Results 1 to 19 of 19
Thread: what was this guy thinking?
-
06-15-2009, 05:12 PM #1
what was this guy thinking?
Just have to wonder what someone was thinking when they wired this. By the way, I pulled the cover and outlet because I didn't trust the "grounded" reading I was getting.
Similar Threads:
-
06-15-2009, 06:29 PM #2
Re: what was this guy thinking?
What's the difference, they are all copper wires.
-
06-15-2009, 06:38 PM #3
Re: what was this guy thinking?
"Yup, that looks right to me. Shove it in and let's plug something into it!"
Gotta admit, I didn't see what you were talking about on the first look. Second look showed it right up.
Erby Crofutt, Georgetown, KY - Read my Blog here: Erby the Central Kentucky Home Inspector B4 U Close Home Inspections www.b4uclose.com www.kentuckyradon.com
Find on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/B4UCloseInspections
-
06-15-2009, 07:36 PM #4
-
06-16-2009, 03:48 AM #5
Re: what was this guy thinking?
Ted,
It seems like most receptacles have the grounded and grounding conductor terminations on the same side. I can't be sure from this photo, but, it looks like the black conductor is on the light colored screws. That would mean the bare grounding conductor is being used as a hot.
-
06-16-2009, 04:58 AM #6
Re: what was this guy thinking?
Suretest showed it grounded.
Yep, black wire was on silver screw, bare copper on dark screw, and white wire on ground screw.
And yes, they are all copper - and here, I thought it was wrong.
-
06-16-2009, 05:26 AM #7
Re: what was this guy thinking?
-
06-16-2009, 08:25 AM #8
-
06-16-2009, 08:58 AM #9
Re: what was this guy thinking?
He could have got it more wrong. He could have grounded the hot.
-
06-16-2009, 10:05 AM #10
-
06-16-2009, 11:46 AM #11
-
06-16-2009, 12:04 PM #12
Re: what was this guy thinking?
Yes the wiring being just screwed up through me off and was not thinking of that silver screw.
If the receptacle wiring goes all the way back to the panel and the ground having no insulation a liitle heat and a good fire could take place. As far as what Micheal said the black does go to ground with that ground wire hooked up on the other side of the receptacle sending juice through that ground wire to the receptacle it came from.
I guess they figured since the ground wire had no insulation on it then it matched more closely the color of the brass screw
-
06-16-2009, 12:43 PM #13
Re: what was this guy thinking?
Maybe not.
It is possible that the other end of that cable is ... did I just say "it is possible that"??? ... er ... in all likelihood ... the other end of that cable is also all screwed up, so it MAY BE that the bare ground is indeed "hot".
Which is why I asked Jack if he got a reverse polarity reading on his SureTest.
It is entirely possible ... even likely?? ... that is screwed up about as much as one can screw up a circuit.
-
06-16-2009, 01:07 PM #14
Re: what was this guy thinking?
polarity scmolarity, my copy of "wiring for bubbas" says if you plug something in and it works=you dun good!
-
06-16-2009, 01:15 PM #15
Re: what was this guy thinking?
Just to play devils advocate here, no disrespect intended but.....
Why did you "not trust" the reading you were getting? Just a hunch or was it something else you discovered in the inspection.
and
why did you pull the cover on the receptacle? And as a general concensus, how many of you inspectors pull cover plates? On occasion, when you feel the need for "further investigation", at every inspection?
Inquiring minds want to know, is there something to be learned here?
-
06-16-2009, 01:22 PM #16
Re: what was this guy thinking?
General rule I keep. If it tests wrong, write it up. If need be due to older wiring or aluminum wiring pull a number of covers off and cive a quick preview of a representive numer of receptacles.
I think Jack was just making the home buyer proud by finding the concern and then pulling it apart to show him what was going on. He got an atta boy for that one
-
06-16-2009, 04:04 PM #17
Re: what was this guy thinking?
According to Tim ( Home Improvement ) " lets see............dirt is black so black is ground, wiye is like the sun..hot........."
-
06-16-2009, 04:43 PM #18
Re: what was this guy thinking?
OK - Suretest showed properly grounded outlet.
I do pull off covers many times, and pull the outlets out sometimes too. I do it when i go to a house that has 2 prong outlets, and some 3 prong, and after checking a bunch of ungrounded 3 prongs, I find one that is grounded.
I have found countless bootleg grounds this way.
I was by myself, so this was not done to impress anyone. It's just the way I do things.
When I am in an old house and find a grounded 3 prong outlet, I will pull the cover off and look for a bare copper on the ground screw. If I can't see one, or it looks like a bootleg ground, or something else, I pull out the outlet.
-
06-16-2009, 05:37 PM #19
Bookmarks