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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. Tested
using Snapit 3 light circuit tester. I found two outlets that had "hot/neutral reversed" [HNR from here on out]. Now I obviously cannot and would not attempt any repair for perhaps 10 reasons (I have checked out a good 30 postings on the subject). What I am asking is under what circumsances will I KILL myself. One of the HNR outlets is next to a good outlet. So if I have a floor lamp plugged into the good outlet and another lamp plugged into the HNR and I touch both lamps (presumably in good electrical condition), am I going to be zapped? The lamps clearly would not have a ground type plug. Am I less likely to die if both appliances are grounded? One grounded one not??? I have to assume that if there is any electrical fault in the lamp (or appliance), then I am going to be in trouble. I am NOT using the HNR that is next to a good outlet. The one HNR that is pretty isolated is being used but I presume the only exposure here is using the vac or any long corded appliance. I also will not use the HNR with a computer or accessories. While I will bring this up with the landlord, I do not want to cause undue alarm. Wes in NJ |
#2
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Typically lamps are not grounded. The "hot" wire should connect to the
tongue in the socket and the neutral connects to the threaded part of the socket. The likelihood of you getting electrocuted by this is probably extremely small. wrote in message oups.com... Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. Tested using Snapit 3 light circuit tester. I found two outlets that had "hot/neutral reversed" [HNR from here on out]. Now I obviously cannot and would not attempt any repair for perhaps 10 reasons (I have checked out a good 30 postings on the subject). What I am asking is under what circumsances will I KILL myself. One of the HNR outlets is next to a good outlet. So if I have a floor lamp plugged into the good outlet and another lamp plugged into the HNR and I touch both lamps (presumably in good electrical condition), am I going to be zapped? The lamps clearly would not have a ground type plug. Am I less likely to die if both appliances are grounded? One grounded one not??? I have to assume that if there is any electrical fault in the lamp (or appliance), then I am going to be in trouble. I am NOT using the HNR that is next to a good outlet. The one HNR that is pretty isolated is being used but I presume the only exposure here is using the vac or any long corded appliance. I also will not use the HNR with a computer or accessories. While I will bring this up with the landlord, I do not want to cause undue alarm. Wes in NJ |
#3
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Well, it depends upon whether the lamps have polarized plugs. If they
don't, you could actually have the same situation with two correctly-wired outlets if one lamp is plugged in with the hot and neutral reversed because the plug is upside-down. I would guess that IF the lamp's base is grounded you could hurt yourself in your scenario, but I can't see your lamps. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smart Mind (sm) |
#4
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
FYI: the body of the fixture should not under normal circumstances be
connected to either the hot or the neutral wire "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Typically lamps are not grounded. The "hot" wire should connect to the tongue in the socket and the neutral connects to the threaded part of the socket. The likelihood of you getting electrocuted by this is probably extremely small. wrote in message oups.com... Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. Tested using Snapit 3 light circuit tester. I found two outlets that had "hot/neutral reversed" [HNR from here on out]. Now I obviously cannot and would not attempt any repair for perhaps 10 reasons (I have checked out a good 30 postings on the subject). What I am asking is under what circumsances will I KILL myself. One of the HNR outlets is next to a good outlet. So if I have a floor lamp plugged into the good outlet and another lamp plugged into the HNR and I touch both lamps (presumably in good electrical condition), am I going to be zapped? The lamps clearly would not have a ground type plug. Am I less likely to die if both appliances are grounded? One grounded one not??? I have to assume that if there is any electrical fault in the lamp (or appliance), then I am going to be in trouble. I am NOT using the HNR that is next to a good outlet. The one HNR that is pretty isolated is being used but I presume the only exposure here is using the vac or any long corded appliance. I also will not use the HNR with a computer or accessories. While I will bring this up with the landlord, I do not want to cause undue alarm. Wes in NJ |
#5
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
wrote in message .... Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. That is a rather dangerous situation. What if you MUST turn off the breaker? What if you plug in something and trip the breaker? If you cannot resolve that situation, consider moving. |
#6
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
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#7
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
do not connect the hot to one hand, and the neutral or ground to the
