Dangerous Wiring Issues In Lights and Outlets

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Did you know that most lights and devices will still work if the hot and neutral wires are swapped? This is called reversed polarity and can cause an unsafe condition at your light fixtures and outlets. I will walk you through how to easily identify if you have any of these issues in your home ensuring you and your family are safe.
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:50 My Bathroom Setup
0:47 3 Different Types of 120 Volt Plugs
2:04 Checking For Reversed Polarity At An Outlet
4:19 Device Plugged Into An Outlet With Reversed Polarity
5:53 Checking For Reversed Polarity At A Light Fixture
8:30 Recap And Learning More
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

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Опубликовано:

2 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 803

@JohnJones-oy3md 2 года назад

Best description of this problem that I have seen to date. Very clear and concise, easy for the layperson to understand. 👍

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thanks John 👍

@shanejohnson4546 2 года назад

I completely agree with @john jones

@craigmellott6339 Год назад

What a great video !

@BartvandeMosselaar Год назад

@@EverydayHomeRepairs We in europe don't have any of that we just plug things in and don't care if its reversed or not, we are just careful not to touch any metals, then again if I do touch metal, our whole house has GFCI protection instead of just a few sockets in the kitchen/bathroom

@nyobunknown6983 Год назад

@@BartvandeMosselaar Bad idea. What if the GFI is faulty? The job should be done right or not at all.

@hassanbazzi3545 2 года назад

Here we go again. Where were you when I had this problem. I was selling a house and the inspector caught this problem in the bedroom plug. I tried to fix it but without any luck. I called an electrician and he had to trace the problem all the way to the bathroom switch. So the problem could be different than the plug itself. The house was fairly new and I wondered how so many inspectors missed this problem starting with state inspection. Well explained and thank you for sharing

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Good point Hassan and thanks for the example. I think many are caught off guard on what inspectors do and don’t find during the inspection 😁

@Rin-qj7zt 2 года назад

As someone working in residential housing construction as an electrician, it's a horror show. The inspector does not inspect everything. Sometimes my coworkers run out of weather resistant gfi plugs, so they use the normal ones in an effort to fool the inspector, knowing he won't check. Many don't even understand basics and don't utilize critical thinking because they take a completely procedural approach. They don't need to know how everything works they just need to know how to put it together. Everyone comes under the impression that the world has rules that must be followed, but honestly, it seems the are a lot of people in society who just.. don't care. Not out of malice, but pure apathy. Almost reads like exhaustion. And yes, I'm trying desperately to get a new job, it's just really hard.

@hassanbazzi3545 2 года назад

@@Rin-qj7zt wow. You just described the reality. I have leased a gas station once and few months into the business my A/C started to act up. I called the pros and sure enough he found a cluster of live wire pointing up without caps. He could have easily touched them and hurt himself. The building was almost 2 years old and just disgusting to see violations passed by the inspector. I wish you luck in your future job

@kamX-rz4uy Год назад

One of the dangers of connecting a run of receptacles in series. One gets wired backwards and now everything downstream is backwards.

@denali9449 Год назад

@@hassanbazzi3545 Before blasting the inspector, is it possible that the previous owner left you this mess?

@ReverendTed 2 года назад

Good explanation! I think you covered two of the three big topics: outlets, light fixtures, but also switches. If your light fixture is wired correctly, but your switch is wired incorrectly, I think you end up with the same problem. In particular, many people will do fixture work by flipping the switch off because they don't want to deal with the breaker, but if the switch is wired backward, you can still have hot waiting for a path to ground all the way at your work.

@docferringer 2 года назад

I came here to say this. Having a lightbulb with its threads exposed is a good example of something an everyday homeowner (or their kid) might do and not consider it in any way dangerous. But a DIYer trying to change a light fixture with just the switch turned off and not the breaker? That's a nice, educational shock for DIY electrical work. It doesn't matter if you know what you are doing, get a voltage tester or a mulltimeter to check for voltage before you touch ANYTHING. If I don't want to play the breaker guessing game then I will tape the light switch in the off position. That way all of the people I tell not to touch the switch will have a second warning before I come down the ladder and dole out some verbal education.

@Zerpersande 2 года назад

@@docferringer If I don’t want to play the breaker guessing game? That’s equal to… “If you’re willing to run the risk of a shock…”

@wessunde2801 Год назад

It's difficult to wire the switch backwards because the black hot wire is the only one attached to the switch and the neutral white wire bypasses it.

