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.
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Neutral wires in US, do they run in a hub/spoke pattern on a single circuit or serial?
Following on from my previous question about adding neutral wire.
I've read on here about neutral wires not being crossed between circuits, which makes sense after reading. But I'm trying to learn ...
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add neutral wire to existing "bundle" for smart switch - need help understanding box
Attached is a markup picture to help identify wiring. This is in the USA. There are wires that come in from the bottom left of the box and from the top right of the box.
I'm just a DIYer, and I'm ...
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ITE EQ Load Center neutral / ground update
Here’s an update on the main panel neutral issues that I raised originally in another question. I relabeled the photo, and made a diagram to show the problem. This post restates the issue, I hope more ...
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How can I determine whether a bad neutral is on my side or utility side?
I'm experiencing the classic symptoms of a bad or lost neutral and want to determine if the issue is my responsibility or the utility's. Voltage fluctuates plus or minus 6 volts when a large 120V load ...
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What is the purpose of the electrical distribution neutral wire?
In US and Canada at least, the neutral wire that comes into the house is eventually connected to the local ground inside the main breaker panel.
Since it is grounded, what purpose is served by the ...
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ITE EQ Load Center neutral / ground questions #3
In my 200A ITE main panel there's a feed to a 100-amp sub-panel that’s elsewhere in the basement, via a 100-amp breaker at the bottom of the main panel. The photo shows the wire (#1 AL, I think) and ...
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ITE EQ Load Center neutral / ground questions
The photo below shows the upper end of my main panel which is a 200A ITE EQ Load Center. I have a bunch of questions about grounding and neutrals here but I'll start with one on the design:
At the ...
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Why is my outlet failing shortly after being rewired? [closed]
I was working in the gas station and had a scorched outlet. I removed the outlet. The white wire was jumped over to the bare copper wire. I have never seen this before, so I called an electrician. He ...
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KASA Smart Switch Wiring with Many Existing Neutrals
I am running into an issue issue installing a 3-way and a dimmer switch into a 2 gang box. Both of the current switches seem to have a painted over connector (images below). Maybe I can get by with 2 ...
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Do these light switches have neutral wires?
My house was built in 1979.
I know that certain smart light switches like Kasa require a neutral wire.
Here I have photos of 2 light switches (3 photos of the first, and 2 photos of the second).
Do ...
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NEMA 10-30 Ground & Neutral Bonded
Remodeling a 1970’s era condo. The current dryer receptacle has a NEMA 10-30R on a 30 amp breaker. While we are going to be using gas instead of a 240v dryer, I decided to pull the plate and make sure ...
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Generac GP8000e/Need to be grounded? Remove Neutral?
I have a Generac GP8000e generator that I plan on back feeding the main panel of my home with the portable generator, power inlet box L14-30a and breaker. First, I will install an interlock between ...
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How Can I Install 3 Way Smart Switches That Require Neutral
I'm trying to replace 2 sets of three way switches with smart switches.
One end of each set requires neutral, and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a straight forward way to accomplish that with ...
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How to size neutral if only/mostly 240 being used in an outbuilding?
I'm running a line to an outbuilding where the main use will be as a 48A vehicle charger. At most 2 120v circuits, one 20A and one 15A lighting. If I have #2 conductors, will a #2 neutral be ...
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Changing out GFCI disconnect for new hot tub
I purchased a new hot tub. On the current disconnect, using an ohmmeter, I get 0 ohms between the bare conductor and white neutral. I wired the original box and had it inspected but not sure how in-...
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Sharing Neutrals - How To Correct?
I have a 12/3 NM cable landing on two separate 20 amp breakers sharing a neutral between the two. They are landing on a Dishwasher/Garbage Disposal outlet.
I understand this is NOT to code since there ...
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240v panel-no neutral
This is the culmination of a few posts (Disconnecting 240 hots without disconnecting neutral?, 240v only subpanel, no ground?) to see if this seems right.
I had a subpanel A with 20A double pole ...
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Should my smart switch be connected to the neutral wire from another cable?
I installed a Leviton smart switch in a 3-way circuit and the corresponding coordinating switch in the picture (right switch). The lights function as they should using both switches.
However, I ...
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240v only subpanel, no ground?
I'm running a subpanel (new) back to my main area (main is full) so running it off another subpanel that was already there (old).
I really only need this to feed my welder which is 240v only (plug is ...
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200 amp subfeed off Siemens panel
I ran out of space in my "main" (sub)panel (A siemens PN4040B1200C) (my real main panel is the meter-main combo on the exterior of my house), so I'm trying to install another subpanel next ...
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Alternatives to running a single Neutral wire?
I have a switch box with two switches. I'd like to replace one of them - a single-way switch controlling a light in the hallway (which is controlled by no other switches) - with a smart switch. The ...
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Why would bridging Neutral and Ground trip a GFCI breaker?
I have a main breaker + GFCI combo breaker in my panel. I decided to do some work on an outlet and accidentally bridged ground and neutral, with the room breaker off and the live wire dead. The GFCI ...
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How do I check if my outlet's ground and neutral are connected correctly?
When we moved to a new house I noticed a strangely wired up outlet:
For this outlet, I am really suspicious whether the grounding is messed up and mixed up with the Neutral.
Normally Neutral and the ...
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Living room light, bedroom and AC switch are not working. I checked both switch, both have power coming in also the neutral. Lost of neutral
It was a generator
Well I checked the distribution board for power which was there in all the breakers. The neutral had light in it when tasted with a tester so I left to check the wire for the light, ...
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Can neutrals be landed in an old panel which acts as a junction box?
I have a metered panel which had been stripped down and wires jumped over to new panel. The feed is still here but also jumped over. Can I land my neutrals from the new panel inside of the old main ...
