@ hilde45 OP
Yeah, you got a lot going on there. And all that on #14awg wire to boot. It’s been like that, I imagine, for many years and you didn’t know it. That is, unless the 15 amp breaker was tripping occasionally from being overloaded.
You didn’t know the AC polarity was reversed at the wall outlets either, until several days ago. (Not mentioned in this thread, reversed AC polarity can have an affect on the sound of an audio system. But that’s for another thread.)
As for the 4 volts you measure from the neutral to the equipment ground that really doesn’t matter. The 4 volts may not even really exist. It could just be phantom voltage created by the multimeter. Even if the 4 volts is real it’s to low to be an electrical safety/shock hazard.
This all started because you bought a ’ Panamax, Max 1500 surge protector and line conditioner’. Then when you plugged it in it said you had an AC mains line fault. If you hadn’t bought the darn thing you wouldn’t have been going in circles the last several days trying to figure out what the problem is.
Options, the way I see it.
1) There is way to much going on with the branch circuit wiring for you to repair. Not to mention your qualifications.... You maybe a great teacher, but a lousy electrician... An electrician could spend a couple days, maybe more, straitening out the mess. It all comes comes down to time and money. You have the money, he/she has the time.
2) Reverse the Hot and neutral wires at the duplex receptacle outlet the power conditioner will be fed from. I assume the duplex outlet is used to feed all of your audio equipment.
3) If all of your audio equipment will be plugged into the power conditioner you could reverse the Hot and neutral wires on the power cord plug of the cord used to feed the power conditioner.
4) Hire an electrician to install a new 20 amp dedicated branch circuit for your audio equipment.
Note:
There are instances where reversed AC mains polarity can be an electrical shock hazard. In the case of screw in light sockets. If the mains polarity is reversed and the circuit is hot, on, feeding the light socket the outer screw shell of the socket will be Hot with respect to ground. To lesson the likely hood of receiving an electrical shock in the event one hand is in contact with the outer shell of the light bulb, while it is in contact with the shell of the light socket, and the other your other hand is touching a grounded object MAKE SURE the switch is in the off position. If the light has a cord and plug you can always just unplug it from the wall when replacing a burned out light bulb with a new one one.
Jim
.
Yeah, you got a lot going on there. And all that on #14awg wire to boot. It’s been like that, I imagine, for many years and you didn’t know it. That is, unless the 15 amp breaker was tripping occasionally from being overloaded.
You didn’t know the AC polarity was reversed at the wall outlets either, until several days ago. (Not mentioned in this thread, reversed AC polarity can have an affect on the sound of an audio system. But that’s for another thread.)
As for the 4 volts you measure from the neutral to the equipment ground that really doesn’t matter. The 4 volts may not even really exist. It could just be phantom voltage created by the multimeter. Even if the 4 volts is real it’s to low to be an electrical safety/shock hazard.
This all started because you bought a ’ Panamax, Max 1500 surge protector and line conditioner’. Then when you plugged it in it said you had an AC mains line fault. If you hadn’t bought the darn thing you wouldn’t have been going in circles the last several days trying to figure out what the problem is.
Options, the way I see it.
1) There is way to much going on with the branch circuit wiring for you to repair. Not to mention your qualifications.... You maybe a great teacher, but a lousy electrician... An electrician could spend a couple days, maybe more, straitening out the mess. It all comes comes down to time and money. You have the money, he/she has the time.
2) Reverse the Hot and neutral wires at the duplex receptacle outlet the power conditioner will be fed from. I assume the duplex outlet is used to feed all of your audio equipment.
3) If all of your audio equipment will be plugged into the power conditioner you could reverse the Hot and neutral wires on the power cord plug of the cord used to feed the power conditioner.
4) Hire an electrician to install a new 20 amp dedicated branch circuit for your audio equipment.
Note:
There are instances where reversed AC mains polarity can be an electrical shock hazard. In the case of screw in light sockets. If the mains polarity is reversed and the circuit is hot, on, feeding the light socket the outer screw shell of the socket will be Hot with respect to ground. To lesson the likely hood of receiving an electrical shock in the event one hand is in contact with the outer shell of the light bulb, while it is in contact with the shell of the light socket, and the other your other hand is touching a grounded object MAKE SURE the switch is in the off position. If the light has a cord and plug you can always just unplug it from the wall when replacing a burned out light bulb with a new one one.
Jim
.