@togowack Год назад

We need to go back to wireless lamps and tech like it was before 1800 during the time of the giants

@togowack Год назад

Knob and tube was better

@AngelofOntario 2 года назад

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I struggled to find an explanation as thorough and easy to grasp as this one. I always was taught, heard, and knew it was bad if you reversed polarity, but outside of frying your plugged in device, I never really knew WHY it was bad. This demonstration with the bulbs, the way you showed how you could shock yourself, and the way you explained it, finally has given me the WHY it’s so bad! I’m definitely saving this for future reference.

@arthendrickson4860 2 года назад

My daughter recently bought a house, which was inspected and the inspector found reverse polarity on one of the receptacles, which had a lamp plugged into it. She did not understand why this was unsafe or why it had to be changed. And I explained it much the way you are. Thank you very much.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

You bet, thanks for the feedback 👍

@UDumFck Год назад

Exactly. I've seen older metal lamps where a reverse polarity can electrify the entire lamp.

@rogerhodges7656 2 года назад

I am working in a house that was built in 1947. All wires look black. This video prevented me from possibly wiring a new fixture incorrectly tomorrow. So easy to check with just non-contact voltge tester.

@rupe53 2 года назад

if you look closely, one of those wires will have a white or silver stripe on the side, although it may be worn away by now. BTW, if it looks like cloth covered romex and has a light silver glaze on the outside, it's impregnated with arsenic (poison) to keep mice from chewing on it. IOW, wash up after working with it.

@rogerhodges7656 2 года назад

@@rupe53 Thank you for the arsenic warning. It is "cloth" covered wiring in conduit on the main floor. Unfortunately, it is in BX behind plaster and it is not feasable to replace.

@rupe53 2 года назад

@@rogerhodges7656 ... my home was from 1910 so already have experience with wiring behind plaster. It wasn't fun, but that was 40 years ago.

@wholeNwon 2 года назад

Years ago I tested the receptacles in the kitchen of a friend's office building. Sure enough one "neutral" was hot. The electrician got there is record time. Thanks. Glad I subscribe.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing

@CarnivoreRonin 2 года назад

I moved into a home a few years ago that was built in the late 1960s. I didn't realize that several outlets had reversed polarity until I was swapping in some smart plugs. Then, I took my tester around and found the others.

@mharris5047 2 года назад

The electrical code probably didn't specify back then.

@CarnivoreRonin 2 года назад

@@mharris5047 they are all grounded plugs with the wider neutral at least. It is definitely odd. It was built in 68-69.

@matambale Год назад

@@CarnivoreRonin Same experience here - oddly, nearly exactly half of the outlets and the switches had the hot/neutral swap issue.

@anthonylee7196 2 года назад

Hello Mr. Everyday Home Repairs, I am glad that RU-vid recommends your channel to me. Your explanation of the electricity is very simple and clear to me. This helps me a lot if I need to fix things around the house. Thank you.

@Runicen 2 года назад

Great mix of theory and application in these videos. As someone new to this kind of work, it's great not just to learn what to do, but why it works. Thanks!

@wmjowls 2 года назад

Best timed video. Exactly what I have been wondering since the weekend when I changed out a 3 way switch. I did not know which was hot and which was not. Thankyou!

@steves2443 2 года назад

If RU-vid videos could be rated five stars this would be a genuine 5 star video. Simple, to the point with well explained examples of how to tell if the wiring in your house is suspect. I totally expect your subscriptions to increase if you keep this up!

@danniboi07 2 года назад

Valuable safety lesson here. Thank you! I'm learning as much as I can to do simple DIY around the house and this was a big help.

@ericchang7706 2 года назад

The ceiling fixtures are most dangerous because you are usually on a chair or ladder changing a bulb. Getting zapped may not injure you, but falling off a chair could have very bad outcomes. Old school metal recessed cans are grounded. Even brushing the springs or clips that hold the baffle in place have given me a zap before I finished screwing the bulb in. I'm guessing that was the easiest return when the threads were live neutral was switched off.