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Identifying neutral wire in switch box
I have a two-switch junction box where the switch on the left is a 6-way switch and the switch on the right is a 3-way. I'd like to swap the 3-way switch out for a Lutron smart switch and require a ...
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Figure out which neutral to use
I have these two switches in the same box, that I want to replace with smart switches. That sit on two different breakers, so I assume, I cannot use the same neutral for both. However, right now, both ...
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Can I wire an outlet off of this switch?
I have a three way switch that I would like to wire a regular wall outlet off of. The wall outlet would be wired off of the switch in picture #2. The black wire in picture 2 has constant 120V to it. ...
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No neutral wire in outlets
So I'm trying to install a smart light switch with a neutral wire. Since the switch is next to a socket, I told myself I could take a neutral wire from there...
Opened the light switch and socket and ...
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How to I add new light switch with ground wire/screw if old switch had no ground screw?
I have an old light switch that I want to upgrade. The old switch does not have a ground screw (see second image) so the bare copper ground wire is just tied to the metal box with a screw (see "B&...
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Alternative GFCI Wiring in Strict 240V Scenario?
I have a strict 240V wiring situation (i.e., two hots + ground, no neutral) with a hot tub as the only load on the circuit. Now, I think it’s very prudent (and generally mandated) to have a local ...
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Voltage on disconnected neutral wire of GFCI outlet
I’m changing the switches around the house and some of the boxes are mixed light switch / GFCI outlet. After turning off the power, opening one of the boxes and pulling out the switches and outlet, I ...
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Open Neutral, circuit not connected at the panel and too may receptacles on one circuit
Beginner here, I am trying to figure out as much as I can before I call in an electrician.
I have a receptacle in my breakfast area showing open neutral. I turned off the power and checked all other ...
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Why are there so many neutral wires in light switch and how do they work with a smart dimmer light switch?
I am having difficulty installing a smart dimmer light switch.
I have 3 switches, 2 switches are on one breaker and one is on the other breaker. The problem I believe has something to do with the ...
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Lights flickering
I have a off grid solar system with 110-120v pure sine inverter. All my outlets work with power but GFCI blinks red every min or so and my all my LED lights flicker when on. I feel like I'm not ...
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3 hot wires one neutral gfci
I want to install a GFCI outlet into my laundry room because this house is old and has no ground. The outlet in the laundry has 3 hot conductors and one neutral with no ground. Can I wire the 3 hot ...
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Can I install a new 120v circuit in this panel as configured?
I believe I found the answer. I was able to track down the now retired electrician who did the work. I have two meters on the main electric company service box. This box comes INSTALLED with ...
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No neutral at electric meter
I'm runing power to a barn. I'm getting the power from my electric meter that powers the whole property. I ran conduit underground from meter pole to to a breaker box I installed in the barn. I ran 3 ...
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2 gang switch in bathroom, replacing exact switch with timer -- question on neutral
I have a bathroom with a switch for a fan, and another switch for a light. I replaced the light switch with a decora switch. For the fan, I'm using a smarter switch that has buttons for setting the on-...
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Microwave on A leg causes B leg voltage to increase, neutral issue, but how to diagnose?
I'm having an issue with flickering LEDs, the PoCo came out and upgraded my service with a brand new transformer and wiring, they did a power survey before and after and said their side is good now. ...
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Dimmer without neutral?
I live in an old but gut renovated apartment. There is a ceiling light fixture (LED based) in the living room. It is controlled by two-way switches. I want to add a dimmer to control the light. The ...
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Where to retrofit bond of ground to neutral (same service to multiple buildings)
I had a well pump installed and in the process discovered the significance of tying all metal surfaces together by EGCs to provide a path back to neutral.
Diagram is attached for reference.
The ...
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Why are there three sets of wires for two switches, and how to wire up the neutral?
Background
I have two light switches that I am planning on replacing with smart switches.
As the diagram below shows, there are three "collections" of wires coming out of the wall, where ...
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What does it mean if the electric is out in a room, but the breaker is not tripped?
Earlier today I noticed a light go out, and of course everything else that was in the room went off as well. I went to the breaker box to check and see if the one for that room had tripped, but it had ...
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Wiring Diagram for Connecting two 100A sub panels to a 200A main panel
I have an outdoor 200A meter/panel combo box (Eaton MBX816B200BTS). Currently, I have 100A going to my house. I would like to add an additional 100A circuit at the meter panel to provide electricity ...
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3-way smart-switch installation: How do I re-claim the white (currently) traveler to be a neutral?
I'm trying to upgrade some light switches to smart switches that require neutral wires. I did a couple single pole switches months ago which, with some trial and error, worked fine. I'm stuck on at ...
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Does it mean that I have a bad service neutral when putting load on one of the legs, causes voltage fluctuation at the mains?
I've noticed that when I turn on a microwave on one of my circuits, there is a 10-13VAC drop on that circuit and unrelated circuits on the other leg experience a rise of 10-13VAC.
I was trying to ...
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Open neutral wire at the breaker panel
We just moved into our house and the previous owner remodeled the master bathroom. There is a GFCI outlet in the master bathroom and it was ungrounded and I took it out and discovered that the ground ...
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Can I connect two neutral wires from a Single pole switch and a 3 way switch to a set of neutral wires as shown in the picture?
I am replacing these two switches with smart switches (Brand:Kasa). One of the smart switch is Single pole another is a 3-way switch. Both switches will need their neutral wires to be connected. My ...
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Which is the live, neutral and earth wire?
Currently doing a small renovation and replacing all the lights around the house. I have just dismantled the previous lighting, and trying to figure out which one is the live, neutral and earth.
The ...
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