# Stumped with hot on ground



## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

voltage on the nuetral is not a big issue...old systems had the ground and nuetral tied together often under the the same landing screw. 50 volts in a resi setting could be from as an example the cloths dryer...dishwasher motor ect..120 volts sounds like you have polarity flipped somewhere...check your recp's first..:thumbsup:


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## dave2001 (Oct 15, 2012)

RGH said:


> voltage on the nuetral is not a big issue...old systems had the ground and nuetral tied together often under the the same landing screw. 50 volts in a resi setting could be from as an example the cloths dryer...dishwasher motor ect..120 volts sounds like you have polarity flipped somewhere...check your recp's first..:thumbsup:


voltage (120VAC) is on bare ground, not on neutral. Wires all the recp's seem okay except the two recp's about 5 feet away from another that had the disconnect ground that was 120V to a good ground and 0V to the hot. There's not 240V on this breaker and it doesn't look as if this neutral is shared by any 240V line. The neutral is tied at the transformer and not other tie is seen for 120V. The 240V appliances were not turned on and seems to have their own neutral for neutral and grounding. The 240V appliances may have some 120V circuits. Don't know why connecting only the down stream ground drops the ground wires voltage to 50V from 120V. 
Could there be a dead rat on the hot to ground wire in the attic or wall?


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

If that ground is floating there maybe a nail thru ur hot leg kill power and check conntinuity between grd and hot legV


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

What you have here is an open neutral in the affected circuit, ans somebody bonded g to n somewhere in those rooms.


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## RMatthis (Nov 9, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> What you have here is an open neutral in the affected circuit, ans somebody bonded g to n somewhere in those rooms.


What he said :thumbsup:


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## dave2001 (Oct 15, 2012)

After removing the sheet rock, a staple was shot throw the cable. Likely shorted out (hot to neutral) and burned out part of the staple which still had residual conductivity to give the 50 VAC when reconnected but not enough to blow the breaker. The entire cable was replaced to fix the problem. End of string.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

dave2001 said:


> .... End of string.


string ? what is this string of which you speak ?


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## dave2001 (Oct 15, 2012)

dave2001 said:


> After removing the sheet rock, a staple was shot throw the cable. Likely shorted out (hot to neutral) and burned out part of the staple which still had residual conductivity to give the 50 VAC when reconnected but not enough to blow the breaker. The entire cable was replaced to fix the problem. End of string.


correction it was a hot to ground short that burned out the staple.


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## dave2001 (Oct 15, 2012)

wildleg said:


> string ? what is this string of which you speak ?


End of string of message. Didn't expect any more replies.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

dave2001 said:


> End of string of message. Didn't expect any more replies.


Wow. That doesn't come across as pompous.

-John


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