Using an Electrical Meter to Troubleshoot Wiring Problems 

Hi Terry, I just had to thank you for posting this video. I've been struggling with installing a fan for two days now. I was dealing with 4 different wires. I followed this video and finally figured out how to hook everything back up! Thanks!

Man, I got so frustrated with trying to figure this out then I came across this video years later after you posted and that was it. Problem solved. Thanks!

Terry, this video was more helpful than you can ever know. Thank you!

You have no idea or maybe you do but you are so AWESOME for being kind and helpful with your knowledge. I'm so glad you where put on this earth. I been going through hell before I ran into your videos

Mostly I come here to get info and try and sort thru who is reliable....you sir are truly the right one to find so thank you.

Hi Thank you for your video! This alone helped me figure out my problem when I lost track of some spliced wires. After struggling for an hour, I watched your video and figured it out in a couple minutes. Thank you so much!

I went to school for electrical many years back. Your videos have been a great refresher course for solving problems. Thank you. I couldn't have solved our recent problems without them.

this is exactly what i have 3 sets of wires coming in the box, actually 4 sets of wires, this is the best video ive seen so far so thanks peterman, very valuable video

Love it. Barney style explanation. Good job Terry.

Thank you very much Terry. As has been said on "A Few Good Men" movie, your explanations are: "Crystal Clear"

I just want to say thanks to the few guys that are willing to help guys out here you dont have to take the time nor share the knowledge that only comes from practice and hard work... I think everyone should understand how your home can be maintained, but I have to emphasize the seriousness of codes and knowing what you are doing it can be dangerous as I'm sure you know, just be safe people I have worked in the trades for 20 years I am a carpenter by trade, I apprenticed as an electrician I went out of my way to work with certain guys, and by no means do I know it all I am still learning but that's why I'm emphasizing that for you DIY homeowners, just make sure in some cases you know when to fold... thanks again and good luck with everyone's endeavors

Man......You are awesome!!! I'm a retired computer guy studying Electrical Technology in college, and these tutorials really help and explain things well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. Awesome!!! Yo

Thank you sir simple and clear explanation i am from cairo egypt love to see more troubleshooting

You are awesome in your common sense presentation. Many thx to you for being a great teacher/ professor, in your trade. And you saved me a bundle. Regards,,,

Simple instructions. Just what I needed

Thanks for posting this!! I watched the video , followed the instructions and saved myself some bucks!!

Excellent instruction my friend, thank you for sharing!

Very good video. easy to follow and not talking 100 miles per hour. Only negative was the graininess. Couldn't make out any readings on your meter but even at that could follow along. Well done.

From simple to complex, great video!

Thanks for posting this video. You taught me a lot in a short amount of time!

Thank you Terry, Great explanation.

This was so awesome. Thanks. Keep up the great work!

Great suggestion. Will do!

Thank you for doing this video as it helped me greatly!

Very good video, it looks easy when it can see on a practice table. In the reality is easy after see and understanding the basic principle of the electricity and the measure exposed in this video.

By the number or views on this video - one can tell that it is a quality video. Thank for doing an excellent job and also thank you for not adding any background porn music!

Awesome thanks. This wasn't exactly the problem im having but made me realize where the problem must be

The most important step before using the meter is to first prove that the meter and leads are sound. Select ohms and connect meter leads together and then wiggle the wires around to ensure that there are no breaks... the leads usually fail near the connection plugs or probe. I also check to the meter on a known live circuit.

You are a lifesaver! Thank you so much!

Thanks for that saved us all some time and money, nearly bought some new ones

Great stuff Terry. I have been looking on the net for a detailed video on the "IDEAL Analog Multimeter Receptacle Tester". Very few videos on this item. The 6 different combinations can be confusing on what they actually mean. Open hot, Open ground, open neutral, reversed...etc. Just a suggestion for a new video for you. If you could create the scenario's and explain how the tester works and what it actually means.... that would be an awesome vid. Thanks for all your hard work!

great video. very informative. JAS, maybe getting a high def camera will benefit seeing the finer details of the circuits and such, would be very helpful to us trying to follow along carefully. thanks again!

ortizmacias1970 First, TURN OFF THE BREAKER to cut electricity to the circuit. Continuity is mostly used for three-way switches to find travelers (travel through the walls, thus the name). To test that, go to ONE of the wall switches and take off the cover plate and pull the switch out of the junction box and you'll see the three wires. One is the common/hot (usually black and attached to the BLACK screw of the switch) and the other two are the travelers and are connected to the gold screws. You would twist together those two (assume they're connected properly). Now, go to the next switch (which can be anywhere in the house, but is usually at the other end of the hallway controlling the same light as the first switch) and take apart all the three wires. (If wired correctly, the BLACK screw will have the common/hot wire running to the light or from the circuit box, the gold screw wires will be the travelers, but it can get messed up as it did in my house.) One will be the hot/common, the other two are the other ends of the travelers from the first switch that you twisted together. But make believe you don't know which is which. With your multimeter set to the HORN icon (which beeps when continuity is found), touch two wires at a time with the ends of the multimeter probe. There are only three combinations to test. When you get a beep, those two you're touching are the travelers and the remaining wire is the hot/common. Attach that third wire to the BLACK screw, and the other two to the GOLD screws (doesn't matter which of the two wires goes to which gold screw, they're interchangeable; just don't put a traveler to the BLACK screw). That's how I test for continuity with my multimeter.

