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Open Neutral


Stephen Dinelle

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2001 Safari Zanzerbar 

Location of outlet: Under the microwave.

So the old outlet needed to be replaced as the test button was no longer working. My mistake was not identifying what wire went where. 

Put the tester on and it indicates an open neutral. I reversed the white wire and still same issue. I reversed the black wires just in case and yes the black is hot. I opened the panel and verified that the neutral side was still secured.

I have an electrician coming (yes liscened electrician), family friend. 

Any suggestions or ideas I hate to waste his time on such a minor issue.

TYIA & BK

Stephen 

 

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I agree with Richard about the outlet being a GFI outlet.  The wires connecting to the outlet are what you might call daisy chained.  That is why there are two of every color.  There are several types of outlets.  Most of the ones used in RV's are push on wire type.   You are better served letting a electrician fix your issue.  Chuck B 2004 Windsor

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So i did kinda the same here at the house,(stick an brick) i managed to connect the hot on the wrong position. As you have both sides of the GFI i placed one wire on the top left terminil, i then placed the other on the lower right terminil…. It would not work period! So i used my multi meter an i had power so i raised the right side wire from the lower right terminil to the upper right terminil. Come to find out the lower terminils are for IF your using the GFI to protect another circuit down stream of that plug, so input at the top & others on the bottom…

i broke the golden rule by reading instructions…

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Stephen,

Assuming you are comfortable with a volt meter, you should use the instructions in the packing. Verify which black is power, whites are neutral - no power between them and or ground. Neutral from the power panel with the positive or black wire should have 120V 

Load is the power receptacles down stream from the GFI should all have no continuity to ground all open.

Follow the instructions on the packaging, is my recomendation.

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Not real clear and other posts touch on a potential issue. If there are only 3 wires, black, white, and bare, inside a jacket, they should go to the supply (line) side of the GFCI. By having a white that is giving you an open neutral, it appears you may have a second set of three wire that are used to feed a downstream outlet (load). These will go as a set on the load terminals of the GFCI and will be protected just like the GFCI outlet is. Wire groups can not be mixed on the line and load terminals on the GFCI. The black and the white of electrical feed (line) must have the same current or the GFCI will trip and therefore must be connect to the supply (breaker). The GFCI is also looking for the white neutral and the bare ground to not be connected downstream of the GFCI.

Some GFCIs will have two places on the line terminals to plug in a black/white wires. This is used to pass the unprotected by GFCI power to another outlet. 20 years ago GFCI's were very expensive, over $50. The load terminals were used to pass GFCI protect power to a second outlet, maybe a different bathroom. When I remodeled, I passed the power thru to the second bathroom and installed a GFCI as the outlet for that bathroom. Breaker at panel still limited total current to 20 amps. Two hair dryers in different bathrooms could trip a breaker, same as b4. Having two GFCI's allows a nuisance trip from mis-plugging in something to be reset in the second bathroom.

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