I need a woodhead

[fblevins1]

I need a way to easily determine if my house wiring is correct. In the past I have used what is called a woodhead to plug into a three prong AC outlet and it will tell you via a series of lights if your outlet is wired properly. (two green lights, everything is fine, or you could also get a red or yellow light, depending on if you have a grounding problem or whatever. But I am finding it difficult to find a product that will check a two prong outlet to see if it is wire right. I live in an old house and I have seen that the DPW guys often wire the things all funky. For example, some of my outlets are three pronged and some of them are two pronged and at least one of the three pronged was installed upside down so if the technicians can screw that up, then can they also screw up the wiring on the inside. Is there an easy go-no go device I can just plug in and see if the wiring is correct? Using a DMM to simply check the output only tells me that voltage is there, it does not tell me if the phase is correct with respect to other outlets. Edit: Maybe I can take a meter and measure from line to line or neutral to neutral and if the two outlets are wired right I should not read a voltage but if they are reversed, I will read the AC voltage on the meter? Man, I really suck at home electricity theory.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

I’m not going to tell you the redneck way of doing that check because I do not want to be responsible for your death

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Using a DMM to simply check the output only tells me that voltage is there, it does not tell me if the phase is correct with respect to other outlets.

Find a known good ground. Put one probe of the meter there. Then check the pins in the socket. The one showing a voltage is live.

 

[fblevins1]

Find a known good ground. Put one probe of the meter there. Then check the pins in the socket. The one showing a voltage is live.

That may wind up being a good piece of advice anyway because I do eventually want to ground stake a decent ground to connect to the devices that have a grounding connector. In my current set up and not trusting the house wiring, it not as easy to find a known good ground. Half my outlets are two prong and the others are three prong. Even the outlet I am using is installed upside down. The ground prong is pointed towards the ceiling. I tell you man, DPW here is questionable. Eventually with the passing of time and the erosion of the earth, I will have enough information to force the management company to get PGE out here and check the wiring. Not saying it is causing my problem, but it still sucks monkey balls.

 

[fblevins1]

I’m not going to tell you the redneck way of doing that check because I do not want to be responsible for your death

It's OK, I can do that in the dark to relieve you of liability. Oh wait, you were not worried about liability, you just didn't want to kill a fellow member. Awwww, I can feel the love. LOL, thanks man.

 

[fblevins1]

Looks like I don't need that misnamed woodhead I was talking about. My ATS is working now and no longer need to chase Gremlins around my house. Control cable inside the ATS was disconnected.

 

[Supervstech]

FYI… outlets can be installed either way. Many electricians prefer ground pong up… they believe the ground pin protects from a cord partially exposed having something short the hot pins.

staking a ground and running it to the outlets IS NOT AN ACCEPTED ground path.
Ground needs to connect back to the main panel neutral feed… THEN from there run to the outlets…

 

[fblevins1]

FYI… outlets can be installed either way. Many electricians prefer ground pong up… they believe the ground pin protects from a cord partially exposed having something short the hot pins.

staking a ground and running it to the outlets IS NOT AN ACCEPTED ground path.
Ground needs to connect back to the main panel neutral feed… THEN from there run to the outlets…

No worries. Now that I have isolated the problem to the internal connecter on the ATS, I have stopped hunting for gremlins. I am going to leave the house alone and not mess with the grounding. I would not have been messing with outlets but rather trying to ground the equipment to earth and since neither the ATS or my inverter have a grounding point on them, I am not going to poke the penguin and introduce safety hazards or ground loops. I solved the problems with the ATS and will hook it back up when I get home knowing the thing will likely work. Thanks guys. I am not an electrician, my specialty is measurement science and I am best to stick with what I know and not be messing with lines. But hey, at least I could calibrate the voltmeter on the ATS and a figure out where the best set points for the LV and HV are.

 

[BigGun]

FYI… outlets can be installed either way. Many electricians prefer ground pong up… they believe the ground pin protects from a cord partially exposed having something short the hot pins.

staking a ground and running it to the outlets IS NOT AN ACCEPTED ground path.
Ground needs to connect back to the main panel neutral feed… THEN from there run to the outlets…

Our house was wired like that --So every device (Wattmeter ETC ) is upside down when you plug it in the wall

 

[fblevins1]

Our house was wired like that --So every device (Wattmeter ETC ) is upside down when you plug it in the wall

I think my main concern is that some were upside down and some were not. I have no issues with it being upside down as long as it is wired right, I mean the plugs don't care.

 

[NwCali]

I didn't read thru all of these....but...

If the neutral and ground are bonded in the house you can simply check voltage from the ground to hot and you'll see which one is hot....