This video rocks!! I found my switch leg doing the ohms test!

Great stuff! Very useful! Helped me a lot

Great tech and instructions only hassle is quality of video, I needed clarity viewing as I’ve never done this before, learnt a ton thanks

outstanding educational video!!! you are thorough and do a fabulous job of really explaining circuits to novices! i have a meter; however, with so many lower priced tools - made in China - there was no instructional manual and the info on the package was poorly written and was of no help whatsoever! to supplement this problem i purchased several books on wiring, and even though they all mention the significance of white wires marked with black tape, nothing compares to actually watching a pro take the time to dissect circuits! if i found your video years ago i would have saved myself endless sweat equity cursing sessions! ((many many thanks to you Sir!!))

thanks for your video, it help me trace the wire

basic home wiring 2010 is a great tutorial for those that want to see how it all works basically.

Thank you Terry.......

thanks for vid your the only video that shows how to do this 3 white 3 black I didn't have a meter I guessed witch one was the neutral wire and got it the first time

Thank you sir, great explanation

Excellent instructions. Thank you

I have a copper ground and black wire then a white wire. My problem is I do know know how to figure out which comes into my wall and which is the daisy connection. I do know the break to the line is a 20 amp breaker. I'm concerned about double plug outlets and if a new ground extension can be made as I feel the ground wire is too easy to move within the clamp. I tried to pinch it down more with pliers but no luck yet. Mr Bill another man on here passed away so we need more videos made..thank you for this one.

Hi Terry, Thank you so very much for your video, it was the most understandable I have seen. However, my situation is a little different from the one you showed whereas each black and white wire was paired, I have what appears to be 2 orig hot wires and 2 orig neutral wires and one what appears to be a newer triple wire with a black, white and green wire. Based on my set up how do I go about determining what wire goes where. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Good Resource when you are looking to understand the basics about using a Volt Meter.

Thanks Terry.

Thank you so much sir for your valuable informative information I have a question I have 12 volt landscape lighting somewhere in the yard the line was cut how can I find where that section is without digging up the cable?

Great video! I used a plugin outlet tester and was getting a reading of " Hot / Ground" reversal.. probably an open neutral. WIth using a multi-meter, what reading (s ) will I be looking for on the AC setting?

Thank you !!! Very helpfull !

Hi thank you for your informative video. How do I know if the breaker is the one that is causing shortage? thanks.

You mean after the hour of 4:20? Using your meter, the neutral wire should show very close to 0V potential when referenced to ground. The hot wire will read close to the full potential of the source, (i.e. 120V)

Many thanks!!

well done Engr. Terry P.Pls put through l want to be like you.

Great video Terry. I have a question regarding a ceiling fan with remote. My mom has a fan that is wired to a switch but every time the switch is flipped the pull chains don't work so you have to use the remote to turn everything on again. What went wrong when it was installed?!

Nice video. Keep up the good work!!! Have a great day! #electrical #diy

Good video, I want to find out, if I am troubleshooting with power off, what measurements am I making

I have a open a reversed neutral in the kitchen. I change all the outlets, even change a light switch. I even changed my circuit breakers. I even checked the junction box that joins in the kitchen. And I still couldn't find the open neutral in the kitchen. Could it be behind a wall? Could it be that it's touching the 🔥 hot somewhere? Can it be a nail hitting it? What could it be? What can cause this?

The video quality is not good but the instructions is great!

good stuff! stay safe Sparky!

quick q$a terry when pulling wire through a junction box to a panel if there are no joints just passing through do you ground that box or just pass through it and not ground it thanks terry

Hey love the vid. I have a problem I have two outlets in my room that for some reason the power goes completely out but does not Tripp the breaker any info? Thanks

Thank you for your informative video. However, I think I'm in trouble. My switch pair of wires actually has white out on the black wire. When I run the white switch wire into the hot bundle and use the black as a return, I get nothing. Who the hell puts white out on a black wire and why would they do that? There are two lights and multiple outlets in the circuit, but the switch for this particular circuit is the end (only one set of wires). There were also burn marks on the neutral connection to the switch from whatever the heck the prior owners did. HELP.