other hand, to electrocute your heart muscle. all beginner electricians keep one hand in their pocket at all times. instead of living with a shock hazard, 1. go to walmart electrical department and buy 2 portable GFI's. around $10 each. plug one into an outlet and it will trip before allowing you to get killed. 2. use one to test all your appliances and outlets for a shock hazard. handle your questionable lamps to test them this way in both on and off modes. 3. the landlord won't be too excited if an electrician replaced your troublesome outlets at your expense. 4, the lamp shock hazard is reduced by the manufacturer when the hot appears at the center socket terminal to the lightbulb. this is accomplished when using a polarized plug in a properly wired outlet. a digital multimeter will allow you to identify the plug's short hot prong versus the neutral taller prong and correct any miswired lamps. |
#8
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message . .. : : wrote in message : ... : Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. : : That is a rather dangerous situation. What if you MUST turn off the : breaker? What if you plug in something and trip the breaker? If you cannot : resolve that situation, consider moving. : : Yeah, that struck me, too. Completely unacceptable. I'm wondering if the OP simply doesn't know where the breakers are and/or is afraid to bother asking. |
#9
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... FYI: the body of the fixture should not under normal circumstances be connected to either the hot or the neutral wire Key woird here is "normal." What is that? Much of today's stuff is trash. Do NOT assume that this is the case. Also old equipment can have the insulation worn out and contacting the body, wires could be frayed and contact the body, bug bodies between wire and body, etc. Unless checked out, play it safe and do not use the reversed outlet for anything in questionable or untested condition. It should not damage any equipment, but personal safety is in question. "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message ... Typically lamps are not grounded. The "hot" wire should connect to the tongue in the socket and the neutral connects to the threaded part of the socket. The likelihood of you getting electrocuted by this is probably extremely small. wrote in message oups.com... Rental apartment situation ... no access to circuit breakers. Tested using Snapit 3 light circuit tester. I found two outlets that had "hot/neutral reversed" [HNR from here on out]. Now I obviously cannot and would not attempt any repair for perhaps 10 reasons (I have checked out a good 30 postings on the subject). What I am asking is under what circumsances will I KILL myself. One of the HNR outlets is next to a good outlet. So if I have a floor lamp plugged into the good outlet and another lamp plugged into the HNR and I touch both lamps (presumably in good electrical condition), am I going to be zapped? The lamps clearly would not have a ground type plug. Am I less likely to die if both appliances are grounded? One grounded one not??? I have to assume that if there is any electrical fault in the lamp (or appliance), then I am going to be in trouble. I am NOT using the HNR that is next to a good outlet. The one HNR that is pretty isolated is being used but I presume the only exposure here is using the vac or any long corded appliance. I also will not use the HNR with a computer or accessories. While I will bring this up with the landlord, I do not want to cause undue alarm. Wes in NJ |
#10
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Sorry I couldn't get back on line as the thread has gone too far. I
thank all for their input. I know the situation has to be dealt with, but as I originally said, I just wanted to have some backup that it should be dealt with sooner rather than later. I should have mentioned that this is a multifamily dwelling with the live in landlord having access to the circuit breaker, and actually that is a side issue to my main concern (the HNR outlets). We just moved in and I have to go with the presumption that the prior tennant had absolutely no problem with the HNR outlets. I am sure there will be no problem with the landlord calling in his electrician. Thanks, Wes |
#11
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"Pop" wrote in message : : Yeah, that struck me, too. Completely unacceptable. I'm wondering if the OP simply doesn't know where the breakers are and/or is afraid to bother asking. That's possible. I'm just thinking it could be an apartment in a converted single family and the downstairs tenant has the breaker box. I can visualize a smoking receptacle and waiting until the landlord comes home from vacation so you can turn the breaker off. -- Ed http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/ |
#12
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
wrote in message I am sure there will be no problem with the landlord calling in his electrician. I'm sure he is just happy to spend $200+ to make a tenant happy. |
#13
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
According to Joseph Meehan :
