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Reverse polarity outlet7/2/2023 ![]() ![]() Forcing any plug into an outlet the wrong way can result in reversed polarity and can be extremely dangerous. Plugs can only be inserted into outlets one way.t. The power cords for such appliances have either a three-pronged plug or a two-pronged plug with one prong larger than the other- the larger blade is neutral, the smaller is hot and the cylindrical prong (if present) is the ground. Most home appliances in the United States use 110v AC power. An issue that is often discovered is called “reversed polarity”. If the tester indicates there is a problem, you should call an electrician to recheck the outlet and make repairs as needed.A key factor in helping fire investigators determine the cause of a fire is understanding electrical wiring product design. The indicator lights on the tester will show if an outlet is wired correctly, has an open ground, an open neutral, an open hot, or is hot/ground reversed or hot/neutral reversed (reverse polarity). These handy little devices are relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, and can be purchased online or at a local big-box home improvement store. As a homeowner, how do I check for reverse polarity?Īn easy way to check the outlets in your home for reverse polarity is to purchase an outlet tester. Boom! You get a shock! You have become the ground conductor! If the electrical outlet was wired properly, the power would be at the switch and the coils on the neutral side of the circuit. You grab the butter knife, slip it into the toaster to dislodge the toast, but accidently come into contact with one of the coils. Your bread toasts, the switch turns off, and the coils are no longer red. So, you put in some bread, turn the toaster on, the circuit is completed, and all seems fine. If it’s plugged into an electrical outlet that has reverse polarity, the power would go directly to the toaster coils (the part that gets red hot when toasting), even when the toaster is switched off. ExampleĪnother example would be your toaster. In the event that someone is changing a light bulb, all it would take to complete the circuit to ground and get a shock is to touch the metal in the light socket. This means that the socket would have power all the time, even if the switch is turned off. If the electrical outlet is wired backwards, meaning reverse polarity, the hot wire is connected to the socket, not the switch. Once the switch is turned on, the power will travel through the hot wire to the lamp socket, lighting the bulb, then to the neutral conductor. Until the switch is turned on, there is no power to the lamp socket. ![]() In a properly wired electrical outlet, the hot wire is connected to the lamp’s switch. Let’s say, for example, that you have a lamp plugged into an outlet. The ground is typically a bare copper wire. If the electrical outlet is wired correctly, the hot side will have a black or red wire attached to it, and the neutral side will have a white wire attached to it. The little “doghouse” at the bottom is the ground wire, which is literally connected to the earth. The long slot is the neutral side, also known as the grounded conductor. The shorter slot is the hot side, also known as the ungrounded conductor. The slot orientation determines the polarity. ![]() When you look at an electrical outlet, you will notice that one of the slots is longer than the other. Water is supplied by the faucet (hot side) and exits through the drain (neutral side). Let’s use the kitchen sink as an analogy. Basically, they are designed for electricity to run through them in a certain way. We should probably understand how an electrical outlet and light fixture work before moving on to reverse polarity. How do electrical outlets and light fixtures work? ![]()
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