It would be a matter of concern if the wiring of your outlet is not correct right! Because it can damage your electrical appliances. It can also harm you severely.
While checking your outlet did you find the neutral to ground voltage 120v?
It is not the normal voltage the neutral to ground should contain. Typically in normal load conditions, the neutral to ground should contain 2v or less. If it is higher than this then the connection is reversed. And you need to place the neutral and ground wire correctly before any accident happens.
Let’s jump in here and see how you can fix this issue. And save yourself from getting injured.
What Should Be The Neutral to Ground Voltage
There is a common trait that 120v receptacles are always wired correctly. But sometimes there can be a fault as well. It is commonly found that neutral and ground wires are reversed or shorted.
This problem may be unfound or undetected for a long period of time. Because many loads aren’t that sensitive to polarity.
Because power supplies generally convert AC to DC. That’s why electronic loads may be indifferent to AC polarity. For that reason, you may not face trouble even if your wiring is reversed.
But you can’t say anything about the accident right! That’s why you should be always cautious about the right voltage of your wire connections. Generally in normal load conditions, the neutral to ground voltage stays around 2v.
You can also face issues with plugging in an electrical outlet. But that’s not a hard task to do for sure.
Why is the Neutral to Ground Voltage is 120v [How to Fix it!]
There is a high chance of the reversed connection of your neutral to ground connection. There is a simple way to check if the neutral to ground connection is reversed or not. You need to check the hot to ground and hot to the neutral voltage under load.
You will find more difference if the load is higher. You can find the hot to ground voltage is less than the hot to neutral voltage. Then you should get that the neutral to ground voltage is reversed.
Because the hot to ground voltage should always be higher than the hot to neutral voltage. These problems are mainly found in the old houses. Those houses can also have problems like the gas oven turning on by itself.
There is another way to find out if the neutral to ground voltage is reversed or not.
The black wire which is the positive/hot should be on the golden screw of the outlet. The white wire which is the neutral should be on the silver screw. And the green wire which is the ground should screw on the downside of the outlet.
When the neutral to ground polarity is reversed that means the neutral is placed on the ground. And the ground is placed on the neutral.
But you can fix it very easily within just 5 mins if you follow my given steps accordingly.
What if the Neutral to Ground Polarity is Reversed [4 Easy Steps to Fix]
If you find the neutral to ground polarity is reversed, then correct it immediately. But if you are tensed about fixing it on your own, no worries at all. Just follow these 5 simple steps and you will be done with it.
Besides this, you should also know how to remove backstab wires. But let’s fix the reversed wire first.
Step 1: Remove the Power
Safety first! right? Before working with the wiring you must disconnect everything connected with it. You can leave a note on the power panel so that people can know about your work.
Step 2: Check the Wiring
Unscrew the screws on the outer side of the outlet. Pull the outlet out and check all the wiring closely.
You will find that the white wire which is neutral is on the ground screw. And the green wire which is the ground is on the silver screw which is for neutral. So this means the neutral to ground polarity is reversed.
Step 3: Place the Right Wire to Screws
You have already got that the neutral to ground wire is placed reversed. Unscrew both the neutral and ground wire.
Place the white wire which is neutral to the silver screw and tighten the screw properly. Then place the green wire to the ground screw and also tighten the screw properly.
If you don’t tighten the screw up properly it can cause a short circuit. Keep that in mind and don’t forget to tighten the screws up.
Step 4: Place the Outlet Correctly
When you are done with doing the wiring correctly push down all the wires. Place the outlet correctly on the spot and screw it up.
Hey, don’t forget to add the faceplate to the receptacle. Otherwise, it will definitely look awful right!
And you always need to take proper precautions while installing the outlet right!
This is how you can fix your reversed neutral to ground wire within a few minutes. Now let me suggest to you some good quality outlets in case you change the old one:
| Products | Price |
These are the most commonly used outlets in the market. These little devices can protect you from huge accidents.
FAQs
Question: Why does my neutral wire have voltage?
Answer: Sometimes you can see voltage on the neutral wire. But there is nothing to worry about. Here neutral wire is conducting the voltage from the hot wire. If you feel unsafe about that just disconnect all the wires from the circuit.
Question: Can I get shocked from a neutral wire?
Answer: Yes it is possible to get shocked from a neutral wire as well. Sometimes the neutral wire can hold current. So, when you touch that, the current can go through your body and you can get shocked. Be careful when you touch a live wire.
Question: Should neutral wire have voltage?
Answer: Basically it is said the neutral wire has no voltage on it. So it should be zero voltage. The zero voltage means there shouldn’t be any presence of electricity in that wire. The neutral wire is also called the negative wire.
Conclusion
I hope from this article you have got why is neutral to ground voltage 120v right!
As it is the problem of reversed wiring, don’t make any delay to fix it. Use my easy fixing procedure to get it done within minutes.
Till then have a safe and healthy life!