Continuity on hot/neutral at dead outlet





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I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.



Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)



Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit: also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground, 20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?



I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.






electrical







share|improve this question




















  • 4




    1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
    – manassehkatz
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
    – ThreePhaseEel
    3 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago

















up vote
1
down vote

favorite












I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.



Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)



Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit: also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground, 20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?



I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.






electrical







share|improve this question




















  • 4




    1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
    – manassehkatz
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
    – ThreePhaseEel
    3 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago













up vote
1
down vote

favorite









up vote
1
down vote

favorite











I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.



Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)



Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit: also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground, 20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?



I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.






electrical







share|improve this question















I have an outlet that has stopped working.
When it used to work I previously labeled which circuit it was on at the breaker. I'm rather certain I know which breaker supplies it. It also supplies other lights, which continue to work.



Turned off breaker, removed outlet from wall and disconnected from wires. Powered on breaker, and confirm with multimeter no AC measured on bare wires at outlet. (Proving that this is not a faulty outlet.)



Have a continuity tester (part of a tone generator). I am getting continuity across hot and neutral on these wires.
(Edit: also getting continuity between neutral and ground wire, as well. 20 ohms hot/neutral, 1 ohm neutral/ground, 20 ohms hot/ground. WTF??) What does this imply? How could I have done this?



I'm still trying to use the tone generator to trace where the wires feeding this outlet come from, but the continuity is making the signal very weak.






electrical




electrical






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 5 hours ago

























asked 5 hours ago









Phrogz

3831620




3831620








  • 4




    1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
    – manassehkatz
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
    – ThreePhaseEel
    3 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago














  • 4




    1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
    – manassehkatz
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
    – ThreePhaseEel
    3 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
    – Phrogz
    2 hours ago








4




4




1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
– manassehkatz
5 hours ago




1 ohm neutral <---> ground is normal; 20 ohms Hot <--> neutral & ground sounds like you are detecting some other device in the circuit.
– manassehkatz
5 hours ago




1




1




Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
– ThreePhaseEel
3 hours ago




Is there anything plugged into the circuit? Unscrew all the lightbulbs on it and unplug everything attached to receptacles on it, and see if you still get continuity
– ThreePhaseEel
3 hours ago




1




1




Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
– Phrogz
2 hours ago




Thanks @manassehkatz for encouraging me to disconnect everything else until I found the problem (see my answer).
– Phrogz
2 hours ago




1




1




Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
– Phrogz
2 hours ago




Thanks, too, to @ThreePhaseEel.
– Phrogz
2 hours ago










1 Answer
1






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up vote
2
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Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.



I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)



I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
    – DoxyLover
    13 mins ago











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active

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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes








up vote
2
down vote













Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.



I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)



I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
    – DoxyLover
    13 mins ago















up vote
2
down vote













Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.



I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)



I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
    – DoxyLover
    13 mins ago













up vote
2
down vote










up vote
2
down vote









Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.



I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)



I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.






share|improve this answer












Thanks to @manassehkatz I went to all light switches on the same circuit and disconnected them. The outlet retained continuity.



I then traced the wire through the crawlspace to a wall with another light switch that I did not realize was on the same circuit. Opening that box and removing the switches I found that the line to the outlet comes from that box, and I somehow failed to reconnect power to the outlet when I was changing out my dimmer switches. The neutral was connected, but the hot line to the outlet was just loose in the back of the box. (Yikes.)



I'm not sure what connection it was making when everything was crammed into the box. I'm guessing it was loosely connecting to one of the free ground wires. Once I removed the switches from the box continuity disappeared. And, once I connected the wires properly, the outlet works again.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









Phrogz

3831620




3831620








  • 1




    The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
    – DoxyLover
    13 mins ago














  • 1




    The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
    – DoxyLover
    13 mins ago








1




1




The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
– DoxyLover
13 mins ago




The lose hot wire was probably touching the metal box, giving continuity to ground and thus to neutral. 20 ohms because it wasn’t making good contact.
– DoxyLover
13 mins ago


















 

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