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61971levy · Jun 7, 2007, 08:43 AM

Replaced a regular outlet with a GFI outlet. My 3 light tester shows an open neutral. I checked all my neutral wiring, all tight and tested all the outlets on that circuit. No problems elsewhere. I then put the old outlet back in place and tested, worked fine and the 3 light tester gave me the two yellow lights so that works fine. Could my gfi have an internal open neutral? Should I just buy and hook up a new gfi?

ballengerb1 · Jun 7, 2007, 12:34 PM

If it's the tester I'm picturing shouldn't you be getting two green, not yellow? Try using something a bit more sophisticated like a multimeter.

61971levy · Jun 7, 2007, 12:36 PM

I have a multimeter but the tester I bought I have seen in yellow and red. The one I have is yellow, with one red light on the left and two yellow on the right. Since you suggest using a meter, what should I be looking for?

Washington1 · Jun 7, 2007, 01:50 PM

In recent days, they have found faulty GFI's on the market, so you "may" have one. Yet, we want jump to conclusions. First: With your receptacle in place, plug a lamp in the outlet, and see if the light turns on. If it does, then Re-install the GFI, and make sure you have your wires terminated in the correct termination spots (Line/Load). Now see if your plug tester gives you two yellow lights. If it doesn't, then the GFI is faulty.

If the lamp didn't work, then you have lost a neutral somewhere.

Note: If you want to use your meter to test for correct voltage: Set your meter to voltage reading (V), then install your leads in the long, and short slots of the receptacle. You should get a 119-122 volt reading.

Get back to us, after the above test.

Stratmando · Jun 7, 2007, 06:14 PM

Yes it could have an internal open neutral.
If you put old recpticle back in and you had neutral, and everything fine(hot, neutral, and ground)and then put gfi back in, no neutral and you trip and reset GFI, then plug in lamp, and it doesn't work. Make sure On Line terminals. Replace.
When a GFI Has an unbalanced load, it trips, actually removes both Hot and neutral.
An old test, was to put Wiggy lead into hot, and one into ground. It should trip GFI.
Especially helpful when testing regular recpticles down stream from GFI.

61971levy · Jun 8, 2007, 06:33 AM

Thanks to all, I bought a new gfi last night and it worked fine. My dumb luck to get a bad one.

Stratmando · Jun 8, 2007, 06:50 AM

With those testers, you can have neutral/ground reversed and it will say OK.