Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 30, 2000 07:27pm | #1

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   What's the voltage of your neutral line? It's usually 1 to 3 volts depending on curent draw and wire size. Might you be measuring the neutral voltage on the frame? Neutral is always going to be a bit above zero volts. But you shouldn't get neutral on the frame because, if you reversed the plug, you'd have line voltage on hte frame.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jul 07, 2000 04:43am | #2

   *Probably "stray voltage" from the AC field, not an issue. Check the resistance between the frame and the hot and neutral -- unplugged of course!

2. 
   Robert_Macaione | Jul 07, 2000 05:10am | #3

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   Neutral to ground should be no more than 5 volts, but the frame should (hopefully) not be connected to neutral. Probably is just "stray", or maybe the meter is out of cal.

3. 
   Guest_ | Jul 07, 2000 10:44pm | #4

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   Digital meters (which are high resistance) can produce phantom voltages that disappear if you try an analog meter.

   Lee

4. 
   Robert_Macaione | Jul 08, 2000 04:33am | #5

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   Lee,

   Never knew that....Never actually used an analog meter either!

5. 
   Rich_Regan | Jul 08, 2000 05:21am | #6

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   I RECENTLY REWIRED A FLOOR LAMP AND TESTED IT WITH MY VOLTAGE TESTER. IF I TEST ANY PART OF THE FRAME TO GROUND IT READS 5 VOLTS. I TRIED SOME OTHER LAMPS AND GOT READINGS FROM 1 TO 5 VOLTS. IS THIS NORMAL LEAKAGE OR AN INDICATION OF A PROBLEM?

6. 
   Guest_ | Jul 08, 2000 05:21am | #7

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   Lee is absolutly right and there are some fet analog meters that are
   hight impedence that will give some of the same seemingly strange readings.

   knowing how to interpret the reading of your test equipment is equally as important as what the readings are.

   Having spent 50 years in the electronic/electric field I always said that give me a tech who intimently knows an analog meter and really knows the how and why of diodes.

   Except for computerized stuff you can do almost anything with a sack full of diodes and a bucket of relays.