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I have a GFCI outlet which is testing wierdly. On one of the plugs, one prong tests hot and the other does not (using a Voltaware). On the other plug, both prongs test hot. The other outlets on the same circuit test fine. I reversed the black and white wires and nothing changed. Any ideas? Will replacing the GFCI outlet resolve the problem?

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Don
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    Turn the breaker off, open it up, and take a picture of both sides and the back. Maybe there's something we can see. Also, are you using a multimeter or a non-contact voltage tester, like Steven mentioned? It could be a few different things. – Michael Jul 06 '12 at 17:57

1 Answers1

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A non-contact tester might give you a false-positive on the neutral in some cases. Try testing the outlet with an outlet tester which will indicate if the hot/neutral are switched or open. Alternatively you can use a multi-meter to test it. If you are in the US, you should get ~120VAC between hot and neutral, but 0VAC between neutral and ground if the outlet is wired correctly.

Outlet Tester

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Steven
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