Electrical issue has stumped me!

[farphle]

Alright guys, I have a circuit that services a bedroom/bathroom/hallway that shows Hot/Gnd reversed on my little outlet tester. I found this when replacing an outlet and noticed that it was wired incorrectly (Gnd connected to neutral). I wired it correctly THEN the problem showed up! It kills all of the outlets except one.

I've checked EVERY outlet, switch, light, and the AFCI breaker on this circuit and there are no reversals and no open neutrals. I even inspected the wiring in the attic looking for chewed wires. Everything is wired correctly except for the one outlet. I put the wiring back the way it was (wrong) and everything tests fine, but it worries me since it's a hazard.

Any ideas? I don't know what else to do besides rewire the circuit (which I need to do anyway) to simplify, lessen the load, and get rid of the aluminum wiring.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Follow the circuit back to its source,go box to box till you find where its fed from.
Have you checked the tester on an other circuit to confirm its working right?
You have an afci on a circuit with aluminum wiring?On a new circuit with a dedicated neutral its easy enough to make it work,but if you have shared neutrals its really going to complicate trying to make the afci work right.

 

[Mustang51js]

You are missing the neutral,so need to find where or run a new one from somewhere

 

[dw1]

If you have aluminum wiring, your house is older, how did you come about the AFCI on this circuit? anyone add something? if all the outlets are wired polarity correct and showing reversed, have you checked the AFCI breaker? What about the bathroom? anything added or changed in there

 

[alfredeneuman]

It just may be time to call in a Professional

 

[rockwithjason]

duplex receptacles have a small bridging jumper that connects the two outlets together. look to see if the jumper is broken.

 

[alfredeneuman]

You are missing the neutral,so need to find where or run a new one from somewhere

Besides numerous Code violations the AFCI wouldn't work and would trip instantly if he did as you say.

 

[KenC]

Alright guys, I have a circuit that services a bedroom/bathroom/hallway that shows Hot/Gnd reversed on my little outlet tester. I found this when replacing an outlet and noticed that it was wired incorrectly (Gnd connected to neutral). I wired it correctly THEN the problem showed up! It kills all of the outlets except one.

I've checked EVERY outlet, switch, light, and the AFCI breaker on this circuit and there are no reversals and no open neutrals. I even inspected the wiring in the attic looking for chewed wires. Everything is wired correctly except for the one outlet. I put the wiring back the way it was (wrong) and everything tests fine, but it worries me since it's a hazard.

Any ideas? I don't know what else to do besides rewire the circuit (which I need to do anyway) to simplify, lessen the load, and get rid of the aluminum wiring.

Explain the sentence I bolded above. I assume it opens the circuit????
/which outlet is left operating? first? last? in relation to the one you changed?

 

[Zeke]

You need to do a continuity test on the neutral wires from outlet to outlet or, as you said, pull in new wires. I have seen a nail that has nicked a wire and the circuit lasted for years. Then one day the nail won. It doesn't take much with AL wire.

 

[justsam]

I agree with Mustang, there is an open neutral on the run to that receptacle, and some hack is using the EGC (ground) as a current carrying conductor. That wire run needs to be replaced. Your tester is misleading in that if HOT/GRD were reversed clearly the receptacle would not work.

Just to be sure we are talking an AFCI and not GFCI? Is there a GFCI anywhere on the branch circuit? Clearly if there were any form of GFCI ahead of this receptacle, you could not do what has been done wihout it tripping.

 

[farphle]

Thanks for the help/suggestions! There IS a GFCI on this branch and it has to be before the receptacle in question. The one with the ground to neutral only has one cable of 12/2 in the box. I've made up my mind not to waste another minute troubleshooting this mess. I'm going to rip it all out and re-do it.

 

[Mustang51js]

Besides numerous Code violations the AFCI wouldn't work and would trip instantly if he did as you say.

Assuming its on the same circuit or add old outlets onto new circuit can you point out the numerous code violations on your google search

 

[alfredeneuman]

Assuming its on the same circuit or add old outlets onto new circuit can you point out the numerous code violations on your google search

You didn't say it was going to be on the same circuit. You just said "somewhere".

There's the problem of overloading the neutral if you pick a different circuit that's on the same leg.

300.3
(B) Conductors of the Same Circuit. All conductors of the same circuit and, where used, the grounded conductor and all equipment grounding conductors and bonding conductors shall be contained within the same raceway, auxiliary gutter, cable tray, cablebus assembly, trench, cable, or cord, unless otherwise permitted in accordance with 300.3(B)(1) through (B)(4).

For one. I didn't use a Google Search