It is safe to use any device or lamp that does not have a polarized plug (one with one prong larger than the other so it will only fit in the outlet one way). Most devices with polarized plugs are also safe, but it may not be easy to be sure. I would avoid using any polarized plug device in those outlets. I would also suggest contacting the owner and having it fixed. There is NO difference between a polarized plug fixture and a non-polarized plug fixture other than the fact that the plug is polarized. The only reason that bulb fixtures are polarized, is that a correctly wired outlet puts the neutral (less hazardous) on the base shell - which you might come in contact with while changing a bulb. If the hot is on the base shell (from a reversed outlet), the base is hot EVEN IF the light switch is off (because the switch switches the neutral!). In other words, with a correctly wired outlet (and non-defective fixture), a polarized receptacle guarantees you can't electrocute yourself from accidentally touching the base shell of the bulb or fixture, switched on or not. As a corrollary, with unpolarized fixtures, or, polarized fixtures on an hot-neutral reversed outlet, you will want to consider unplugging the fixture before changing the bulb. It's not necessary on a polarized fixture on a correctly wired outlet. -- Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them. |
#14
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Chris Lewis wrote:
According to Joseph Meehan : It is safe to use any device or lamp that does not have a polarized plug (one with one prong larger than the other so it will only fit in the outlet one way). Most devices with polarized plugs are also safe, but it may not be easy to be sure. I would avoid using any polarized plug device in those outlets. I would also suggest contacting the owner and having it fixed. There is NO difference between a polarized plug fixture and a non-polarized plug fixture other than the fact that the plug is polarized. There may be differences in how well guarded electrically live parts may be, I just would not count on it. It is always best to be conservative when it comes to electrical problems. The only reason that bulb fixtures are polarized, is that a correctly wired outlet puts the neutral (less hazardous) on the base shell - which you might come in contact with while changing a bulb. If the hot is on the base shell (from a reversed outlet), the base is hot EVEN IF the light switch is off (because the switch switches the neutral!). In other words, with a correctly wired outlet (and non-defective fixture), a polarized receptacle guarantees you can't electrocute yourself from accidentally touching the base shell of the bulb or fixture, switched on or not. As a corrollary, with unpolarized fixtures, or, polarized fixtures on an hot-neutral reversed outlet, you will want to consider unplugging the fixture before changing the bulb. It's not necessary on a polarized fixture on a correctly wired outlet. -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#15
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message .. . wrote in message I am sure there will be no problem with the landlord calling in his electrician. I'm sure he is just happy to spend $200+ to make a tenant happy. Well, Ed, if the guy gets injured or worse and the landlord has to explain to the insurance company and whatever attorneys get involved he will be a whole lot unhappier. He is collecting rent. The premises he is renting should be safe. Charlie |
#16
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Joseph Meehan wrote: Chris Lewis wrote: According to Joseph Meehan : It is safe to use any device or lamp that does not have a polarized plug (one with one prong larger than the other so it will only fit in the outlet one way). Most devices with polarized plugs are also safe, but it may not be easy to be sure. I would avoid using any polarized plug device in those outlets. I would also suggest contacting the owner and having it fixed. There is NO difference between a polarized plug fixture and a non-polarized plug fixture other than the fact that the plug is polarized. There may be differences in how well guarded electrically live parts may be, I just would not count on it. It is always best to be conservative when it comes to electrical problems. The only reason that bulb fixtures are polarized, is that a correctly wired outlet puts the neutral (less hazardous) on the base shell - which you might come in contact with while changing a bulb. If the hot is on the base shell (from a reversed outlet), the base is hot EVEN IF the light switch is off (because the switch switches the neutral!). In other words, with a correctly wired outlet (and non-defective fixture), a polarized receptacle guarantees you can't electrocute yourself from accidentally touching the base shell of the bulb or fixture, switched on or not. As a corrollary, with unpolarized fixtures, or, polarized fixtures on an hot-neutral reversed outlet, you will want to consider unplugging the fixture before changing the bulb. It's not necessary on a polarized fixture on a correctly wired outlet. -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit Does anyone remember the classical 5 tube AM radio of the 50s, the "all american 5"? The standard design had the chassis connected to one side of the AC line, before polarized plugs were common. Directly, no capacitor or resistor or such. If you were hip, you knew that you could reduce the AC hum a bit by trying the plug both ways, sometimes when the chassis was connected to the neutral rather than the hot there would be an audibly lower hum. Of course, that would keep the chassis from being electrically hot, too. Just to add to the fun, often the chassis was attached to the case with screws whose heads were freely touchable on the underside of the chassis. Oh yeah, those were fun times. |