@kc7136 Год назад

SIMPLY THE BEST EXPLANATION ON THE INTERNET REGARDING POLARITY AND UNDERLYING SAFETY ISSUES. THANK YOU

@shubinternet 2 года назад

I'm just a homeowner, without a great deal of experience doing home electrical wiring. For example, I knew that reverse polarity in a outlet was bad for the devices, but I didn't know why. And I had no clue about reverse polarity in light sockets. Which makes this a timely video for me, because I have a light socket that is old and I need to replace.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Best of luck on the light fixture swap 👍

@okaro6595 2 года назад

The device does not care. It does not know which side is hot and which not. All it sees is the difference.

@ramonlopezindustrial 2 года назад

I recently received my Journeyman license and I can say that this is a great explanation on why the polarity is importantant in the wiring. Thanks for the video.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Appreciate the feedback Ramon 👍. Best of luck on your career!

@lumby1412 2 года назад

@@EverydayHomeRepairs any recommendation for testing reverse polarity in light fixtures where there isn't an easily accessible ground? Taking a light fixture down to check wires seems tedious when checking every fixture

@jacobw446 2 года назад

@@lumby1412 You can get a polarity plug in tester, like the 3 plug type, and get a test kit from home depot that has alligator test leads, or lightbulb plug on it where you can put them on the "assumed" hot and neutral, and see if it lights up right on the tester.

@geodavid51 2 года назад

I've been doing wiring for years but never knew about reverse polarity for lamp sockets. Makes sense. Great explanation. Thanks!

@sixpotshot 2 года назад

This is the kind of stuff that should be taught at school level like so many other subjects that are critical for everyone when they reach an age that allows them to muck around. I hope your excellent video will get to be watched by as many people as it possibly can. Thanks for posting!

@rosacam6765 2 года назад

@Jannie Kirsten he was testing and showing what happens. Common sense if you are going to work on electrical you shut off the power in the panel.

@MrSilvervw 2 года назад

Great content thank you as a DIYer all this extra knowledge helps out a lot and thank you for all the great lessons 👍

@manofadventre83 Год назад

Thank you so much for you in depth descriptions helping me with my electric works. ❤️

@RyanThomasWoods 2 года назад

This was super interesting and valuable to watch around unsafe vs safe connections: more videos comparing safe and unsafe situations around the home would be awesome!

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thanks for the feedback Ryan 👍

@jerryg50 2 года назад

Excellent safety explanation. When I had to re-do the electrical in an old home that we bought, I found some of the light fixtures were not wired properly. Apparently, I was told this type of thing is not uncommon with light bulb wiring. Our home is now normal for the electrical safety.

@8475143117 Год назад

I purchased a rehabbed house over a year ago and I just found out that the receptacle for the garbage disposal was wired backwards between HOT & NEUTRAL and I found this out with my Fluke ST120 socket tester. For the longest time, the circuit breaker/GFCI would periodically trip and I do believe I just found out why this was happening because of reverse wiring of the garbage disposal receptacle... THANK you so much for these videos.

@Twenty9point97 8 месяцев назад

Thanks so much for the clear description. You’re saving lives!

@billhandymanbill2775 2 года назад

Excellent video and easy to understand explanation of a common unsafe electrical situation! Thank you!!

@johnrodriguez9212 Год назад

Excellent explanation of reverse polarity….thanks for sharing the knowledge to others…safety first!

@hickorystx 2 года назад

Great demo and visual aids and theory behind the topic. Thank you!!! Good advice on safety as well!!!

@newguy2794 2 года назад

I have seen this in many homes. The homeowners don't seem to want to understand because they have to pay me to correct it. So, once I explain in great detail, they finally get it. I have seen more lamps that homeowners have rewired on their own, with reversed polarity than the light fixtures. Great lesson for homeowners, you did a good job!

@1pcfred Год назад

Quite frankly if you're touching the lamp base and get shocked then you deserved to get shocked. Unless you're trying to change a busted bulb. I've heard a tennis ball works for that. But if the bulb is intact there should be enough insulator to grasp.

@jameswong7767 Год назад

My favorite video program ....excellent...like to see more plumbing and electrical issues! Keep up the good work....thumbs up!

@aeroscout7595 2 года назад

Thanks for this. Great description of the issue, the problem it causes, and how to troubleshoot it.

