Hi,

I was moving around a room and noticed my wife wanted her desk elsewhere. I decided to, since she would have her computer on it, check the outlet she would be moving to.

It seemed old so I changed it. I noticed before I changed it that with my GFCI tester, all sockets on this circuit were fine (2 right lights solid). I also noticed that the ground wires were sloppily twirled together and one was touching one of the neutral wires. I was hoping this wasn't the reason for it looking like it is grounded.

After wiring up the new receptacle I found that this and all of the other receptacles were showing an open ground. I put my tester in each one and put my pliers between the ground and neutral on the socket I just wired and each one showed as grounded.

- Did I do something wrong by pulling the ground away from the white wire?

- All of the sockets have a ground wire in their cables. Shouldn't I be grounded now? If so, what could be causing this?

- And most importantly, I also noticed that when I touch my wand tester (voltage sensor) to the screws, it lights up shows voltage. I touch the screws with my shoes off standing on the ground floor and I don't feel a shock.

?? So in this current state, is there a chance of fire? Shock? ??

This is in my basement where in the summer it can get pretty humid. I'd prefer the ground to be working and might call an electrician to come over but I'd like some options first. I'd also hope that there is no chance of fire due to this change.

Not sure that it would do any good but I put a GFI receptacle in replacement of what I thought was the first receptacle in the circuit.

Thanks in advance for any help you're able to provide.

Joe

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PS - I have a similar reading on the circuits upstairs where no ground exists. Most of the receptacles up there are 2 pronged though. Still, what worries me is not just the lack of ground but the fact that my voltage sensor lights up when I put it over the screws.

Hi. Some more observations.

First, while nothing is plugged into the receptacles after the controlling switch and the switch is on, I get the following:

GFCI Tester shows Open Ground - Voltage sensor finding voltage on the plate screw.

From here on out, GFCI Tester will be abbreviated as "GT" and Voltage Sensor as "VS".


I noticed while my Belkin surge protector is plugged in and off:

Receptacles:
GS is correct with right light dimmer than middle light.
VS shows no voltage on the plate screw.

Another switch controlling a light after the receptacle in the circuit's Plate Screws:
VS Shows voltage


While the Belkin Surge Protector is plugged in and on:
GS shows Hot and Neutral reversed.
VS shows charge on the plate screw.

I'm not sure why the readings are different when the Belkin Surge protector is plugged in. I assume it is due to whatever mistake is going on with the wire.

Is there a way to test if the ground is actually going to ground on a switch?

Souns like the equipment ground is opened, or not connected,someplace in the circuit. You had a unintentional ground with the neutral/ground short, which must not be allowed. SO disconnecting the ground from the neutral is correct.

The surge protector is giving you faulty readings due to the electronics inside. Do all testing with out it plugged in, or any appliance for that matter.

Any miswire is a possibility of shock or fire.

Unless you understand circuitry, and grounding, your best bet may be to call in a good service/troubleshooting electrician to trace and correct the wiring.

I thought the equipment ground seemed like it is missing, especially since all of the receptacles seem to be wired correctly. Last night I removed every one of them to take a look at the wires to see if everything looked OK and they all seemed fine. Though, I didn't get to check the flourescant light that is hooked up yet.

I did notice that the switch controlling that light had a ground wire that just wasn't attached to anything and the switch that controlled the whole circuit had its 2 grounds just buried in the metal junction box which in retrospect I probably should have left alone (I tied them together but the junction box is not being touched by ground now because I didn't have another ground wire to tie in). Considering this junction box is touching wood that is something I'll have to take care of ASAP.

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Is the missing equipment ground something that would cause the Voltage Sensor to show voltage on the plate screws? That is the part that makes me think it is a miswire but I don't know for sure. Also, is it normal for a continuity tester

Is the missing ground something that can cause a fire? Is it the same risk as when people used to not have ground in their homes? I'm not asking to be snyde but because I'm thinking the only way to get the ground set up right is to have someone come put it in.

Lastly, how does one tell that the ground on other circuits is valid. In other words, to the GFCI tester, it looked like ground existed on this circuit. Then I noticed that it was only because the neutral was touching ground on one of the receptacles. How can I know this isn't happening in the rest of the receptacles showing ground?