#17
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
buffalobill wrote: do not connect the hot to one hand, and the neutral or ground to the other hand, to electrocute your heart muscle. all beginner electricians keep one hand in their pocket at all times. instead of living with a shock hazard, 1. go to walmart electrical department and buy 2 portable GFI's. around $10 each. plug one into an outlet and it will trip before allowing you to get killed. 2. use one to test all your appliances and outlets for a shock hazard. handle your questionable lamps to test them this way in both on and off modes. 3. the landlord won't be too excited if an electrician replaced your troublesome outlets at your expense. 4, the lamp shock hazard is reduced by the manufacturer when the hot appears at the center socket terminal to the lightbulb. this is accomplished when using a polarized plug in a properly wired outlet. a digital multimeter will allow you to identify the plug's short hot prong versus the neutral taller prong and correct any miswired lamps. In an apartment I rented a while back, I discovered the hard way that the light fixture under the cabinets, just above the kitchen sink, was wired with the green pigtail from the built-in grounded outlet attached to the hot lead. After I picked myself up off the floor and fervently thanked the Lord my hands hadn't been wet, I investigated and found that, of course, in order to accomplish this feat the armor of the BX cable had been pushed back out of the junction box in the basement so the ground of that whole piece of cable and the outlet could float. Now, just the wiring error might have been a single piece of idiocy. But obviously somebody either kept after this when the fuse kept blowing until they "solved" it, or deliberately set up a death trap. Having it over the kitchen sink made it particularly effective. |
#18
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
z wrote:
Joseph Meehan wrote: Chris Lewis wrote: According to Joseph Meehan : It is safe to use any device or lamp that does not have a polarized plug (one with one prong larger than the other so it will only fit in the outlet one way). Most devices with polarized plugs are also safe, but it may not be easy to be sure. I would avoid using any polarized plug device in those outlets. I would also suggest contacting the owner and having it fixed. There is NO difference between a polarized plug fixture and a non-polarized plug fixture other than the fact that the plug is polarized. There may be differences in how well guarded electrically live parts may be, I just would not count on it. It is always best to be conservative when it comes to electrical problems. The only reason that bulb fixtures are polarized, is that a correctly wired outlet puts the neutral (less hazardous) on the base shell - which you might come in contact with while changing a bulb. If the hot is on the base shell (from a reversed outlet), the base is hot EVEN IF the light switch is off (because the switch switches the neutral!). In other words, with a correctly wired outlet (and non-defective fixture), a polarized receptacle guarantees you can't electrocute yourself from accidentally touching the base shell of the bulb or fixture, switched on or not. As a corrollary, with unpolarized fixtures, or, polarized fixtures on an hot-neutral reversed outlet, you will want to consider unplugging the fixture before changing the bulb. It's not necessary on a polarized fixture on a correctly wired outlet. -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit Does anyone remember the classical 5 tube AM radio of the 50s, the "all american 5"? The standard design had the chassis connected to one side of the AC line, before polarized plugs were common. Directly, no capacitor or resistor or such. If you were hip, you knew that you could reduce the AC hum a bit by trying the plug both ways, sometimes when the chassis was connected to the neutral rather than the hot there would be an audibly lower hum. Of course, that would keep the chassis from being electrically hot, too. Just to add to the fun, often the chassis was attached to the case with screws whose heads were freely touchable on the underside of the chassis. Oh yeah, those were fun times. My memory of those 5-tube jobs is that the chassis was NOT connected directly to the line. Rather the line connection as ground was a floating one, and there was a 0.1 uF capacitor between the true ground and the chassis ground. But this was not always the case, and some of the no-xfmr TVs of the time DID have the AC line connected to the chassis, and the volume and other controls were metal connected to the same chassis, so if the plastic knob was pulled off, there would be real danger. Of course 0.1 uF (or were they larger) also gives a significant connection, too. --Phil -- Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 44555 |
#19
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Give the landlord a reasonable amount of time to make the repairs
needed. 30 days is reasonable. If they aren't completed by then, call an electrician yourself, and deduct the bill from the rent. Make sure you have the electrician write up a detailed report of the problem and resolution. |
#20
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
When I put GFCI in my kitchen there was one box that had two outlets.