Great job

Question: my 4 way light was wired w 3 way Romex so One of my switches out of the three that controls this light does not work. Do the switches have to be re-wired or is there a way to fix it?

I have a light fixture with two identical white wires and no black wires. Which is the supply and which goes to the switch? It's a 1905 house with a 1960s wiring "upgrade". The 1905 wire is K & T and the 1960s wire is NM with no ground. The light fixture appears to have no ground and no neutral.

I went to change a bulb in a dome light and was bit pretty good when I touched the threaded rod holding the globe on. upon further investigation I found the bare copper ground wire attached to the green screw on the 4" bar the threaded rod screws into. I have turned the circuit breaker for that circuit off for the time being. How does one troubleshoot that? Its on a 3 way light circuit. Can you post a video? or provide a link if you have already? Thanks for the clear and precise videos. They are great!

I added from the patio light outside a switch inside the garage and it used to work. It stopped working, This was done by just taking the hot wire from the light and running it it through the wall and into the switch and the other side of the switch I ran it over to the light. Inside the new switch I hooked up a green wire and ran it over the frame that my garage door actuator is mounted thinking that this would ground the switch. But, I had a 3 wire cable also running from an existing garage light run over to the new light and I took the three different wires ground neutral and hot from the existing light and ran it over to the new light. So, as long as I had the new switch turned on, the new outside light would come on. But, it all stopped working. I took an outlet and hooked up alligator clips to is so that I could plug in a circuit tester and it indicates that I have an open ground. This was done a the dual light switch where I come out into the garage, So, far there is a dual light switch, a light in the garage, an outlet inside by the patio and a light outside on the patio and another outlet inside the house running off of this same circuit. When I plug the circuit tester in anywhere it comes up as the wiring is correct, When I plug it into one of the double switches, I get an open ground, i am really confused.

Hello Terry, Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the absence of a red or yellow "hot" wire, white is always (or should be if the correct wire is used for the correct purpose) the hot/positive wire. Black is always used for negative or neutral. And green (or sometimes black) is used for ground wiring. This is true of Electrical Meters, and essentially all other electrical devices/components I have seen over a period of decades. I'm not an electrician but an electronics technician and IT/ telecom person. So it is more confusing to me, when they don't use a seemingly normal wiring scheme (in terms of color of wires). Thanks for the video.

Nice vid. I'm actually here trying to find similar problems which I can't find on Google: When I use certain things such as an old power drill or powerful motor, at the first second it switches on, something else in the house (usually the kettle or fridge) will briefly make a noise as if they are turning on. I have no idea why. Also, when laying on my electric blanket, when it's on low power if I touch the wall I feel buzzing through my fingertips. Should I be worried?

Terry, you did not show us exactly what you did with the last white wire at the end of the video?? (after you had connected the white switch to the hot black to operate light switch).What did you do with with that last white wire? Did you connect it to the other 2 white wires? or not?... in which case, why didn't you just connect them all together when you did it the first time round? Please advise further. Thanks, Adele

Hi Terry, I agree, having a multimeter is a great thing to have. I have for my car and for my house. Can't live without it!! But, ok, I'm having a bit of an issue. I have installed a motion detector light at the end of a run I split after a 2 gang. The switch for the light is before the light, and I've broken the black (hot) with the switch. So, since I had to split the 3 wire cord, to add the extra cord to wire to power the switch and light...I thought, why not add an extra outlet at the split? We don't have our finished walls yet, so why not. Anyway, I pigtailed the wires and properly installed the extra outlet. Power still passes through and powers another outlet at the end of the split, but does not power the outlet I put in the middle. I am completely stumped. I tested the outlet for continuity and also swapped it with a working outlet, and it's something with the wiring, not the component. How in the world would the outlet at the end of the run work and the one i'm working on not work?? I used pigtails, double checked that they all had proper connection, were tight. etc. I'm at a loss. I just ended up taking the outlet out and left the pigtails to do thier work in powering the light switch run. I used a non-touch tester and there is power to the light switch and the light, even if i could not test the light (not dark yet). I'm still learning electricity, so pardon my ignorance here, but can you split power in the middle of a run so that it goes to two places? the light, and another outlet? And if so, why can't I add an extra outlet at the split if I wire it properly???

I’m adding a ceiling fan and i have a receptacle control by a switch. But when i open the receptacle i find out that the set of wire that bring the power in both black wire and neutral wire are both hot what should i do? Now i don’t have any power in the entire room was 3 set of wire one for the switch one for the rest of the receptacles in the room and the one set that bring power in how can i fix this? Both black and neutral read 120

Question Terry please. my electric baseboard heater is not giving heat! Using a Klein tool, NCVT-1, it beeps and blinks red on the heater, and the thermostat on the wall!! But no heat. What is the problem stopping the baseboard from heating??

I have knob and tube wiring should it be replace?

