# Not getting 120 volts from hot to neutral, but 120 from hot to ground



## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Jimmi328 said:


> Not getting 120 volts from hot to neutral, but 120 from hot to ground
> Hello All,
> I’m not getting 120 volts across a hot wire (black) to a neutral wire (white). However; I do get 120 volts across the hot wire to a ground wire.
> I originally replace my old garbage disposal to one that’s more powerful. The hot, neutral, and ground wires (from disposal) run through the wall and up to a basic on/off switch that has an electrical outlet next to it (both 15 amps). After hooking up the wiring and before replacing back in the wall; both on/off switch and outlet appeared to work fine.
> ...


You changed the splice...


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## mpoulton (Jul 23, 2009)

Sounds like you have an open or loose neutral connection somewhere in the circuit. Check all your connections in the neutral path from the disposal back to the panel. There's probably a bad connection there somewhere.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

By square socket, do ya mean a "decora" receptical. Just as above MP and stick said, bet the neutrals wired in the receptical (or in the switch box) came loose. Try remaking them.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Tell us what wires are connect to what other wires and switch connections. Then we might be able to tell you what is wrong. Now it sounds like you have an open neutral.


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## Jimmi328 (May 3, 2013)

Yes, the words “Decora” (Leviton) are in fact on both boxes. I had no clue that neutrals could be wired within the socket or how this works. But I have something to research now.
Re-make them? The outlet and switch appear to be all one piece.
I will be more pacific and post pictures Joe, after the weekend when I have more time. There is an additional black wire in this metal box that has no power on it. It’s next to the hot black wire. No clue what it's for.
Thank you all for the input.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

Jimmi328 said:


> Re-make them? The outlet and switch appear to be all one piece.
> 
> 
> He doesn't mean remake the recepticules !
> ...


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## k_buz (Mar 22, 2012)

I'd be curious to know if it is a switch loop coming from the disposal.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

dmxtothemax said:


> Jimmi328 said:
> 
> 
> > Re-make them? The outlet and switch appear to be all one piece.
> ...


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

k_buz said:


> I'd be curious to know if it is a switch loop coming from the disposal.


My guess is that he changed the splice.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

stickboy1375 said:


> My guess is that he changed the splice.


my bet too .... EDIT: except for the recent post about the renegade black wire


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Jimmi328 said:


> Yes, the words “Decora” (Leviton) are in fact on both boxes. I had no clue that neutrals could be wired within the socket or how this works. But I have something to research now.
> Re-make them? The outlet and switch appear to be all one piece.
> I will be more *pacific* and post pictures Joe, after the weekend when I have more time. There is an additional black wire in this metal box that has no power on it. It’s next to the hot black wire. No clue what it's for.
> Thank you all for the input.


 
But Jimmie... aren't you and Coral Gables closer to the Atlantic?:thumbup::thumbup:

Good going

Peter


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## Jimmi328 (May 3, 2013)

Switch loop? I probable disconnected this wire and don’t remember how it was wired.
Peter: I made sure the breaker was on when I tested the on/off switch. 120 volts travels from hot to ground but not hot to neutral. Yes, I used the wirenuts to splice wire where necessary and of course turned the breaker off before doing so. (Coral Gables is Miami, Coral Springs is north of Ft. Lauderdale).
Stickboy: Perhaps I missed something while splicing but this concept seems so basic.


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

Jimmi328 said:


> Switch loop? I probable disconnected this wire and don’t remember how it was wired.
> Peter: I made sure the breaker was on when I tested the on/off switch. 120 volts travels from hot to ground but not hot to neutral. Yes, I used the wirenuts to splice wire where necessary and of course turned the breaker off before doing so. (Coral Gables is Miami, Coral Springs is north of Ft. Lauderdale).
> Stickboy: Perhaps I missed something while splicing but this concept seems so basic.


Jimmy, I may be wrong, but chances are if there's a white wire in a switch box, it's NOT a neutral, and if the white wire is on the switch, it is definitely not a neutral.