I plugged in a radio and turned off breakers until the radio went off. Then, just to be sure, I plugged a circuit tester into the outlet. It was off. So I removed the first outlet. Then I went to remove the second outlet and IT WAS LIVE! Two outlets in the same junction box were on two separate breakers! It pays to be VERY careful. I never, ever expected that. Shaun Eli http://www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smarter Audience (sm) |
#21
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#22
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Shaun Eli wrote: When I put GFCI in my kitchen there was one box that had two outlets. I plugged in a radio and turned off breakers until the radio went off. Then, just to be sure, I plugged a circuit tester into the outlet. It was off. So I removed the first outlet. Then I went to remove the second outlet and IT WAS LIVE! Two outlets in the same junction box were on two separate breakers! It pays to be VERY careful. I never, ever expected that. Shaun Eli http://www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smarter Audience (sm) Unusual in home use, but quite possible. Most outlets have built in jumpers between the two outlets which are designed to be easily severed, leaving separate terminal screws for each. (As of course, you have discovered). So you can have one outlet dedicated to an air conditioner or something, and use the other without blowing the breaker. Not as unusual in laboratories or manufacturing, etc., especially old ones where the total number of outlets isn't huge. |
#23
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Sure, but this was in a kitchen over the counter. No reason I can
think of to have run two separate wires to the same box. And this house was built in the sixties, before many of the power-hungry appliances (food processors, microwave ovens) existed. By the way, when I said two outlets I meant two separate pieces, for a total of four places to plug things in. It was a double-wide outlet box. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smart Mind (sm) |
#24
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Shaun Eli wrote:
Sure, but this was in a kitchen over the counter. No reason I can think of to have run two separate wires to the same box. And this house was built in the sixties, before many of the power-hungry appliances (food processors, microwave ovens) existed. By the way, when I said two outlets I meant two separate pieces, for a total of four places to plug things in. It was a double-wide outlet box. Being in a high-use area such as a kitchen is all the more reason to have it split...certainly not unheard of even if not "routine". Sounds like it was probably a custom-built home where the howeowner/designer actually thought about what they were going to put into the kitchen... |
#25
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Shaun Eli wrote: When I put GFCI in my kitchen there was one box that had two outlets. I plugged in a radio and turned off breakers until the radio went off. Then, just to be sure, I plugged a circuit tester into the outlet. It was off. So I removed the first outlet. Then I went to remove the second outlet and IT WAS LIVE! Two outlets in the same junction box were on two separate breakers! It pays to be VERY careful. I never, ever expected that. Shaun Eli http://www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smarter Audience (sm) Unusual in home use, but quite possible. Most outlets have built in jumpers between the two outlets which are designed to be easily severed, leaving separate terminal screws for each. (As of course, you What you are talking about is a duplex receptacle, with the two plugs separated. I was under the impression that that arrangement was REQUIRED, in Canada. But I also think that OP is talking about a quad-box with the two yokes on different circuts, in which case I'm guessing what he's actually got is an Edison circut where the two legs are on separate breakers, instead of on a duplex. This isn't all THAT uncommon in any situation where you expect to have a lot of plug-in-devices with significant power requirments all clustered together. But when you do that, you're supposed to tie the breakers together, or use a duplex breaker. Since whoever wired this didn't do that, it's worth checking whether they're actually out of phase with each other, because if they're not, he's overloading the shared nuetral. --Goedjn |
#26
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"Shaun Eli" wrote in message oups.com... : Sure, but this was in a kitchen over the counter. No reason I can : think of to have run two separate wires to the same box. And this : house was built in the sixties, before many of the power-hungry : appliances (food processors, microwave ovens) existed. : : By the way, when I said two outlets I meant two separate pieces, for a : total of four places to plug things in. It was a double-wide outlet : box. : : Shaun Eli : www.BrainChampagne.com : Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smart Mind (sm) : Typical in many kitchens. The old refrigerators, freezers, mixers, hot plates, slow cookers, etc. all use a lot of electricity, the older the more most of the time. And electricity was much cheaper back then, so lots of it got used. Also not unusual in garages & shops. Sometimes the splits even go to switches or dimmers instead of another breaker. Lots of reasons to split them up. |
