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    dan moore's Avatar
    dan moore Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Mar 5, 2009, 03:04 PM
    How do u find an open neutral
    I have an electrical circuit in my house that does not work. The breaker is good and has not tripped. I have good volts from power wire (black) to ground (green) but not from power to neutral (white) can not find any lose white connections. Any ideas. Thanks
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
    		  
    #2

    Mar 5, 2009, 03:17 PM

    Did you trace that circuit's neutral back to the panel and check the screw for tightness? Are your outlets all daisy chained in a long series or were pigtails used in each outlet box?
    slashalot's Avatar
    slashalot Posts: 7, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Mar 6, 2009, 12:03 PM
    Sorry to jump in here but, is there a code reason for one or the other? Is it personal reason? My house ( built in 1993) seems to be daisy so I continued the same method.
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #4

    Mar 6, 2009, 12:09 PM

    The pigtailing method is a lot safer. In that method the hots and neutrals are connected with wirenuts and a small hot and neutral pigtail is connected to the outlet

    If the screws loosen for whatever reason, it only affects that outlet.

    There have been posts here suggesting that pigtailing the neutral is mandatory.
    stanfortyman's Avatar
    stanfortyman Posts: 5,598, Reputation: 279
    Electrical & Lighting Expert
    		  
    #5

    Mar 6, 2009, 12:30 PM
    Pigtailing the neutral is only mandatory if there is a multi-wire (shared neutral) branch circuit in that box. Once the MWBC is split up, pigtailing the neutral is no longer mandatory.

    I feel with newer device pightailing is not really necessary. As long as you do a good job of terminating the wires.
    Stratmando's Avatar
    Stratmando Posts: 11,188, Reputation: 508
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    #6

    Mar 6, 2009, 05:05 PM

    I would check for power between the Black and green, then turn off breakers off one by one until that circuit goes out. Then look for all recepticles nearby that are out(lost power), then check the neutral in the bad box or one next to it. It could also be in a switch box, light box, or junction box.
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