Why would be neutral be tied to a hot?

[zhaddock]

The outlet under my sink that the disposal plugs into went dead yesterday. I pulled the outlet out and found that there's three pieces of romex coming into the box. On two of the wires the neutrals are tied to the outlet. The third neutral is wire nutted with two of the hots and the third hot is wired to the outlet.

Why would the neutral be tied in with the hots?

Thanks!
Z

 

[couch67]

usually when a wire is no longer used the neutral is tied to the hot to prevent it from being hot in the wall (it would blow the fuse if someone tried to wire the other end back into the panel). But I would double check those connections with a meter before touching anything just to be sure there is nothing funny going on.

 

[Norcal]

The outlet under my sink that the disposal plugs into went dead yesterday. I pulled the outlet out and found that there's three pieces of romex coming into the box. On two of the wires the neutrals are tied to the outlet. The third neutral is wire nutted with two of the hots and the third hot is wired to the outlet.

Why would the neutral be tied in with the hots?

Thanks!
Z

You sure it's not a switch leg that was not reidentified as a hot?

 

[couch67]

Norcal that makes total sense. Not enough coffee yet today.

zhaddok, some troubleshooting with a meter should tell whether its the switch or the plug. What Norcal refers to wire not being reidentified, the white wire being used as a hot going to the switch needs to have black tape or other marking close to its conntctions to indicate that its hot.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Sounds like a switch leg to me. If so, twke a sharpie and color it black

 

[zhaddock]

I'm a dummy, it was a switch loop. Got it all sorted out. Thanks!

 

[alfredeneuman]

What Norcal refers to wire not being reidentified, the white wire being used as a hot going to the switch needs to have black tape or other marking close to its conntctions to indicate that its hot.

That rule did not apply until the State adopted the 1999 NEC. (States didn't necessarily adopt it until years later)
Any wiring done previous to that date it is unlikely they marked them

 

[nadogail]

When a job is bid at the lowest possible price, it is not uncommon for shortcuts to be taken. For that reason, someone neglected to re-identify the white wire.

 

[grounded-b]

It wasn't code to re-indentify the white wire, black. It IS code to use the white wire, in a 2 conductor cable type system, as the "hot" feed, to the switch, then the returning "switch leg" is required to be black.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Just for a reference Kansas (where the OP is from) as of Nov 2020 is still on the 2008 NEC. Using this criteria as a guide, the 1999 Code (and the resulting rule as to the marking of the white wire) wouldn't have been adopted until 2011.