#27
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
To be clear:
Two outlets next to each other, and there's a top and bottom to each, so four appliances can be plugged in at once. The fridge is nearby but on its own outlet on the wall, in a location which was obviously meant for a fridge (I'm the second owner and the kitchen was original when I moved in). The kitchen counters have a lot of outlets, more than I've seen in other houses from the sixties. I checked every single outlet with a circuit tester before I moved in, just to make sure that every outlet was wired correctly and was grounded. They all were, unlike my first apartment. Shaun Eli http://www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smarter Audience (sm) |
#28
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Shaun Eli wrote:
To be clear: Two outlets next to each other, and there's a top and bottom to each, so four appliances can be plugged in at once. .... The kitchen counters have a lot of outlets, more than I've seen in other houses from the sixties. Apparently not a "run of the mill" spec-built house but one built either w/ the original occupant's needs/wants in mind or, possibly, a "demo" unit built as the show house of a new development or for the spring "Show of Homes" week one year. Would have been a reasonably good "higher-end" (but relatively cheap to do) feature for the time...microwave would be a good bet for at least one specific "new-fangled" energy consumer. |
#29
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
According to Goedjn :
What you are talking about is a duplex receptacle, with the two plugs separated. I was under the impression that that arrangement was REQUIRED, in Canada. WAS required. Because of new GFI requirements, and the cost of dual GFI breakers, Canadian codes now permit 20A counter outlets much like the US does as an acceptable alternative. Split receptacles are pretty common in older US homes too. -- Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them. |
#30
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Shaun Eli wrote: Sure, but this was in a kitchen over the counter. No reason I can think of to have run two separate wires to the same box. And this house was built in the sixties, before many of the power-hungry appliances (food processors, microwave ovens) existed. By the way, when I said two outlets I meant two separate pieces, for a total of four places to plug things in. It was a double-wide outlet box. Ahh. In that case, never mind. Actually, now in labs the thing is to put in a row of outlets every foot or two or whatever on the benches, and they alternate circuits between 2 or 3 breakers, 1 2 3 1 2 3 etc. Sometimes they put little colored tags on them to simplify tracing the circuits. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for the Smart Mind (sm) |
#31
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
According to :
Not really that uncommon above a kitchen counter. In Canada, where having a box with multiple circuits that aren't fed by linked breakers is illegal, it isn't that uncommon either. Sigh. -- Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them. |
#32
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
"Chris Lewis" wrote in message ... : According to : : : Not really that uncommon above a kitchen counter. : : In Canada, where having a box with multiple circuits that aren't : fed by linked breakers is illegal, it isn't that uncommon either. : : Sigh. When your life may hang in the balance, which way would you "assume" until you'd proven it out? Read the whole thread to understand. |
#33
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#34
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Electric Outlets - Hot and Neutral Reversed
Two outlets in the same junction box were on two separate breakers! It pays to be VERY careful. I never, ever expected that. Actually, that's the way it should be done or better yet, have the top of the receptacles on one breaker and the bottom on another. The reasoning should be obvious as multiple circuits are required in modern kitchens. If you started poking around in ceiling boxes, actually any junction box other than switch type boxes, you'd find numerous circuits. As to OP. the wiring isn't a problem for all intents and purposes. It never made a real difference before three prong plugs, did it? -- hwm54112 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ hwm54112's Profile: http://www.homeplot.com/member.php?userid=127 View this thread: http://www.homeplot.com/showthread.php?t=59765 |
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