floating neutral in 15amp circ?

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rokosz

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Hi all, I've been on the phone with Leviton. It started with a illuminated switch to control a ceiling fan. With the switch off I get about 58v with a tester on the two connectors on the switch. Turn the switch on I get zero.
 
Some newer light switches need a neutral and in newer houses we might find one in the box that is not being used.

The two wires to your switch are power and switch leg. While the switch is off ,the switch leg may look like a neutral but when the switch is turned on it is power.

So you are looking for another white wire wire in the box??
 
sorry my OP was _way_ incomplete. my cut and paste only pasted the first two lines or so.

I was getting 58v on illum and trad switches when off, Zero when on.
Leviton said I had a floating neutral

Rough-in testing had been fine. although the 58v had been at the fixture leads too. Turns out Illum switches pass current through even when off. Apparently a no-no for appliances and/or led.

I'm using a trad flip switch now.

On the positive side I've got answers:

First: my ignorance betrayed me (again). For any future DIY'ers: How do you test current flow at a wall switch? NOT: by metering the two brass connectors. YES: lead on the incoming hot, other lead on the ground (when the outlet is off)
YES: lead on the outgoing hot, other lead to the ground (when the outlet is on)

Second: Ya gotta think , ignorant dude: When I checked the wiring in the ceiling fan I found: my hot/red lead was connected to the fans white/neutral my black lead to the fan's black lead. I read the fan instructions too literally while not thinking. Now I have it properly wired (my hot/red to the fan's black, my neutral/white to the fan's white and my black is dead/unused.

Hmm, I feel so much better.
 

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