Any ODT Electricians? House outlet wiring question after outlet tester showed neutral/hot swapped.

[testdepth]

Take the cover off the breaker box and see what color wire is going to the breaker that controls the outlets. The white should not be on the breaker, it should be going to the neutral bar.

I just took the cover off the service panel and verified the black wire runs to the breaker and the white wire runs to the neutral bar with the rest of the white wires. The only other items on the circuit with the 4 outlets is two lights in the living room wired to a single switch thats half on/off and half dimmer. I have ruled that out by removing all the wires from that switch and applying power back to the outlets which still show reverse polarity.

My house was built in 1977 so there might be some redneck crap up in the attic. Something between the breaker and the first outlet?

 

[madcow]

Outlets could have been tapped from a switch loop circuit at a light switch. This is where the white neutral wire should have been reidentified as the hot wire by taping it with black electrical tape close to the termination points

 

[lostchild]

Bottom line:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[testdepth]

My daughter just traced the romex from the breaker in the service panel to an electrical box in the attic. Thats first tie point. I'll get up there when it cools off in the attic. Hopefully it will be simple.

 

[testdepth]

My daughter just traced the romex from the breaker in the service panel to an electrical box in the attic. Thats first tie point. I'll get up there when it cools off in the attic. Hopefully it will be simple.

I do know the dimmer/on/off switch for the lights is wired with both white neutrals wire nutted together and the 2 black wires and ground are screwed to the switch. Not sure why its done this way but may have something to do with it.

 

[TresMonos]

I do know the dimmer/on/off switch for the lights is wired with both white neutrals wire nutted together and the 2 black wires and ground are screwed to the switch. Not sure why its done this way but may have something to do with it.

Is it a two-way light switch?

 

[testdepth]

This switch has a dimmer slide on top half and an on/off switch on the bottom. Lights have only this one switch in the living room. Bought from LOWES. This switch has two ROMEX wires going into it. Both neutral white wires twisted and wire nut together. Only the two hot black wires and ground wire are connected to the switch.

 

[TresMonos]

This switch has a dimmer slide on top half and an on/off switch on the bottom. Lights have only this one switch in the living room. Bought from LOWES. This switch has two ROMEX wires going into it. Both neutral white wires twisted and wire nut together. Only the two hot black wires and ground wire are connected to the switch.

View attachment 9480645

Like this?

 

[volt doc]

stop using those stupid testers and get a proper volt meter - test everything to ground - them wires don't know what color they are