Need a quick answer to household wiring question

[JohnCU]

Installing a ceiling fan in a very old house (mine) and the wires are not color coded and my voltmeter will not give me a plus/minus reading when I check the leads, so I plugged the neutral wire of the voltmeter into the neutral outlet of a nearby extension cord and found which wire gave me a difference of 120 volts, but is there another sure way?

 

[5ayle]

Are you sticking it in the right hole?

Are you putting it in the ground line, the round hole? The wire with the difference then would be your hot wire and the other negative.

 

[JohnCU]

this house was built in like, 1930, i'm not sure it's grounded lol.

 

[5ayle]

oh wow that's awesome and tricky... just wing it or try it with a cheap lamp or something

 

[Icepick]

Originally posted by: 5ayle
Are you sticking it in the right hole?

Are you putting it in the ground line, the round hole? The wire with the difference then would be your hot wire and the other neutral.

Fixed

 

[5ayle]

Originally posted by: icepik

Originally posted by: 5ayle
Are you sticking it in the right hole?

Are you putting it in the ground line, the round hole? The wire with the difference then would be your hot wire and the other neutral.

Fixed

It's been a 3 years since my last physics class. I hated circuits and electricity anyways. Makes me think why I even majored in EE.

 

[skyking]

If you only have two wires, it is a moot point which line is which. For a safety ground circuit, you really need an independant path.
There are testers out there that will help you with polarity, but they are spendy.

 

[amdskip]

Make sure you have that box your are mounting the fan to properly secured. A regular electrical box is not good enough.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: skyking
If you only have two wires, it is a moot point which line is which. For a safety ground circuit, you really need an independant path.
There are testers out there that will help you with polarity, but they are spendy.

I have a cheap one. Let me find a link....
Style
With this tool, you can find power by just holding it near the line. No direct contact is needed.

 

[JohnCU]

oh well, it's working now

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: skyking
If you only have two wires, it is a moot point which line is which. For a safety ground circuit, you really need an independant path.
There are testers out there that will help you with polarity, but they are spendy.

Polarity on AC?

 

[NogginBoink]

Sounds like you had your voltmeter reading DC instead of AC.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: skyking
If you only have two wires, it is a moot point which line is which. For a safety ground circuit, you really need an independant path.
There are testers out there that will help you with polarity, but they are spendy.

Polarity on AC?

OK yougot me. you know what I mean though, one leg will bite your ass and the other won't