@timontran4728 2 года назад

I have recently watched lots of your videos, and they are informative. I am a beginner in DIY projects and want to learn more about how to do more DIY. Thank you.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

You bet, thanks for the support 👍

@christianhelfrich24 Год назад

Super helpful. I knew reversing hot & neutral was bad, but never had an explanation for why. It was particularly helpful to see the explanation about a device with a resistor. We had a ceiling fan with a remote burn out, where the control unit just melted. I couldn't understand why, and I think that's probably it. I'm checking that right now.

@jamessotherden5909 2 года назад

My dad found most of the outlets were wired in reverse in an older house that we moved into. Being an electrician, he fixed all of those. But I would not have guessed that unscrewing a light bulb would zap you. So now I know.

@KameraShy 2 года назад

I have found the same problem in apartments I moved into, presumably wired by "professional" electricians.

@johncochran8497 2 года назад

The Edison screw (which is what you would consider a standard light socket) was developed quite a while ago. The polarized plugs and sockets used today were an attempt to make the Edison screw safer. The intent is for the large easily touched screw portion to be at neutral, while the hot portion is the little contact at the center of the bottom on the socket. (The easy to touch part = neutral, while the hard to touch spot = hot). Frankly, if the Edison screw were to be developed today, it would have been immediately rejected due to safety issues. But given how long ago it was developed, and how many of them have been installed over the years, it's a legacy device that's virtually impossible to get rid of.

@okaro6595 2 года назад

@@johncochran8497 British use a bayonet mount that has two contacts on the bottom.

@michaelspencer6523 2 года назад

@@johncochran8497 you backwards, smaller screw for less current as neautral is a traveler conducter carries 50% of of the curent line , if add both togeatherif current line is 120 v ac and neautral line is 60 v ac = total 180v ac. From ground to neautral is 60 v ac if curent line is being used. The curent line and ground be 120 v ac. Only earth ground is 0 v ac

@johncochran8497 2 года назад

@@michaelspencer6523 You might want to try again there. Your comment was rather incoherent and wrong. Perhaps you've confused about an Edison Screw vs an Edison Circuit. Even though both use the word "Edison", they are NOT related except in that they're both associated with electricity.

@stonecrow00 2 года назад

DIYer. Bought an old fixer upper that needs a lot of updating. I want to make sure I get it correct. Thanks for your vids

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

You bet, best of luck on your projects.

@chaplainand1 2 года назад

Thank you. For an Alternative Ed High School class, I worked up a board to show what happens in parallel and series circuits. It was interesting to see what happens with varying the bulb wattage in both types of circuits. The same kind of board could be used to demonstrate three way and other switch combinations as well as the impact of a dimmer switch. Explaining what happens in that type of circuit would be informative too. Thank you for your clear narrative.

@fngonzo Год назад

Thank you. I have an old lamp with a two-pronged European that my mother has working with adapters. I am rewiring it for aesthetic reasons, and I can now wire it safely since it will be in my daughter's room. Great video and great explanation!

@caseycooper5615 2 года назад

Very well done. This shows very clearly why polarity matters on grounded AC circuits. It's all in where the switch lies in the circuit. Very similar concept to why we always disconnect the negative terminal on a vehicle battery - there is less room for unintentional shorts. Again, very well done.

@asuchemist3371 2 года назад

4:20 The drawing really helped illustrate what the issue is. Thanks.

@garybrown7044 2 года назад

another note: older homes with knob-&-tube wiring, the neutral is switched, common practice at the time. when replacing a ceiling fixture, turning off the circuit is the best policy. fixtures is the same era with pull-chain & turn knobs, switched the screw shell or neutral.

@dswearingen4579 2 года назад

I am learning so much-you have an excellent way of explaining things! Glad I found your site. 😁👍

@jeffreylong500 2 года назад

Good video. This is why it's so important to understand polarity if you repair a lamp cord.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

💯

@Scott-sm9nm 2 года назад

That light bulb example was excellent. I replaced a vanity light above a bathroom sink at an old cabin a few years back and it was not clear which wires were hot or neutral and I didn't have any testing equipment handy. I guess I had a 50/50 chance. Your test was perfect.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thanks for the feedback 👍👍

@fessit 2 года назад

Well done with well thought out demonstration display. Thanks for the time you put in this video.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Happy to help and thanks for the feedback!

