Thanks a lot , easy explanation.

There are also two alternative 3 way switch configurations sometimes found in very homes, usually with knob and tube wiring or really old raceway aka conduit systems. 1) California method. a) The incoming hot connects to a traveler screw on the first switch, then is jumped from that same terminal to the same traveler of the second switch. b) A switched hot connects to the other traveler of the first switch to the same traveler of the second switch, then off that same terminal to the light fixture. c) the common terminal on each switch is connected together. I have never personally ran across this one, but from my understanding and research, the California method because of a local code in California, or at least some counties in California, that stated more than 3 wires are not permitted inside of a conduit, unless one of them is a switch leg. The advantages were that switched and unswitched power were available on both ends of a three way setup, this saved wire and conduit in certain situations such as a long hallway. The disadvantages are that it can confuse even some master electricians, and it typically does not leave an available neutral in the switch boxes to facilitate future installation of electronic switching devices. For this reason, the California method is no longer code compliant as of 2011. 2) Carter method, also known by several nicknames such as Chicago, farmers, barnyard, hot shot, reverse, or power beyond, lazy susan, or lazy neutral 3 way, among others. a) the hot and neutral from the source connect to the travellers of the first switch, then jump off to the travellers of the second switch where they can power other loads downstream. b) one of the wires from the light fixture connects to the common on the first switch. c) the other wire from the light fixture connects to the common on the second switch. How this works is the light can have 4 possible states depending on the position of the two switches which may or may not be on the same circuit: Neutral-neutral = light OFF Hot-neutral = light ON, with correct polarity Hot-Hot = light OFF, and socket remains live at both terminals relative to ground (if on different circuits, must be same phase or lamp will get 240V) Neutral-hot = light ON, with reverse polarity. The carter method was officially banned by the NEC in 1923 because of the obvious dangers of having a fixture appear dead when in fact both terminals are live, but continued decades later, at least into the 1950s and possibly later. I personally ran across a carter 3 way once, for switching a yardlight from the house and barn on a farm in Sanilac County michigan. Fed from different panels, a single wire resembling THHN ran from the house to the light, and from the barn to the light, installed sometime in the early 1950s after the farm got electricity in 1951, house was built in 1906. Sometimes the yardlight got extremely bright for a few seconds before burning out, problem began after the farmer, whom my dad has known for many years, moved some breakers around in the barn panel to make room for a 2 pole 20 for a large air compressor he just brought. This was back in 2015 as I was 25 and still had 7 months before I finished my apprenticeship and took/passed the Journeyman test. I scratched my head for what seemed like eternity before accidentally discovering 120V between the travellers on both switches with my wiggy meter, then it all suddenly made sense. To fix the problem I simply found the breaker in the barn powering the yardlight and moved it one slot over. The farmer was left speechless when I clearly explained to him what was happening after he rearranged the breakers and what I did to fix it, but he wasn't 100% convinced yet, so I went back up the extension ladder and changed the burned out bulb using the last one he had, a 300 watt incandescent if I remember correctly and to his surprise, it worked as it should on all the possible switch positions. So he took me out to a very fancy and expensive Italian restaurant afterwards and paid me $100 in cash. 😊 The advantage of the carter method was it controlled a light while keeping unswitched power on both ends of the switches using 3 wires instead of 4 (not counting a ground) that a modern traveler system would require. So you basically save one wire, so this method was often employed by old timers who lived during the tough economic times of the 1930s, where frugality and self sufficiency became a necessity.

This was the only video I found that helped solve my issue. The tank would fill but then would start making a hammering sound and would not shut off. I had to shut off the water supply. All of the other videos suggested replacement of the entire assembly. Replacing the seal fixed it. Thank you !

This is a great video. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Can you do this again but with more involved testers like the Klein RT250 or an Ideal SureTest?

How often should water flow through it under normal conditions? Or is it just an emergency system?

omg, mine can also blow the leakage tester.

I installed GFCI outlets in my new house, and my no contact tester was beeping in the downstream plug at all the terminals and in the plug itself. When I plugged in my tester the main light came on and the next yellow light was not as bright and was flickering, and the red light was flickering faintly as well. Is it a loose neutral wire somewwhere in the circuit. The GFCI will still trip when I push the button on the tester, so will it still be ok ?

great info thanks

Thanks

I got just one thing to say...oh hell yes!

I just changed the valve seal, and it still leaks. Any other suggestions? In fact, when I saw it wasn't working, I took the cap off again, and noticed the seal was no longer seated. After several tries to get it right, it still leaks. The new seal looks exactly like the old one, yet it won't seat properly.

Because of these limitations, a slang term for the 3 light testers I along with my fellow electricians use, are the 3 eyed liar, 3 light dummy tester, or dummy traffic light tester. Speaking of which, I've actually encountered a 120V receptacle wired with 240v once. In my first apartment in Pontiac Michigan, after finishing a two year trade school and moving out of my parent's house on my own. There was a window air conditioner with the factory plug replaced with a standard 120v 15a plug, never thought anything of it. That location also happened to be the most convenient place to plug in my floor lamp with a CFL bulb. As nighttime approached, as soon as I turn the switch, i got loud popping and bright flashes, the bulb caught fire and in a full blown panic, smashed the lamp through the window out the second floor with the bulb and plastic shade on fire. After a couple shots of whiskey to calm my nerves down and think clearly, plugged in my 3 light dummy. All 3 light lit up with the middle light brighter, I didn't understand that reading, so I grabbed my wiggy meter and sure enough, 240V hot to neutral, 120V hot to ground and 120V neutral to ground. I now make it a habit to check out the outlets in any home or apartment I choose to rent especially if I notice something suspicious ex. a large appliance with the factory plug replaced, plugged into a standard 120V outlet. Or if its a really old property and my 3 light dummy says correct wiring, I will pull the coverplate to check for a bootleg ground. Fortunately I haven't found any problems in the properties I've stayed at since. Just something you may want be aware of when moving to a new property, whether you're renting or buying.