Many people don't realize that 'flash proof' testing on electrical installations should only be done very sparingly. Although this is a test that should be carried out, it is only important at the time of installation, but not as a routine test. Flash testing is done using a very high voltage which can and will put huge stress on cables, so if done too often will cause the insulation resistance and integrity of cables to fail, as well as being potentially hazardous it can cause great expense.

I have run across many times where the white with the blk tape is hot and the black is the switch leg. Is it within code that way? Should it be rewired so blk is the hot leg? By the way great vid as always. Video quality is fine. People need to listen as well as watch.

Can you also splice all neutrals and hots and then have a pig tail come out one of each then splice to switch leg ? That way you don't mix colors

Terry Peterman Thanks for the video tutorial. I'm wondering if you might be able to give me a hint regarding a problem I'm troubleshooting. I have three wall outlets and two separate light fixtures in the same line from the breaker box. On the outlets I'm reading around 120v from ground to hot and neutral to hot, but I'm also getting 15v from ground to neutral. The circuit breaker doesn't trip, but none of the outlets will accept an actual load when I plug something into them, the same way with the light. I opened up the first light fixture and the hot to neutral is reading around 135v with the switch turned on, around 14v with it turned off. I broke the second light fixture in the series with a GFCI outlet to help isolate the problem. I tried changing out the switch, to no avail. I am stumped.

Precisely!!!

So when you want to check to see which wires go to the switch you use the resistance setting and not the continuity setting?

Thanks

i have a faulty connection in a box somewhere buried in the ceiling or wall! its causing flickering in multi rooms lights and outlet almost half the house how can i find that box

The black wire that pair with the switch leg drop n will be connected to the light fixture, where does the black wire connect at the light switch.

how to install a new light out let when the wire is to shout how to exdend the wire in side the wall

Hi I have a portable air conditioner and when the washer and or dryer is on the circuit breaker trips around 15 minute but it the portable is off is circuit does not trip, can you help me

thankyou

Hi Terry I have a situation where we replaced the light switch with a ceiling fan. After putting the wall switch back together the 2 wires, the circuit breaker box would blow when the switch is turned on. I then disconnected the wires to the switch, but the ceiling fan came on with the switch in the off position. Obviously the fan was wired directly to the circuit breaker. Is that a correct assumption? Larry

What I ran into is a box with all black wires and had to figure out which ones went to the switch so I used my ohmmeter and went to one side of the switch back to one of one of the wires in the box until I found continuity and then flipped the switch on and found the other one. I then went to a neutral side of an outlet and ran a wire connected to the meter on ohms and found the neutral ones. I then turned on the power and found the hot wire and so the last one was the out hot wire.

Hey Terry, I have a problem at my home with several outlets. All my breakers on my panel show flow but when I took several of my outlets that don't work apart and put my meter on them the hot lead wire across to the white neutral shows no flow but here is the kick. When I take and meter the hot wire to ground it shows proper voltage and when I do the white neutral wire to ground also shows voltage. Do you have advice for me.

I don't know if you're still around or check RU-vid still but I had a question. On the white neutral wire going down to the switch, the one you added the black tape to make hot. Why is it that you add it to the black hot wires coming in and going out? Why wouldn't you use the black hot wire on the switch to add to the hot wires. I guess I just don't understand why the hot wires are being added to the white switch neutral with the black tape. Thank you.

Is solar power realy worth it?for commercial bkdg?

May I use a regular 15 amp switch on my gas fireplace?

I have a separate wiring and electric meter in my house but even though one of my neighbour have bypassed from my connection including inverter connection too. I don't understand how come it is possible becoz to bypass wires need touch from our electrical wire and I don't see any touch in any wire. But one of the electrician is saying might be possible my electrician did wrong wiring somewhere. But in that case there should be a fault in my wiring or inverter connection. As initially they have taken connection from our neutral wire which was coming from their house which I cut off. But now how come it is possible. Please need urgent help......

Good morning Terry. I have a problem with a wiring problem with a switch in an old mobile home. I have three sets of wires coming into the junction box. The neutrals are tied together. Two black wires are hot and one is not and travels to the closest outlet.. How do I wire the switch? Thanks.

Hello sir Could possible to have these yours programs in a document (word or pdfdocs) ? I am from Romania (Cluj-Napoca) and there is some tehnical terms i can always understanding. Thanks a lot for your support and helpful. With respectfully, David.

I tell ya, my mind don't help much to understand your simplicity to work around electric system, my due respect to your work and thank you for the lesson, a free lesson a few people give away, thanks.

Don't need the meter to find the hot , simply turn meter to continuity , touch between neutral and grounds on each pair , when it rings that's the hot wire , because your meter will track those two wires back to service where they are as one .

Why does the smart meter doesn't have a ul stamped on it?

6:56 how did you know it was the white wire going to the switch and not the black one that you also had the other lead connected too?