ground

[Tony Vargas]

hey you sparkys when using a voltmeter and you test one probe to say a
contactor or relay switch and the other probe to ground screw what is this doing say like when across a switch should read closed zero difference
but one to ground reads 24volts what is this telling you is going on?
Thanks

[Jerry Peck]

Tells me you are reading the contactor pull-in coil which will have (typically) 24 volts on one terminal and ground on the other.

I suspect you are measuring the coil terminal and not the actual contractor terminal.

[Roger Frazee]

hey you sparkys when using a voltmeter and you test one probe to say a
contactor or relay switch and the other probe to ground screw what is this doing say like when across a switch should read closed zero difference
but one to ground reads 24volts what is this telling you is going on?
Thanks

Tony

This is a home inspectors site and generally we do not go into detail answering how an electrical device works our how to troubleshoot electrical circuits. However I do agree with Jerry.

Take your question here Electrical - DIY Chatroom - DIY Home Improvement Forum (http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/) and the electricians that hang out in that forum will answer your questions in detail. Tell them Stubbie referred you if I'm not on line at the time you post..