@ElCompaIsmaelVlogs 8 месяцев назад

Man thank you so much for your video. In 10 minutes I learned more than I had learned and understand about wiring issues 😅. I’m definitely subscribing!! Thanks again

@davepowder4020 2 года назад

This was an excellent explanation of reversed wiring and of the consequences. I also really appreciate the education here.

@kenkre1212 2 года назад

Enjoy your videos. Your explanations are perfect for me. Thanks

@matambale Год назад

I think the previous owner of this 1960-era house did much of the wiring himself when it was built. About half of all of the outlets (that were polarized, 2 or 3 prong) had the hot and neutral reversed, and half of the bulbs had the neutral line switched. There were also plenty of the 2 prong non-polarized outlets all over the house.

@TheSaldangelo 2 года назад

I always appreciate your videos...very clear and practical.

@rontiemens2553 2 года назад

What a fantastic channel. Not to be missed! Thank you!

@TRHARTAmericanArtist 2 года назад

I was recently installing new wall lanterns on my home when I came across one of the old fixtures wired in reverse. I guess the electrician was left handed because he turned the wire in the other direction. I saw that and wanted to be cautious so I checked with multimeter and found that the wire was still hot after the switch was turned off. Always good to check.

@rossbryan6102 Год назад

YOU ARE SPOT ON FOR EXPLAINING THIS!! IN THE 1950s ERA MY DAD WAS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER WORKING CIVIL SERVICE FOR THE NAVY! IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE 3 RD PRONG SAFETY CASE GROUND SYSTEM CAME OUT AND HE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTED THIS, AND CONVINCED THE US NAVY TO MAKE IT STANDARD SAFETY PRACTICE!

@thomasjue1539 Год назад

Great explanation on how to use the Klein tester and also the probe. Your example explaining what happens when wires are reversed with a light bulb s an eye-opener! Yikes! Thank you. Much appreciated.

@michealolsen1344 2 года назад

Great explanation and content! Always learn from you videos!

@juremiraii637 2 года назад

i have experience in electric work but your advice is very helpful

@JohnKenIRB233 2 года назад

I’ve lived in a variety of houses in different states. I’m always amazed what is not wired correctly. I would recommend a session on aluminum wire and Alcad sockets!

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Hey John, thanks for the feedback and those would both make for good videos 👍

@JohnKenIRB233 2 года назад

@@EverydayHomeRepairs Also would be good to explain what black/ white wires are in Romex. What should be hot, what is neutral.

@markrobinson8539 2 года назад

@@JohnKenIRB233 Black is live (hot) and white is Neutral in the USA

@mharris5047 2 года назад

If you have aluminum wiring in your house, have it replaced ASAP! Aluminum wiring just doesn't conduct well enough for use on mains voltage. This is one hell of a fire hazard!!!!!

@michaelbeelby1995 2 года назад

@@markrobinson8539 Not always. General rule of thumb...yes. An example would be a light fixture like shown in the video but it is 'fed' at the fixture with just a 'switch leg' ran down to the switch. This would see the 'hot' fed down to the switch on one leg and back to the fixture on the other. Not typical in 'new' construction (with free access to open stud bays and the freedom to run what is 'easiest' and needed) but you'd be surprised how often it can be required in rewires or simply just adding a switch to a light that previously was on a pull chain. Code 'allows' for this...so never just assume that black=hot, white=neutral. It may be true more often than not....but it isn't a certainty.

@jasonhesse1983 4 месяца назад

Thank you, really good explanation of the hazard with reverse polarity

@rodf1021 Год назад

Great example and explanation! Thank you!

@PCgamestech 2 года назад

I honestly didnt know the reasons why you dont want reverse wiring but when im wiring in my house I alway make sure its wired correctly, But at least now I know the reasons behind why you want it to be wired correctly. Its really good information and ill always keep that in mind when im working with older houses that arent wired correctly.

@frankpaya690 2 года назад

Many a Time when there was no outside receptacle and I couldn't get inside particularly with an older main panel, I would open up and attach a lead of a wire to the hot & another lead to the neutral bus- bar to run a skill saw. I never did make a jumper cord up in such a way I could plug a tester in and see if I had the hot and neutral reversed but I knew it would still work, although it's not 100% safe to do that without verifying that you have the hot and neutral hooked- up correctly.

@llapmsp 2 года назад

Very well explained subject. Thanks for sharing and hopefully saving someone from an accident.

