3-light tester question

[Jerry Simon]

What does having all three lights on a 3-light tester light-up mean? My Sure-Test said the receptacle was fine & dandy.

(I was too lazy to get my Wiggy out of the truck, but will when I return to check the plumbing when the winterized house is de-winterized...lordy, how many of those have we atypically seen this year?!)

Thanks for any light-insight.

[Bob White]

Could mean voltage approaching 240V ---

I used to have a link to a schematic of a typical three lighter, but I can't find it now----

Anybody got one?

edited to coooorekt speeling

[mr_tom]

When I was testing outlets in detached garage, I was fixing, I ran into a similar problem. I had the two normal lights, plus a faint glow on the abnormal light, so I had all three. I checked connections, and after I was done, I had the two normal lights only. I remember that when I did find a poor 'grounded conductor ("neutral") connection under a wire nut.

Regardless, it was improperly connected, and needed correction.

Just a guess,

tom

[hausdok]

Hi,

Was there anything else plugged into the same circuit? I think I had that a time or two when there was something else plugged into the same circuit drawing power.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Jerry Simon

What does having all three lights on a 3-light tester light-up mean? My Sure-Test said the receptacle was fine & dandy.

(I was too lazy to get my Wiggy out of the truck, but will when I return to check the plumbing when the winterized house is de-winterized...lordy, how many of those have we atypically seen this year?!)

Thanks for any light-insight.

If the Suretest says its fine, but the three-light shows all three lights on, there was probably a high load upstream of the receptacle.

Schematic attached for Bob.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Image Insert:

34.21 KB

[Brandon Chew]

All three lights lit should mean that you have current flowing between:

hot and neutral

neutral and ground

hot and ground

all at the same time.

Here is some good info on three-light testers which may shed some light [] on the subject:

Interpreting 3-Prong Outlet Testers

Download Attachment: Three_Light_Electric_Tester.pdf

250.24 KB

For Jim & Bob, see figure 3 in the pdf.