Thank you so much for your time and hard work. God bless you brother

I have a pole behind my house with a breaker box and a meter box above it. Two wires run from the pole behind my house out to the main pole on road with the transformer. Am I responsible for everything on the pole behind my house? Thank you!

Are there any simple uncomplicated tests that I can do in my house to determine whether I have a lost neutral or not? How do I determine if it's on my end or the power companies end? All the receptacles I've tested so far are reading around 120 (120 in and out) but my refrigerator won't run. I've plugged the refrigerator into different outlets and it's the same. Tried plugging my Skillet into different outlets around the house and it won't work. Thank you!

So I'm getting low voltage throughout my whole house. My refrigerator won't run; lights are working but flicker when I turn fan on. I tested many of the receptacles and breaker boxes with meter and all that seems to be reading fine. Any help would be appreciated. Ty.

Saving this for future projects

This is great to know!

As a sparky and an uncle of two nieces and a nephew I'm a big believer in tamper resistant receptacles even in homes where all the children have grown up and moved out, since it's inevitable that small children will be in the house at some whether it's the nieces/nephews or grandchildren. Superior to the small plastic caps my parents used when I was a small child in the very early 1990s. Problem is at home depot, Lowe's and other hardware stores where I shop, none of them currently carry the tamper resistant version for the 240V 15 or 20A single receptacle like you might have in your living room if you have a larger window air conditioner. However, those same brick and mortar stores have plenty of single 120V 15 / 20A receptacles in tamper resistant version.

Thanks for concise tutorial

All of your videos have very good and safe information thanks for all the work you do keep it coming😅

I appreciate you posting this video. It helped me to quickly narrow down what I screwed up when replacing numerous receptacles. I knew there was no way I had reversed the hot and the ground.

Great video. Thanks

I'd go directly to the repair kit, nevermind the packing rope. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for making this; brilliant explanation. Those installs you showed were very untidy! Is that the workmanship standard in the USA?

Many thanks - you have a new subscriber. I see you have a lot of very helpful videos.

Your video came in handy at this very moment!!! thank you

U get a subscribe

Thank u so helpful didn’t need to spend any money on a plumber 👍

Wonder if the outlet has a bad connection on it that feeds the power/neutrals downstream to the switches. When something is plugged in on the bottom portion of the receptacle, I think it bends or flexes enough to restore a connection and then all the switches downstream start to work normally. Think a new outlet will fix it but just a guess.

Very intriguing problem. Can I ask if there were any repairs made on any switches, lights or outlets recently? Or did this just happen out of the blue one day? Seems odd that a circuit tester or night light in series would be able to carry the load to turn on the other lights, especially that bright. Would think just the night light would work and the others wouldn’t. Definitely going to have think about this one for a while lol.

i love this stuff!

My guess is that because of a bad splice, the bottom outlet was inadvertently wired in series with the light switch instead of parallel.

tho it's still the same concept, the direction of the current is inaccurate before the loss of neutral. However, after the loss of neutral, the animation is accurate. But here is where you're wrong. Current don't reverse direction because of the loss of neutral. so it's more like this (--> -->, <-- <--, --> --> , <-- <-- , ...) instead of (<--- <---) and then change to (---> <---) due to loss of neutral. Both legs are always in-phase whether there is neutral or not. Even when the osculate, they still osculate in-phase. It's hard to explain it because this is AC and not DC but hope you'll see what I mean.

Man, I'm embarrassed to say this one stumped me, but I'm going to take a stab at it. The hot tab on the receptacle is broken, and the incoming hot is on the top half. Somewhere else in the circuit is screwed up in such a way that places the neutral for the overhead lights on the bottom half of the receptacle on the hot side, and the nightlight (or whatever else happened to be plugged in) is in series, to complete the circuit for the overhead lights.

Thank you so much for posting this video! We had a big wind storm roll through yesterday and knocked out the neutral wire to our home. I wasn't sure why our lights were acting strange; but now I know. Thank you!

Can someone help me? The mail recipient dialogue box has not appeared. I've been waiting for minutes now.

You have a ground fault on the white wire common.

You have a ground fault on the white wire.

Good question??

I think the night light is somehow completing the circuit.

Thank you

The other option it’s when shared power outlets and light outlets. A loose neutral could make lights flickering or not working. To found it, you need a tracer

Yep, you saved me as well. Bad seal. It was in 2 pieces. I didn’t understand what was wrong with it until i saw it was supposed to be a single piece lol. Thanks for the video.

Thank you for your service Sir!!

Always wondered. Thank you.

What I don't understand is how that little metal pin's position inside of that valve seal controls whether water comes out of the overflow tube or not.

Great video. Thanks

“You never see this” right I jus spent 2 1/2 hours looking for a problem this morning