In article .com,
brian wrote:

On Nov 4, 12:31 pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article . com,



brian wrote:
On Nov 4, 10:15 am, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote:
It definitely sounds like an open circuit, but until you do the test,
you
won't know if it's the hot or the neutral leg that's open. You will
probably
find a badly back stabbed outlet is the culprit

"brian" wrote in message

roups.com...

Thanks,

I will check those tests later today. I have not changed any
connections yet.

On Nov 4, 8:06 am, "RBM" rbm2(remove wrote:
Those testers are not reliable in open circuit situations. If you
use a
lamp
in a pigtail socket, test between the ground and hot(small slot),
you
should
get a light. Then test between the hot and neutral, you should get a
light.
If you didn't get the first light, but did get the second, your hot
and
neutrals are reversed, otherwise, you have an open circuit to one or
the
other conductors. As outlet wiring is typically daisy chained, you
want
to
look in the last working outlet on the chain or the first dead
outlet ,
for
the loose connection.

"brian" wrote in message

groups.com...

In reading a few posts here, the H/N reversed readout seems not
all
that uncommon (using a 3 bulb tester). But in my situation no
appliances work from this outlet, which seems atypical of the
posts
I've seem, which seem to say things will work, just un-safely. The
same situation exists at (what I expect) is the next wall outlet
along
this circuit.

Could the 'fix' for these outlets be something other than
reversing
the connections in the box?

I should also add that I think the end of this circuit is at a
never-
functioned ceiling light outlet.

House built 1974. One owner.

Thanks. I know this is very brief, just keeping it simple to
start.

Brian

I ran the test with the lamp trster.

I got a light between the hot and neutral, but no light between the
ground and hot.

What worries me is that other posters say they get the same error
message, yet the outlet still allows appliances to work from it, but
un safely. Where these two outlet boxes I have don't allow any
appliances or light to work.

Is that some thing I should be unduly worried about before I attempt
to look for the 'bad' connection?

Thanks

I don't think you should be unduly worried about anything. Worrying
won't solve the problem. Did you do the ground / neutral lamp test?
Results?

ground-neutral gave a light.

Well then, your hot and neutral are reversed, as someone said. That in
itself could be a safety issue, but shouldn't stop the outlet from
working. If it powers your test lamp, it should power a regular lamp;
that's odd. Time to take it apart and figure out what's going on inside.
Reversed wires somewhere, and most likely a loose connection, too.