I recommend the neutral/ground to always be bonded unless you have good reason not to.

If your house is so old its not wired with a ground I recommend not living there. I know that might seem harsh, but, how much is your life worth? I've seen dead folks from electricity, not a way I want to die.

 

[Supervstech]

I didn't read thru all of these....but...

If the neutral and ground are bonded in the house you can simply check voltage from the ground to hot and you'll see which one is hot....

I recommend the neutral/ground to always be bonded unless you have good reason not to.

If your house is so old its not wired with a ground I recommend not living there. I know that might seem harsh, but, how much is your life worth? I've seen dead folks from electricity, not a way I want to die.

Hmm. I look at homes every day that have no grounded outlets. Very common in Charlotte. Realty inspections and such. Garages, kitchens and bathrooms must be ground fault protected, but otherwise, grounded outlets are for electronics only... very difficult to get electrocuted to ground in a bedroom or living room...
RFD's can always be installed if you are concerned.
But a ground conductor isn't really for health protection, it is to prevent electrocution working with metal appliances, or for dissapating EMF on electronics with a ground pin.
Hardly a reason not to live in the home...

 

[NwCali]

But a ground conductor isn't really for health protection, it is to prevent electrocution working with metal appliances

You are arguing with yourself...

This explains why I no longer live in the south...

 

[Supervstech]

You are arguing with yourself...

This explains why I no longer live in the south...

Heh... I am a tad goofy.
My point is, RFD or GFCI can completely protect you with no ground on the circuit.

 

[chrisski]

The main reason mine outlets are upside down is those are the ones connected to a wall switch to turn the outlet on and off with a light switch. I dislike those.

 

[fblevins1]

Hmm. I look at homes every day that have no grounded outlets. Very common in Charlotte. Realty inspections and such. Garages, kitchens and bathrooms must be ground fault protected, but otherwise, grounded outlets are for electronics only... very difficult to get electrocuted to ground in a bedroom or living room...
RFD's can always be installed if you are concerned.
But a ground conductor isn't really for health protection, it is to prevent electrocution working with metal appliances, or for dissapating EMF on electronics with a ground pin.
Hardly a reason not to live in the home...

I pay 2365 a month to rent a house that probably would make an electrician poop himself. Welcome to Monterey. Well seems I won't have any choice but to step up my knowledge of electrical systems...motors, solar, wind, geo thermal, pretty much everything. The postgraduate school just tossed me another hat to wear and much of what I lack, to include electricity/electrician type knowledge, I am going to have to learn because I will be setting up academic labs for students trying to get their masters degrees in...whatever.

Heh... I am a tad goofy.
My point is, RFD or GFCI can completely protect you with no ground on the circuit.

I guess DPW put in some GFCI breakers in the bathroom and it is easy to trip the reset when messing with the hair drier plug which also has a trip switch and when the main GFCI goes, it shuts off half the house. I was so embarrassed when I called in the work order and they walked up and hit the switch on the GFCI. O _ O

 

[Supervstech]

I pay 2365 a month to rent a house that probably would make an electrician poop himself. Welcome to Monterey. Well seems I won't have any choice but to step up my knowledge of electrical systems...motors, solar, wind, geo thermal, pretty much everything. The postgraduate school just tossed me another hat to wear and much of what I lack, to include electricity/electrician type knowledge, I am going to have to learn because I will be setting up academic labs for students trying to get their masters degrees in...whatever.

I guess DPW put in some GFCI breakers in the bathroom and it is easy to trip the reset when messing with the hair drier plug which also has a trip switch and when the main GFCI goes, it shuts off half the house. I was so embarrassed when I called in the work order and they walked up and hit the switch on the GFCI. O _ O

Yup, I have done that innumerable times… customer calls, I ask if there are GFCI outlets they say they have reset them no help. I walk in, walk over the the glowing red light reset switch, and I leave with a trip charge. I usually go over all the circuits and explain everything to the customer… I am sure they often are embarrassed. No reason to be though, if they were an electrician with my experience, they wouldn’t need me.

 

[fblevins1]

Yup, I have done that innumerable times… customer calls, I ask if there are GFCI outlets they say they have reset them no help. I walk in, walk over the the glowing red light reset switch, and I leave with a trip charge. I usually go over all the circuits and explain everything to the customer… I am sure they often are embarrassed. No reason to be though, if they were an electrician with my experience, they wouldn’t need me

Yours is an occupation that is no danger from me being a Mr. Fix it. I work on my own stuff as often as I can, but draw the limit at shit that can kill me or go boom, boom. Although here at my place DPW takes care of my home.