[Doom_Machine]

dont know much about electricity, when i bought my house i was told the wiring in the bathroom eletrical outlet was switched and needs to be switched back, seems to me it would still work

anyone know of what i can do to fix it? could it be that all i have to do is take it out and swap the wires around?

i already checked the fuse box, a few breakers were off but turning them on didnt fix it

[kiwiguy]

Sorry, but the description you give does not fill me with confidence.

As a bathroom outlet is a supply in a potentially "hazardous area" due to moisture etc, it can present a very real danger to the user.

Please get a qualified electrician to check it out, or if not then make sure that you and your loved ones are very well covered with life insurance...

[lexmarks567]

Make sure you replace the outlet with a GFCI one as required by code

[katonca]

Originally Posted by lexmarks567

Make sure you replace the outlet with a GFCI one as required by code

Very important around water

[Doom_Machine]

well naturally i would turn off the breaker first before messing with it

its a safety outlet, the ones that have built in protection
everything in my house has passed code inspection

[iltos]

Originally Posted by Doom_Machine

well naturally i would turn off the breaker first before messing with it

its a safety outlet, the ones that have built in protection
everything in my house has passed code inspection

are you saying it doesn't work?

you've pushed the test and reset buttons?

gfi can be tricky, depending on where they are placed in the 'run'....if it's at the end of the run (the last receptacle in the circuit) you could try "swapping" the wires, tho it likely won't affect its performance (could just be a bad plug...known to happen).....

if it's not at the end of a run, it will be tripped by any receptacle downstream, unless the wiring is mixed up....i'm sure there are correct wiring diagrams here on the www somewhere.

[Doom_Machine]

thanks for info, i did push test and reset...it was the inspector guy that told me the wiring was "swapped" how he knew or thought that i dunno

but theres 3 wires right? one is ground, so the 2 should have electricity so even if their swapped wouldnt it still work?
if so then i'd just buy another plug but i would have no clue if its at the end of a run or not or how i could test the wiring itself

as of now i just dont see it that huge of a deal to pay an electrition alot of money just so i can recharge my razer or have a nightlight, know what i mean

[iltos]

i'm not an electrician DM, but if its not at the end of a run, the hot and the neutral will continue on...so you'll have five wires in that box...their installation in the middle of a run someplace has always confused me, 'cause it doesn't seem to follow common sense.

[buck52]

What is it you are calling a "safety outlet"

When you say switched... Do you mean reversed ie: load vs line on a GFCI outlet or switched as in an on/off switch

I'm with kiwiguy... get an electrician

buck

[lexmarks567]

IMO Get the book WIRING SIMPLIFIED It will help out to.I was told to get it by a mod It helps.make sure it says. based on the 2005 national electrical code.Its the lastest one

[iltos]

it's the "load" and the "line" connections that have always confused me...

[buck52]

line in ...

load out ...

most quality GFCI plugs have a sticker on the load terminals... that said

while not a licensed electrician... I have a construction supervisors license and would not waste any money on GFCI outlets

GFCI breakers in the main panel are the way to go... They are far more relyable and eliminate the upstream/downstream confussion...

[kilowatt1]

If the inspector told you it was switched, what he most likely means is that the neutral (white wire) and the hot (black wire) are reversed. If you look closely at the GFCI receptacle you'll see that one side has silver colored screws and the opposite side has gold or brass colored screws. The white wire(s) attach to the silver colored screws and the black wire(s) attach to the gold colored screws. The bare copper wire is attached to the green screw. Now, you probably only have one each of black, white and bare copper wires in the box. If this is true, then connect the black and white wires to the terminals marked "Line". If you have more than one of each color wire in the box the correct wiring sequence is a little more complicated.

The inspector could tell that the wires were switched or installed incorrectly by using a GFCI tester.

As already posted, always use caution when working with electricity.


Kilowatt

[lexmarks567]

a GFCI does not have to be grounded. But it should be marked non grounded outlet.Where are you located anyways.If In new york City You can not do this work without a permit. New york is very picky about this. there so fussy that they might as well make it to where you need a permit to change a light bulb.Thats how fussy they are.

[hewee]

Go to the hardware store and get a tester like this here.



Or this one.

http://www.elexp.com/tst_9610.htm

It will tell you want is what by the lights on it and the chart.
Plus get one that has the button to test the gfci too.
Some tell you a little more then others but most are about the same.

It will cost about $6.00 to $15.00 for one.
Home Depot my have more models to pick from too.