@mcchong7 Год назад

Clear explanation with good demonstration. Thanks Sir👍🏻

@EverydayHomeRepairs Год назад

You bet!

@robertdiab7788 3 месяца назад

Excellent Video (a lot of RU-vid video makers could learn from this guy. Gets right to it with great visuals and audio.

@markfisher1716 2 года назад

Great thoroughly explained video Scott! I know you like Wago connectors(me too), hope you looked at that video I referenced in my comments from one of your previous videos. I am a Mechanical Engineer by trade but really enjoy the electrical videos on RU-vid of course yours are included in that. Always test the fixture I am working on it to make sure for safety sake this scenario has not happened.

@Onepctc 2 года назад

Very well explained! Thank you 🙏🏼

@willfergusson724 2 года назад

Great Video, its always good to hit the basics sometimes.

@MieleTouchtronic 2 года назад

Always love watching your videos!

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thx!

@k2rcb 2 года назад

Some older devices - like radios from before 1960 - can be very dangerous with a reversed outlet since the neutral line of the plug was often connected to the chassis. Plug it in backwards (this was before polarized plugs) or into a reversed outlet and the chassis is hot & if you touch a metal part of the case you’ll get a 120V shock.

@janee7995 2 года назад

Only in usa. The rest of the world didn't have that issue . But then usa was and is a 5th world nation

@thomaspierce9458 2 года назад

@@janee7995 Those old electronic devices with tube amplifiers often had the chassis connected to one side of the line, as you correctly said - but not only in the USA. They would be made this way and sold in Canada as well. (I had a few shocks putting the tone-arm on a record.) If tube filaments were in series, this would also happen in other countries with different supply voltages - and no neutral for a return as on the continent of North America.

@okaro6595 2 года назад

Those have unpolarized plugs unless modified. I consider those unsafe. period. Note with an unpolarized plug there in principle is no wrong way. It was seen acceptable that the chassis was hot. In Europe they cannot be plugged into grounded sockets as that would be too dangerous if you had a grounded computer next to and there is no legal way besides an isolation transformer to use them.

@okaro6595 2 года назад

@@thomaspierce9458 Those were made in most countries. The difference is that in Europe the plug does not fit into grounded sockets so you need to do something really stupid to use them.

@rupe53 2 года назад

believe it or not, kitchen counter appliances were also non polarized back then and everyone had that spiffy looking chrome trim along the counter edge, which could easily ground against the side of the electric stove or the sink. I can't tell you how many times I got a morning wakeup call if I leaned against the counter with a small gap in my bathrobe while making toast! (not what you think because I was shorter then)

@raymondmenard5444 Год назад

Electricity is the only thing that scares me doing little projects around the house, i don't know enough about its principles plain and simple. So videos like these help me a lot. Next up for me incidentally, is to put an additional outlet behind my alarm box so its power cord isn't exposed and dangling a couple of feet from the original outlet. Not sure if its a good idea or not, need to watch more of your videos for sure. At any rate thank's for taking the time to make and share your videos, i find them super helpful.

@Mojo4884 2 года назад

Awesome work good information I would have loved to have seen this video along time ago

@rolandos64 2 года назад

Your content is 🔥. Thank you for sharing your knowledge w the rest of us.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

Thanks 👍

@LongStep 2 года назад

Great video. I would also recommend that people who move into a new rental or house check all plugs with your simple 3 light tester. easy to do and doesn't take long. Check lights before changing a bulb. On an old house I have run across a random plug or light that was mis-wired before I moved in. Always check ceiling fans and lights before replacing bulbs or doing maintenance on or replacing the motor. I have found these are mis-wired about 15% of the time.

@billymitchell6850 2 года назад

Well explained. Thank you for posting

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

You bet!

@roc3771 2 года назад

Just bought a tester to check my entire house. Thank you for the well made video.

@EverydayHomeRepairs 2 года назад

You bet!

@n6vcw 2 года назад

This is something I learned in my 9th grade Basic Electricity class in High School. A very important life lesson.

@kamX-rz4uy Год назад

Yet it's amazing how many people think polarity doesn't matter. There was another RU-vid video that mentioned it and the comments were astounding.

@MrTherende 2 года назад

I've seen the neutrals being switched in lighting circuits MANY times, especially in older homes. Never assume that power is interrupted with the switch in the off position; check it with a meter before doing any work.

