Electrical outlets

[Tortuga]

 

An inexpensive tester is a good way to ensure your home electrical outlets are wired correctly.

 

If an outlet is wired incorrectly it could possibly cause an electrical shock and injury. 

 

Typically home appliances and tools are wired so the electricity goes to the On/Off switch before going to the device, however if the outlet is wired incorrectly the electricity will flow through the device to the switch. That wouldn't seem to be a problem if the switch is off, however if the device isn't properly insulated it could allow the electricity to flow through the device and cause electrical shock and injury.

 

Take the time to test the outlets in your home.  

 

 

 

[carlos]

32 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Typically home appliances and tools are wired so the electricity goes to the On/Off switch before going to the device, however if the outlet is wired incorrectly the electricity will flow through the device to the switch. That wouldn't seem to be a problem if the switch is off, however if the device isn't properly insulated it could allow the electricity to flow through the device and cause electrical shock and injury.

I don't understand this. I only remember vaguely my electricity classes at school but, isn't polarity indifferent in AC? There's no way electricity can go through the device if the switch is off, is there? Electron's don't go to the edge of the switch and wait there for the light to turn green.

 

Unless what you mean is that the ground pin is connected to current. I have no idea of which consequences that might have. Probably nothing good.

[On the huh]

If its a single pole switch, and wired reverse polarity, then you will be switching the neutral, not the live or line feed.  A double pole switch will switch on/off both live and neutral.

Lights if reversed, means you light switch could be switching the neutral and not the live.  Why its always best to check with a tester before you undertake any maintenance, as what you think is off, could actually be on.

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, carlos said:

I don't understand this. I only remember vaguely my electricity classes at school but, isn't polarity indifferent in AC? There's no way electricity can go through the device if the switch is off, is there? Electron's don't go to the edge of the switch and wait there for the light to turn green.

 

Unless what you mean is that the ground pin is connected to current. I have no idea of which consequences that might have. Probably nothing good.

Household electricity is in AC (Alternating Current) however the normal flow is from the circuit breaker to the outlet to the device switch through the device and back to the common service neutral line. If the outlet is wired incorrectly the power from the circuit breaker to the outlet to the device and then to the switch. That wouldn't be a problem except that if you ground the device by touching it, your body could complete the circuit to ground. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Tortuga

[Qapla]

This is how it is in the US

 

This could also be an issue with appliances that have metal cases, like a toaster. The case of the toaster should be connected to to neutral side of the line voltage to prevent electrical shock to the user - in the event the user becomes "grounded" while touching the metal case.

 

To prevent accidental reversal, most receptacles in the US have a wide slot and a narrow slot and the appliances have a wide spade and a narrow spade on the plug.

 

 

The wide slot/spade should be the neutral.

 

If the plug has a "ground" prong, the round one, the other two spades may be the same size since a grounded plug cannot be plugged in backward.

 

Additionally, if the appliance is "double insulated", common in appliances with non-metal cases or switches, the two spades may also be the same side since there is no need to worry about the hot/neutral position.

 

I do not know how this is handled in other countries.

[esctec]

On 8/2/2019 at 12:27 AM, Qapla said:

This is how it is in the US

 

This could also be an issue with appliances that have metal cases, like a toaster. The case of the toaster should be connected to to neutral side of the line voltage to prevent electrical shock to the user - in the event the user becomes "grounded" while touching the metal case.

 

To prevent accidental reversal, most receptacles in the US have a wide slot and a narrow slot and the appliances have a wide spade and a narrow spade on the plug.

 

 

The wide slot/spade should be the neutral.

 

If the plug has a "ground" prong, the round one, the other two spades may be the same size since a grounded plug cannot be plugged in backward.

 

Additionally, if the appliance is "double insulated", common in appliances with non-metal cases or switches, the two spades may also be the same side since there is no need to worry about the hot/neutral position.

 

I do not know how this is handled in other countries.

Eu has uses 230V 50Hz and has 3 different wall sockets. britain (uk) has the (savest)  each plug has a fuse.  3 connectors neutral, live and ground: fits one way only
then there is a wall socket with no ground (c). and 2 seperate once with ground plug (eEF)
the no ground socket is 2 holes  and the plug kan go in both ways (F)
the one with ground connector  (randaarde) is the plug kan go in both ways, the other only one way (penaarde)
on top of this there is a Camping or street connector street vendors  one blue plug (cee) that only fits one way
 

[Golfguy74]

On 2/24/2019 at 10:52 AM, carlos said:

I don't understand this. I only remember vaguely my electricity classes at school but, isn't polarity indifferent in AC? There's no way electricity can go through the device if the switch is off, is there? Electron's don't go to the edge of the switch and wait there for the light to turn green.

 

Unless what you mean is that the ground pin is connected to current. I have no idea of which consequences that might have. Probably nothing good.

Hot wire should go to switch first, typically a black wire. The white wire or neutral goes driectly to the device. Ground, green wire or bare would go to the ground. If you wire the hot to the neutral the cassis or case could be hot. White is the current carrying ground or center tap on the trasnformer. Green is non current carrying ground. Sounds like a good way to kill someone. Switch on the neutral side would allow for power on the device and touching the device, you coul dbecome the neutral, or path to ground. That is deadly.

On 2/24/2019 at 10:14 AM, Tortuga said:

 

An inexpensive tester is a good way to ensure your home electrical outlets are wired correctly.

 

If an outlet is wired incorrectly it could possibly cause an electrical shock and injury. 

 

Typically home appliances and tools are wired so the electricity goes to the On/Off switch before going to the device, however if the outlet is wired incorrectly the electricity will flow through the device to the switch. That wouldn't seem to be a problem if the switch is off, however if the device isn't properly insulated it could allow the electricity to flow through the device and cause electrical shock and injury.

 

Take the time to test the outlets in your home.  

You can buy these with GFCI testing buttons. Good to test you GFCI's, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor outlets at least once a year.