# 10/4 ac90 induced voltage?



## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Probably.


----------



## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

You really should get a wiggy or low impedance mode meter.

If it's not in your budget yet, pick up a $2 edison pig tail socket.
Load the circuit, if there is still voltage, it's not induced.


----------



## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Phillipd said:


> We wired up a 60 gallon water heater in a barn and ran a whip for a second 60 gallon that’s going to be added today. We ran 10/4 bx to a 4x4 box then ran 10/2 to each drop. With the one hooked up on it showed 241v and the switched off breaker was showing 10v to ground and 15.5v between while the connected one was on. Turn the first one off then the second one showed 0v. It’s about 100’ run of 10/4 bx, would it just be an induced voltage from the other 2 wires? No sign of a short


Once again, an apprentice/helper is installing works without the benefit of an experienced trusted capable competent and qualified journeyman.

If you were working with someone who is competent qualified capable and experienced as you should be, you would’ve been informed that you’re not seeing any induced voltage rather you are reading through an extremely sensitive digital electronic multimeter what the voltage is on the pair of wires that parallel the pair you were testing.


----------



## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

LGLS said:


> If you were working with someone who is competent qualified capable and experienced as you should be, you would’ve been informed that you’re not seeing any induced voltage rather you are reading through an extremely sensitive digital electronic multimeter what the voltage is on the pair of wires that parallel the pair you were testing.


Hmmm ... that sounds like induced voltage, how else could it read the voltage on the other pair ... or is this another talk to text **** up


----------



## Phillipd (Jan 7, 2020)

LGLS said:


> Once again, an apprentice/helper is installing works without the benefit of an experienced trusted capable competent and qualified journeyman.
> 
> If you were working with someone who is competent qualified capable and experienced as you should be, you would’ve been informed that you’re not seeing any induced voltage rather you are reading through an extremely sensitive digital electronic multimeter what the voltage is on the pair of wires that parallel the pair you were testing.


Lol I won’t tell Kevin you said he is incompetent, he’s been licensed for 35 years and has had his own business for 15, he was there and that’s what he said. I was just asking the brain trust


----------



## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Phillipd said:


> Lol I won’t tell Kevin you said he is incompetent, he’s been licensed for 35 years and has had his own business for 15, he was there and that’s what he said. I was just asking the brain trust


Well you let Kevin know that the brain trust has spoken. Just because your digital multimeter says you have 28 V or 40 V or 60 V on something, does not necessarily mean that it does. Oh, it may have a potential of 80 V, but not if that voltage Hass to be used to actually drive any actual load. This is why it was suggested you carry around an incandescent lightbulb screwed into an Edison socket. It can even be one of those small little 5 to 7 water 10 white golf ball lightbulbs. Dip the whole thing in an Apoxsee and make it a permanent bulb that can’t break screwed into a socket with two leads. The next time you find sync you found a strange voltage on something and it’s within the 0 V to 150 V range on your digital multimeter, put the lightbulb into that as a load and see if you still see that voltage. Then you will understand and learn exactly what an induced voltage does to a digital multimeter, – something that would never happen to an analog multimeter that has a needle that goes up and down the scale driven by an electromagnet .

Just because something is brand new and modern, does it mean make it the end all be all tool especially when it comes to diagnostics. Sometimes, older is better. (And that includes workers.)

Now you go put your Bluetooth connected hands-free wireless headset on and listen to your Spotify through your smart phone wise ass and leave us old fogeys to do what we do best, – passing our wisdom and our knowledge onto you young whippersnappers.


----------



## Phillipd (Jan 7, 2020)

LGLS said:


> Well you let Kevin know that the brain trust has spoken. Just because your digital multimeter says you have 28 V or 40 V or 60 V on something, does not necessarily mean that it does. Oh, it may have a potential of 80 V, but not if that voltage Hass to be used to actually drive any actual load. This is why it was suggested you carry around an incandescent lightbulb screwed into an Edison socket. It can even be one of those small little 5 to 7 water 10 white golf ball lightbulbs. Dip the whole thing in an Apoxsee and make it a permanent bulb that can’t break screwed into a socket with two leads. The next time you find sync you found a strange voltage on something and it’s within the 0 V to 150 V range on your digital multimeter, put the lightbulb into that as a load and see if you still see that voltage. Then you will understand and learn exactly what an induced voltage does to a digital multimeter, – something that would never happen to an analog multimeter that has a needle that goes up and down the scale driven by an electromagnet .
> 
> Just because something is brand new and modern, does it mean make it the end all be all tool especially when it comes to diagnostics. Sometimes, older is better. (And that includes workers.)
> 
> Now you go put your Bluetooth connected hands-free wireless headset on and listen to your Spotify through your smart phone wise ass and leave us old fogeys to do what we do best, – passing our wisdom and . our knowledge onto you young whippersnappers.


Hahaha good stuff and that is a very good idea thank you. I dont do Bluetooth have no idea what Spotify is and I hate earbuds lol I’m damn near 50 and think I’m way past the young whipper snipper stage in life but as an electrician I may as well be. Always lots to learn.


----------



## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

If you really want to be sure, Megger the cable to ground and phase to phase. 
Like others have said it’s likely phantom voltage and a low z meter, or solenoidal meter will load it until it disappears.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Touch the conductor to ground and the voltage will magically disappear.


----------



## Cosmorok (Jun 3, 2019)

brian john said:


> Touch the conductor to ground and the voltage will magically disappear.


After I've done that, where do I put all the magic smoke?

Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk


----------



## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

Cosmorok said:


> After I've done that, where do I put all the magic smoke?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G991W using Tapatalk


If you wired it right there wont be any sparks or smoke

Volts x Amps = Watts; watts is a measurement of power
volts alone will not give you watts/power and you cant have amps without volts

if you are trying to verify that you wired it correctly, kill the cct and use ohms
otherwise go get the light bulb pigtail socket, screw a bulb in it and check voltage to ground, (not phase to phase) like you were told earlier
when you get tired of breaking the bulb, buy a mechanical wiggy, not electronic (moving the solenoid to move the pointer requires actual watts)

voltage on a conductor that is not connected to anything is always there because the ends are floating
hold one lead of your digital meter on a voltage source and leave the other disconnected, you will not necessarily see the supply voltage, but there will be some present
now see what it reads with neither end connected, might be zero, might not

believe it or not these things are part of learning to read your meter, and not every meter will read exactly the same as the other one


----------



## Quickservice (Apr 23, 2020)

emtnut said:


> You really should get a* wiggy* or low impedance mode meter.
> 
> If it's not in your budget yet, pick up a $2 edison pig tail socket.
> Load the circuit, if there is still voltage, it's not induced.


Many electricians either don't know or forgot about the good ole Wiggy.


----------



## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Explain how you would get 10-15V that was anything other than induced voltage on an unconnected wire. Inquiring minds want to know.


----------

