How to Determine a House's Electric Hot Wire
In the best of all possible worlds, qualified professionals who followed existing codes and never made mistakes would wire all houses. Unfortunately, mistakes are made and many homeowners repair or remodel circuits without realizing the importance of proper wiring methods. The hot wire should be attached to the smaller of the two slots in a modern, three-hole outlet. Testing an outlet for proper wiring will take only a few minutes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Set your meter to measure the proper voltage range. Standard household current will be between 110 and 120 volts. The meter must be set higher than this range to prevent damage to the internal circuitry.
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Insert the first probe in the shorter of the two slots in your outlet. Insert the second probe into the outlet's grounding hole.
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Read the meter's voltage output. A reading of 110 to 120 volts indicates the hot wire is in the correct position. If your reading is zero, remove the probe from the short slot and insert it into the longer slot. A reading of 110 to 120 volts in this position indicates that the hot wire has been connected to the outlet's neutral terminal.
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Tips & Warnings
Readings of zero in both positions indicates an open or disconnected ground wire. This condition should be repaired before using the outlet. Properly grounded outlets are required by code and reduce the risk of injury and property damage.
Read and follow manufacturer's instructions for safe operation of your voltmeter or multimeter. Attempting to test current with improper settings can damage your test instrument.
Handle test probes by the insulated handles only. Do not touch the bare metal portions of the probe while performing any test.
References
- Photo Credit Light Switch and Outlet image by Towards Ithaca from Fotolia.com
