Originally Posted by
Mike Schulz
With my cheap 3 bulb tester ...
Therein lies some of your problems.
(but also not kidding - being truthful)
the neutral bulb would light slightly like current was bleeding over to it when the switch is off.
Current is no bleeding over. I am presuming that you have your night light (your 3 bulb tester
) plugged into the top part which is 'off'.
What causes this. I know by speaking with the electrician that the tab was not cut on the neutral side of the receptacle. He claims it's not a problem and it happens all the time.
Typically, you have 120 volts hot-to-neutral, 120 volts hot-to-ground, and maybe as much as a couple of volts neutral-to-ground (which is nothing to worry about, it is basically just voltage drop across the conductors not quite being exactly the same).
That neutral-to-ground voltage 'could' be lighting it. Those work off sensing static voltage, kind of like a voltage sniffer does. If you take a neon lamp, plug one lead into the hot slot and the neon light will light, even when the other end is in 'free air'.