PICS?


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

Bonjour Jimmi .,

Did you any chance you brought this decora receptale with GFCI verison ? if so you may have the netural in wrong place that what prevent it from running.

However you say this is the only switch that go to the garbage dispoal unit and you have a receptale right next to it ? 

If so have you take a photo so we can able assit you on that.

Is other receptales is working as well or is that only one is not working?

And I doubt this is a switch loop but to be on safe side take a photo and count how many cables ( there will be a pair of black et white conductor <wire> for each cable ) then we can able tell where it goes once we get more info.

Merci,
Marc


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## pokey (Nov 24, 2011)

Looks like PACIFIC REFERENCE was missed. Gave me a chuckle


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## Jimmi328 (May 3, 2013)

Marc: I don’t see anywhere on the package the letters “GFCI”.

I bought this house over a year ago which was flipped (previous foreclosure) and it appears an amateur such as myself did some wiring in the kitchen. The wire colors coming into the box could be misleading. Perhaps the pictures will shed some light on what I’m doing. There is a blue wire (top of box) that measure 120 volts in which I added two connectors, one for the on/off switch (disposal) and one for the outlet. I want constant power to the outlet. Three wires come from the disposal (lower part of the box) hot, neutral and ground. The black and white from top of box have NO power and where they come from is unknown. I don’t remember how they were wired.


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## Jimmi328 (May 3, 2013)

Also, I didn’t mention an additional issue because I wanted to keep my questions simple as possible.

First, my garbage disposal never worked and I assumed it was fried; now I think the problem was circuitry.

On the opposite wall in the kitchen there is an outlet which I will call “outlet 2”. This switch has a built in circuit breaker and this circuitry is on a 20 amp fuse. When I would flip the switch for the disposal, I would here a click from outlet 2. When I reset this outlet it worked again. Again what puzzles me is the additional two white and black wires that have no power going to them.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

Based on what I see I think you should get some professional help with these electrical problems. There is more wrong than right in those pics. Even the type of wire nut is wrong.


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## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

which of these wire were attached to the switch?


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## db3058 (May 13, 2013)

With a mess like you have there's also a chance some moron wired a ground to neutral some where. All with wires need to be separated, buzzed out and rewired. If you don't have that expertise, please get a real electrician.


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## Jimmi328 (May 3, 2013)

Hammerlane: Thanks for taking the time to look at this.

A wire and K wire run off of J wire (hot); I hooked up A wire and K wire to the hot terminals of the switch and outlet.
D wire and B wire connects to the neutral terminals on the outlet.
E wire can connect to either terminal on the switch.
H and F wires connects to the ground (green) terminals on the switch and outlet. G is the ground wire from the disposal.
“I wire” is a green wire that comes from in between the drywall and box (don’t know why) and I believe this is ground. F wire is ground and attaches to back of metal box.

Interesting though; when I used the ground wires in place of the B neutral wire, both switch (disposal) and outlet worked as it should. Yes, possibly ground was wired to a neutral somewhere. I assume if I swapped the ground for neutral to make my devices operational, I may create an unsafe situation.

Is there a reasonably priced device available to locate or trace a wire in two different areas in a house? When I used to be in the computer field we used something called a “Fox and Hound”.


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## dmxtothemax (Oct 26, 2010)

[QUOTE= I swapped the ground for neutral to make my devices operational, I may create an unsafe situation.



Definately NOT reccommendded !
This should be rectified ASAP !

There's a good reason why this is not approved,
If for any reason the neutral line becomes faulty or open circuit,
Then everything that is grounded (washing machine) becomes fully live ! 
Quite dangerous !
Please fix asap !


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

A fox and hound could help you trace the wires.

The ground will function in place of a neutral. However, it is not safe for it to carry the current as it could energize parts of the system that are not meant to be hot. The ground should only carry current in the event of a fault.


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