
3answers
133 views
Is wiring the neutral in a circular path correct?
I have a bathroom that was re-wired to add a bathroom fan some years ago. I am wondering if it was wired correctly. Originally, I believe the overhead light was wired in a switch loop to a single wall ...
0
votes
1answer
210 views
120v on black and white wires
I have been troubleshooting this for some time now. Any help would be great!
A friend of mine's wife plugged in a hair dryer and lost power about 2 minutes into it. A few hours later the power was ...
0
votes
2answers
96 views
Ground Bus Bar on Sub Panel
I was working on a house with a sub panel for a shed/workshop. The sub panel was fed off the house main panel via 2pole 50A breaker. The sub was a load center type with no main breaker. The neutral ...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
Can ground attached to neutral fool a receptacle tester?
I'm using a basic outlet tester like the one from picture below. Let's say someone wired the ground to the neutral in some outlet, to provide a fake ground. What would the tester report? Would it be "...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
Main Electric Panel Neutral Bar
I have a Siemens 200 amp main service panel in my basement. The main service lines are two black and one black with a yellow stripe going to the neutral bar. The grounding bar is attached to a ...
1
vote
0answers
65 views
1 generator + multiple ATSes: how can I install this to Code without unobtanium?
I want to supply standby power to both units in a separately metered duplex from a single permanently installed generator. The cheapest way to do this is a pair of bog-standard ATSes and a smallish ...
0
votes
3answers
172 views
GFCI Circuit Breakers Wired Incorrectly
Just moved into 5yr old home, was looking to expand a garage outlet to afford more outlets. The outlet is below the panel is a GGCI outlet, however, the circuit breaker is not, so, I am going to ...
1
vote
3answers
310 views
Can you attach more than one wire in a given hole on a bus in an electrical panel?
Is it permissible to attach more than one neutral or ground wire to any terminal screw on the service panel bus? A home inspector says this is not allowed. THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, because all of ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Acceptable voltage between earth, Line,Neutral - Single Phase
I have a 240V+-10V 2 Wire Single Phase (UK) supply with TT earth bonding (earth rod).
The breakers are double pole.
The issue is with a lighting radial circuit.
This is a new electrical ...
2
votes
2answers
824 views
Wifi light switch needs neutral wire. Why? AND Can that wire be a skinny one?
What does the neutral wire do on a light switch that responds to wifi?
My suspicion is that when the switch is in the off position, the electronics in the switch need to still be powered, so the ...
3
votes
3answers
294 views
Neutral and ground connected to one bus bar in subpanel; should I change?
At my house, there is a subpanel that serves a pool area, served by one 30 amp 240v circuit. The panel, which I think was installed about 30 years ago, has just one bus bar that the neutrals and ...
0
votes
0answers
97 views
Can two loads use the same neutral return path?
I have a 220v circuit with two hot conductors. The connection has 4 terminals, L1 L1 L2 L2. The cable going in has a neutral conductor.
Can I hook the first of the L1 and L2 to the neutral ...
12
votes
2answers
4k views
Can I use a neutral wire from another outlet to repair a broken neutral?
Recently one wall of outlets quit working. Testing shows the hots are all good and the grounds are all good but the neutrals are all dead. They are all connected to each other but somewhere have lost ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Bonding vs grounding a main and sub panel
I am in the process of building a new home and of course I'm saving some money by doing all the wiring myself. I do have a decent bit of experience with electrical work, but the main panel is a little ...
