On Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:14:58 -0600, bud--
wrote:

Twayne wrote:
Phisherman wrote:
On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:12:37 -0800, "Ivan Vegvary"
wrote:


Up in the attic. Have to bring hot wire to junction box with three
legs going out. Each leg goes to ceiling light of different rooms.
YES, I can power them up and the wall switch in each room turns on
its respective light. BUT, what's an easy way to test that I don't
have hot and neutral reversed. The old romex in the attic (two
wire, cloth wrapped) is NOT color coded in any way.

Do I simply drag a neutral wire from a different circuit and probe
the bulb socket in each room? Is there an easier way? My A.C.
voltmeter obviously does not indicate polarity.

All replies appreciated. Sheetrock guy is coming tomorrow a.m. and
I have to solve this today!

Ivan Vegvary


There are plug-in inexpensive testers to tell you from hot and
neutral. Many just plug into an outlet, but I'm sure you can get one
of those screw-in sockets that would allow you to plug the tester in.

I believ those only work if they are used on a circuit with a ground
available. I don't see how they could work with one of those screw-in
socket adapters.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, please.

Jeff

I can't speak for all of them, but mine works on two wire/no earth. In
fact, missing earth is one of the light sequences, right along wiht a
"missing" neutral. It can identify any of the 3 wires are missing. I
suspect they all can, no? This is just a cheapie Radio Shack tester.
GB is the only mfg ID I see on it.

If there is no ground it will tell you that.

But unless you have one I haven't seen, if there is no ground the tester
won't tell you if there is a H-N reverse. That is basically what Jeff asked.

It won't tell you if there is a high resistance (useless) ground.

In an unusual case of N tied to G (which some idiots do when there is no
ground available) and a H-N supply reverse it will indicate "normal".


Actually a cheap NEON tester can tell you a LOT. It will tell you
which side is "hot", if one is. (capacitive connection with your
finger.

It will tell you if the ground is totally open (no "bright" light
across the socket) and it will tell you if you have a significant
ground problem (the ground side lights capacitively with a load
plugged into the socket)