January 5, 2012 By Dave Rongey ©2007-2012Author - Licensed Electrical Contractor Filed under Testing Outlets

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Testing and Repairing Outlet Wiring

Repairing Reversed Outlet Wiring

• One morning last week I had both computers running and a couple of hours later they were dead.
• Resetting the circuit breaker didn’t restore them and my pocket tester reported that the hot and ground were reversed.
• Is this something I need an electrician to fix or should I just turn the breaker off again and reset the wires to the outlets?

Thanks.
- Steve

This electrical question came from: Steve, a Homeowner from Modesto, California.
See more about Home Wiring for California

Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Steve.

Testing and Repairing Outlets Wiring

• Steve, from the information that you have provided the circuit wiring at the floor outlets will need to be corrected, however it is unknown who installed the wiring or why the wiring is reversed.
• When a situation such as this arises then it is best to inspect the entire circuit for any other abnormalities which will be best identified by a qualified electrician who will then be able to make any corrections to ensure circuit integrity.
• Without knowing your level of expertise I can only say that you will have to make the decision about the next step to take.
• Again, I have very limited information about the history of the circuit wiring in question.
• At best, electrical wiring corrections such as this may be fairly easy to resolve once they have been discovered.
• As for the disposition of your computer equipment, we can only hope for the best.

• Electrical Tip

• Having a Circuit Analyzer style plug in tester that will check the power and polarity of your home receptacle outlets is invaluable.
• These handy little testers can test and diagnose outlet wiring with a visual display of three lights.
• This alone may save you a lot of grief.

How to Use Electrical Testers

The Following links will assist you with your testing and wiring electrical outlets:

Electrical Outlet Wiring

• Wiring Electrical Outlets for the Home

• Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done.

Circuit Wiring

• Electrical Circuit Wiring

• This article looks at common 120 volt and 240 volt house wiring circuits and the circuit breakers that are installed identifying the types and amperage sizes used in most homes.
  Electrical Panel Circuit Listing
• How to Install Home Office Electrical Wiring

• Home Office Electrical Wiring

• Fully Explained Photos and Wiring Diagrams for Home Office Electrical Wiring with Code Requirements for most new or remodel projects.
• Using Electrical Testers

• Understanding Electrical Testers

• When working on home electrical wiring using voltage testers can play an important part in electrical safety. Electrical testers enable you to identify electrical circuits and help prevent the possibility of accidental electrical shock.
  Types of Electrical Testers
  Using Electrical Testers

You identified your project to be about Lost Power,
so you might find this information useful:

Why Your Home Lost Power

• How to Identify Lost Power

• Licensed Electrician Reveals the Secrets of Successful Electrical Troubleshooting Methods used to solve the majority of the home electrical problems and wiring failures encountered.