mysterious outlet wiring question

HamNCheese · 2007-11-11T20:45:49+00:00

I'm trying to install a GFCI outlet on our (110v) washer and dryer. Iturned off the breaker and confirmed that the outlet was off. The Iopened the outlet: it has one red wire, and two white wires attached.I figured as usual red was hot, white neutral, with white looping onto some other outlet. But then I got a shock off the white wire. Imeasured the voltage between the two white wires and I get 110v. If Imeasure between the red and either white wire I get no voltage.Can someone explain to me what's going on here? Are the colors justbackwards? And why does the breaker turn off the outlet but I stillget voltage on the line?

Nov 11, 2007 43 Replies

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RBM 18 years ago

If you had both hot legs live, then separated the neutrals, you would create a 240 volt circuit, however if more than one thing was connected to that circuit, they would be in series and would be sharing that 240 volts

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Steve Barker 18 years ago

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like the NEC people are in cahoots with the AFCI breaker people. Good thing our AHJ is just now changing to the 2006 IRC and IBC. Sounds like i'll just put GFCI's on the washer and the sump pump and see if it all stays on.

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bud-- 18 years ago

Sorry - I intended to agree with you and "put another nail in the coffin".

I see they are out at Barnes & Noble.

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bud-- 18 years ago

I never read the final decision. I thought I read somewhere it was more like (almost all) 120/15/20 outlets had to be AFCI if not required to be GFCI.

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