You, or someone before you, has violated one of the color rules.

Green or bare wire goes to ground. There should be ground screws
on the receps. Metal boxes should have a ground stinger.

White wire goes to the silver colored screw. If anyone has done
this wrong upstream it will give you the signal.

Colored wire, usually black, goes to the brass colored screw. A
recep will work if wired incorrectly, but will result in a back
fed neutral.

A switch leg at a switch has only ground and an interrupted hot.
Using Romex, an electrician uses both the black and white as hots
through the switch to operate the light. The white is NOT a
neutral in this circumstance.

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______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Paul" wrote in message
ps.com...
hello - I am adding a couple of outlets in my unfinished
basment,
something I have done before (though never in this house - new
(1985)
house)
However, with this circuit, when I add an outlet
(black/white/ground
NM), and I test the outlet with circuit tester , I get
"hot/neutral
reversed".
When I flip the switch that I believe is at the end of this
circuit,
(this switch controls an overhead light, and only has cable
going into
it) my circuit tester (on my "new" outlet) changes from
"hot/nuetral
reversed" to "hot/ground reversed". As far as I know, there is
nothing
(outlet, junction box, switch) between my new outlet, and the
wall
switch.
The light switch has a black wire, and white wire that has been
painted black going in, as well as bare ground.
Any suggestions as how to wire outlet, re-wire wall switch?
Many thanks,
-paul