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I'm replacing a the middle outlet/receptacle on a non-GFCI circuit with two receptacles and I can't for the life of me figure out why the neutral wires are swapped on the middle receptacle. It appears to be deliberate as the 12 ga wire is bent to create a criss-cross pattern. This was installed by a DIY-er so to me this would seem deliberate. The tabs aren't broken so it doesn't look like this would really affect anything. I've attached a screenshot to show the original configuration.

Wiring diagram

(Please ignore the lack of ground in the diagram, everything is properly grounded with a third wire throughout.)

What would be a benefit / reason behind swapping the neutrals?

Context: 120V power from a pure-sine-wave inverter.

Machavity
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Aaron_H
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5 Answers5

12

It makes no difference, perhaps it was more convenient for the person wiring it up. Or they got it connected on Neutral, and changed their minds about which side was going to be up before wiring Hot.

Regardless, it makes no difference - there is no "line and load" on a non GFCI outlet - if the tabs are unbroken, both screws on a side are the same.

Ecnerwal
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Note "Line" refers to a wire pair of both hot and neutral.

There's no such thing as Line and Load on plain outlets

They're all "Line".

The screws and the brass strip they attached to are visibly, obviously directly connected. Therefore they are the same exact thing, and obviously don't have a different function in any way. Thus, they are interchangeable, and it doesn't matter.

It's a common confusion to use the word "Line" for the supply power line coming from the breaker, and "Load" to describe the onward wires carrying power to other points-of-use. I strongly recommend against this choice of wordage. It will create nothing but confusion.

Those terms are used for active components like GFCIs and smart switches, which do something significant to the power, causing the "Load" output to be basically different in character. That is why you should reserve the terms for that use, and not for any other.

For instance, there is a material question anytime you install a GFCI receptacle as to whether the onward lines should be attached to "Line" or "Load". But to have that conversation, you need the vocabulary to do so!

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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As Ecnerwal already pointed out, it doesn't matter at all. One way to think about it is that there is an alternative way of wiring this receptacle:

  • Use a wire nut to connect the two neutral wires together with a short white wire and connect that short wire to either screw (doesn't matter which one).
  • Use a wire nut to connect the two hot wires together with a short black (or red or blue or yellow) wire and connect that short wire to either screw (doesn't matter which one).

That is functionally the same - the electrons don't care.

In fact, I suspect the only reason there are two screws on each side is to allow splitting by removing the tabs. It is cheaper for manufacturers, retailers and electricians to use one SKU that includes two screws on each side and a removable tab than to have three SKUs (one with one screw on each side, one with two screws on each side not connected, one with two screws on the hot side not connected and one screw on the neutral side). When not split you can use just top, just bottom or both. You can't actually put two wires on one screw...well, actually you can (without using a pigtail) if you use a better quality ("commercial grade") which lets you put wires straight in under a small metal piece, which gets held down when the screw is tightened, rather than looping around the screw.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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After terminating the neutrals the installer twisted/flipped the device to screw down the lives keeping the screwdriver in their dominant hand, causing the neutral wires to cross. If the bend of the wires appears deliberate, that may be because they were manipulated after the fact to help them fit inside the junction box or for a neat appearance.

jay613
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Even though this is an acceptable way to wire grouped outlets (in the same box), the tab is not intended as a pass through for outlets in a string of separated outlets as it is a failure point and makes trouble shooting difficult. It used to be common to connect both feed and pass wires under the same screw but pigtailing with wire nuts is now the norm. The tab is a breakable tab for the purpose of having a switched outlet or alternate power source, and the reason for the availability of the second screw.

Cristina Vekos
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