Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
m...
Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?



Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?

If it works, the neutral can not be open and the tester is wrong.

If it does not work, the neutral can be open and you have not wired it
correctly, assuming it was wired correctly to start with.

On Apr 17, 8:01*pm, "Ralph Mowery" wrote:
"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message

m...

Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?

Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?

If it works, the neutral can not be open and the tester is wrong.


I don't know how the tester reacts to a switched ground and
neutral, ie if it can detect it or not. But you could wire an
outlet, connecting the ground instead of the neutral and it
would pass the above test, but still not be correct. Doubt
a cheap tester is going to find that though.

I'd also try the tester in some other outlets.

In article ,
"Ralph Mowery" wrote:

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
m...
Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?



Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?
I plugged in the pool cover pump and it worked. That is probably the
thing that draws the most current of things I plug in there. Does that
qualify? The only other thing would be edger. Would that be a better
test?


If it does not work, the neutral can be open and you have not wired it
correctly, assuming it was wired correctly to start with.

It worked for 20+ years and I moved the wires from the old one to the
new one individually so it should be okay.

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz

Circuit tester. You mean the thing that plugs in, and has three bulbs?

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message


Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?
I plugged in the pool cover pump and it worked. That is probably the
thing that draws the most current of things I plug in there. Does that
qualify? The only other thing would be edger. Would that be a better
test?

Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?



*Assuming that it is wired correctly, check to make sure that the ground
wire is not touching the neutral terminal.

What does the tester do on other outlets? What kind of
tester is it? The kind with the 3 lights? I don't see how
that kind of simple tester could show a missing neutral
and have the outlet work, which it obviously does.
The GFCI and outlet would work with the ground and neutral
reversed upstream of the GFCI. However I don't see
how the basic 3 light tester would figure that out.

If the tester does the same thing on outlets on other
circuits, then it's a bad tester. If not, then we have a
mystery.....

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
m...
Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?
I plugged in the pool cover pump and it worked. That is probably the
thing that draws the most current of things I plug in there. Does that
qualify? The only other thing would be edger. Would that be a better
test?


The pool pump is fine to run the test. I was thinking something very low,
like a clock.

As others mentioned, I was thinking the tester you are using is one of the 3
light bulb types. If it works correctly in other outlets, I don't see how
it can show an open neutral.

One other thing to check is plug the tester into both sides of the outlet.
If it works in one and shows open on the other side, your pump will
probably only work on one side. This may mean the connection strip is
broken on the neutral side.

On Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:14:53 -0400, Kurt Ullman
wrote:

In article ,
"Ralph Mowery" wrote:

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
m...
Just got done changing out a GFI outlet on the box next to my pool. It
looks like everything is working okay, but the circuit tester indicates
an open nuetral. Anything I need to look for or can I safely ignore it?



Have you plugged anything in the socket that uses a reasonable ammount of
current and does it work ?
I plugged in the pool cover pump and it worked. That is probably the
thing that draws the most current of things I plug in there. Does that
qualify? The only other thing would be edger. Would that be a better
test?


If it does not work, the neutral can be open and you have not wired it
correctly, assuming it was wired correctly to start with.

It worked for 20+ years and I moved the wires from the old one to the
new one individually so it should be okay.

If the outlet works, it's wired properly. Go to the hardware store and
buy another tester. They're under $10. If that one shows the same
defect, something is wired wrong, such as reversing the hot and the
neutral wires. Hot should go to gold screws, neutral to silver ones.
GFI boxes normally show the correct wiring. I suspect the tester is
bad. If it's not the tester, you can always give the spare tester as a
gift. I can guarantee that if the neutral was open, nothing would
operate on that outlet. (unless you got the ground wire connected to
the neutral screw, which is unlikely since the ground is either bare or
green, and you'd have to almost do it intentionally).

In article ,
"Ralph Mowery" wrote:


As others mentioned, I was thinking the tester you are using is one of the 3
light bulb types. If it works correctly in other outlets, I don't see how
it can show an open neutral.
This apparently solved the problem. It shows open neutrals on three
other circuits on three different floors of the house. So, apparently
sometime in the 3 months since I used it last, something broke.
Thanks to all for the help.

.

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz