How to Identify Hot, Neutral and Ground Wires using Digital Multimeter and Probe

Video explains how to tell 1 out 3 wires but great anyways

how do you tell the neutral apart from the ground? that's the most important thing. Live - you can find out with a probe tester. The actual issue is always with the neutral and ground and telling them apart.

Thank you

I had to watch several other videos before I found this one. This was just what I needed.

I have 4 wires.. Hot, Load, Neutral, Ground. I assume that HOT wires is always on and Load is only on when attached a switch on ?

I've asked many electricians to explain how and none had this simple way! thanks!

lovely explanatio nand so clear... beautiful video!

If you have an open neutral you are in big trouble using a multimeter this way! You will not read voltage with an open neutral, but there still might be voltage present.

So if I have nothing grounded next to the outlet and I need to find a hot wire… what shall I do? Closest water pipe 10 feet away, drier is on another floor… does the outlet shall be powered on or it can be as on your video? Bad explanation. Thumbs down!!

As much as testing live wires is dangerous and should be done with caution, as much as this video is rushed and distracting for us who looking for videos to teach us how to do it safely.

My ground wire has 2 volts and 0 amps. Whats it mean?

Seems like you would get the same reading (i.e. zero) from a neutral or a ground. How do you tell them apart?

how do you know which one is ground?

Is there a way to test whether a wall outlet has been wired to ground properly, using a multimeter? I had my house rewired with a ground rod installed outside but I don't trust the electrician 100%.

Great video but that’s not always the case you should always verify the hot by testing hot to what you think is the neutral. If you get a reading then you have a hot and neutral. Rarely but occasionally the neutral wire would be hot accidentally if that is the case you would not get a reading between 2 wires.

How can you tell neutral from ground?

Bad video

I am wondering what will happen if we put the hot in L and the cold in N 🤔

Do you mean positive, negative and ground?

If we touch the black probe then we won't get shocked, why ? Is the resistance of the voltmeter gonna protecy us? I don't get it

Hah. Decided to check the sockets in the apartment I rent. The wiring looks shoddy AF, and... G to L - 100v. G to N - 130v. Ground to isolated mass - 27v.
I thought I'm going nuts, but that video told me I'm sane. Whoever did the wiring here is nuts.
That doesn't sound safe at all.

Simple and straight to the point. Very good! 👍

i think this video is very good. but it would be likely best for everyone if you explain explicitly that the test is done with power on or not. you do show how to test it but not clear on what state the circuit should be in and warn about live circuits and likely best practice to turn off the breaker before exposing wires or opening up the plate. thanks good otherwise, but better safe and take a few extra seconds.

You didn't show how you can identify the Neutral wire or Earth.
You only identified the Hot (live) wire.

what an idiot! neutral n earth no electric reading.

The wire I am trying to test isn't near any "ground" at all, as it's two wires on the ceiling, and I dont know which is neutral and which is hot. What do I do???

thanks

What if I don't have grounding in house?

where is the ground ID in u video?
grrrr

What can Go wrong when I try it? Besides putting the probes at the wrong place from the meter

Thank you

Excellent no BS video.

What if it is an open neutral?

Great video. Just what I needed to make me feel comfortable poking around my outlets. I had a motor furnace blower motor wired reversed. nice to know it's fixed now.

Very helpful

The best way is to use electric tester

Great short and simple video. I got the information i was looking for quick and easy !!!

For me i get 138 for the first line and 82 for second line what does it mean?

I don't even have a ground in my apartment.... Maybe I can use the gas line?

You know a good info video when comments take there time to comment about how short and informative it was 😂

Thanks kindly.
You said it all in a few focused wording.👍👍👍

You don't identify it, you simply imply it! The right wire is ground, why? How do you differentiate it from neutral using multimeter?

One question.
What will happen if i put two tips of multimeter in the phase holes of two sockets ? Will multimeter show some voltage or it will get damaged ?

Wouldn't you get this non-reading on a wire not connected to anything on the other end?

Great video. Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for.

Hello, beware, this technique won't function on every electrical network. Here in Belgium, I got the same voltage between the ground and either live or neutral.

Very informative. Would like to ask if you have or made videos regarding electrical wirings on asian countries.

You are only identifying hot wires with the multimeter.

if the wires are not color coded.. how owuld you know if it's neutral or ground?

I love 1950 American structures with no ground wires 🙃