@christurner6430 2 года назад

OR JUST PULL THE FUSE OR BREAKER or do you trust the electrician? The wrongly-wired hot or live light fitting with some low energy bulbs can be enough to cause them to gently glow when switched 'off' and work fine when 'on' !

@DanielinLaTuna 2 года назад

Well done. Thank you for sharing.

@heronimousbrapson863 2 года назад

I remember back in the early sixties, wall sockets were usually ungrounded although polarized, however, the plugs were neither grounded nor polarized (two prongs, both the same width).

@RJS1966USMC 2 года назад

Awesome video and clear explanation!

@juniorlugo3962 2 года назад

Bro no more then 3 weeks ago I got zapped in the garage now I know what I need to do. This video is awesome and full of information. Thank you.

@dankelley9361 2 года назад

Really nice visual explanation of why reversing hot & neutral wiring can be dangerous

@tevman69 2 года назад

Nice setup and demo!

@NB-Philly 2 года назад

Wow! I never knew this, and never knew it was such a hazard. I’ll be sure to test and re wire those that are incorrectly installed.

@thesweetone Год назад

Love the safety video, well done.

@terryfoley67 Год назад

Excellent safety video , thank you 👍👏🤙

@duckyjp17 2 года назад

What a good explanation. Thanks.

@themegasexybasterd 2 года назад

Great job in explaining. I have a work shop that needed some plugs and breaker's and seems I did everything right after watching many vids. the 2nd problem Im having is I live{renting} in a old home that has been added to, so half the electric is good and the other old and not grounded properly. 3rd problem old part wall sockets are few and I have to use breaker strips. {how do u know when to much is too much?}/ As for this vid. does it also leave our appliance more susceptible{surges} because of the reverse polarity?

@daphlavor Год назад

Great information, well explained. Can you do a video on deleting a switched outlet, changing it to constant power, then utilize the switch to operate a ceiling fan/light combo? Thanks

@Frog-ko6uu 2 года назад

Something very important to note about basic plug-in outlet testers: if the outlet is not grounded, they cannot detect reverse polarity. I learned this when my parents bought an old house and asked me to look over the wiring since I’m handy with that sort of thing, and many of the outlets appeared to be ungrounded but otherwise okay to the outlet tester, but when I used a three-prong cord plugged into a known good outlet as a ground reference, over half the outlets in the house were not only ungrounded, but the polarity was reversed as well.

@n1umj Год назад

It's amazing what you find in older houses. I have no problem with DIY work, I do it all the time myself, but do your homework and take the time to make sure it's right if you're going to. As my father used to say "if it's worth doing at all, it's worth doing right". I am in an older house, not that old but old enough for the kind of house it is and every 10 minute project turns in to so much more because someone did something wrong to begin with. I'm also a perfectionest so even if it's a minor thing, if I let it go it will annoy me until I go back and fix it.

@lorenz681 Год назад

This is my dilemma in an older house that has no ground I have to figure out how to test for reversed polarity

@HeikosGarage 2 года назад

Good stuff. Keep em coming.

@thomasbakke778 2 года назад

I work as an electrician as well. One of customers gave us an antique light to install but the wires had no indication which was ground, neutral, or hot so ended up pulling my meter out to figure the three wires and hook it up correctly using the ohm setting.

@dondavidjr2811 Год назад

Thanks ...I never understood polarity until now

@rioborzeli147 Год назад

Just learned something , Thank you

@TheCynysterMind 2 года назад

Well done explanation. This is why you never use a POTATO to unscrew a broken light bulb. Most older homes have the neutral switched and a potato is mostly WATER. Turn the breaker off and use a pair of insulated needle nose pliers to extract the base.

@Sparky-ww5re Год назад

Good advice. I have used potatoes for unscrewing broken light bulbs. Including for a 150 watt high pressure sodium bulb in a yardlight that was busted from being hit with a football during a party. I was depending on the photocell not to kick on, super dangerous because of the high voltage ignitor, (2500 to 4000 volts) found in all high pressure sodium and smaller (150 watt and under) and many newer metal halide fixtures (pulse start metal halide)

@ghosthand8119 2 года назад

I had this problem working maintenance in a restaurant with a warming cabinet. The wires were actually swapped in the breaker panel. Employees were complaining that they felt a 'tingle' when they touched the cabinet. The entire cabinet was energized all the time.