Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light and 2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem. If it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the romex in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle. Thanks for
you usual good support. John

Your cable has three wires in it: Black, which is hot, White, which is
neutral, and bare, which is ground. Your tester is telling you that it
doesn't detect a neutral. Check your neutral connects
"JohnF" wrote in message
news
Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light and 2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem. If
it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit
would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the romex in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle. Thanks
for
you usual good support. John

Thanks for the input. I still don't understand how the circuit can have
power in it if the neutral is not connected. Is there a tutorial somewhere
anyone might know of that could explain these basics. Thanks again. Best
to all in the new year.


"RBM" rmottola1(remove wrote in message
...
Your cable has three wires in it: Black, which is hot, White, which is
neutral, and bare, which is ground. Your tester is telling you that it
doesn't detect a neutral. Check your neutral connects
"JohnF" wrote in message
news
Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light and
2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem. If
it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit
would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the romex
in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any
useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't
know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle. Thanks
for
you usual good support. John

JohnF wrote:
Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light
and 2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what
that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem.
If it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit
would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the
romex in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any
useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't
know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle.
Thanks for
you usual good support. John

If real loads like lamps work, then you're right, the hot and neutral
must both be basically ok.

If there's really no neutral then I agree that I don't understand how
the tester "has power". Might it use the ground? Hmmm.

Anyhow, be aware that these LED testers can show random results if
anything is plugged in to any other socket on the same circuit. Might
this be the case?

Chip C
Toronto

According to Chip C :
If there's really no neutral then I agree that I don't understand how
the tester "has power". Might it use the ground? Hmmm.

Those little LED testers are nothing more than three LED and series
dropping resister pairs, connected between hot&ground, hot&neutral,
and ground&neutral.

If your neutral wire is out, only the hot&ground light will go on.

It's supposed to have hot&ground and hot&neutral, but not neutral&ground
come on.

If the neutral&ground comes on, your hot and neutral are probably reversed.

[Reversing hot and ground takes some doing.]

Anyhow, be aware that these LED testers can show random results if
anything is plugged in to any other socket on the same circuit.

Only in extremely unusual circumstances that _also_ mean something's
wrong with the circuit.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

John, you can have"power" which is to say the hot leg is live, but to
complete the circuit you need to have a continuous neutral as well. The
ground wire and the neutral essentially go to the same place, so you will
get a reading using it
"JohnF" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the input. I still don't understand how the circuit can have
power in it if the neutral is not connected. Is there a tutorial
somewhere
anyone might know of that could explain these basics. Thanks again. Best
to all in the new year.


"RBM" rmottola1(remove wrote in message
...
Your cable has three wires in it: Black, which is hot, White, which is
neutral, and bare, which is ground. Your tester is telling you that it
doesn't detect a neutral. Check your neutral connects
"JohnF" wrote in message
news
Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light
and
2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what
that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem.
If
it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit
would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the romex
in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any
useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't
know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle. Thanks
for
you usual good support. John

"JohnF" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the input. I still don't understand how the circuit can have
power in it if the neutral is not connected. Is there a tutorial
somewhere
anyone might know of that could explain these basics. Thanks again. Best
to all in the new year.


"RBM" rmottola1(remove wrote in message
...
Your cable has three wires in it: Black, which is hot, White, which is
neutral, and bare, which is ground. Your tester is telling you that it
doesn't detect a neutral. Check your neutral connects
"JohnF" wrote in message
news
Calling electrical gurus............the tester reads one green light
and
2
not lit which it says means open neutral. Can someone tell me what
that
means and what conditions I need to look for to correct the problem.
If
it
means the neutral is not connected I don't understand how the circuit
would
have power. I added a branch line using Romex. I connected the romex
in
the existing metal box with the existing BX cable if that adds any
useful
info. The BX cable is connected directly to the main panel. I don't
know
if this condition existed before I added the branch receptacle.
Thanks
for
you usual good support. John



Double check with a multimeter.

Except for a multiwire circuit, which I presume this is not if you installed
it, you must have a neutral for a circuit. But do you have a circuit? You
did not say if the outlet works properly. Why were you testing it?