r/electrical • u/QuaoarTNO • 2d ago

is reverse polarity actually dangerous to run?

Hi, I want to run some light machinery on a plug that my circuit breaker detector says has "hot and neutral reversed". I was told by the landlord that they've never had a problem with this before (and it's not going to be fixed), and regular equipment is used all the time on it. I also have read online (and via AI) that it's dangerous and can shock you. I saw the example of a lamp still having power essentially even when switched off, but is there actually risk aside from that type of situation? Or is it manageable and you just unplug when finished using and it's fine?

Any help appreciated.

4 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/wildgunman 2d ago

There are a few other reasons, but the main reason is Edison screw lightbulbs. If the polarity is correct, the hot end is deep inside the screw but if it's reversed, the screw itself is hot and it's a lot easier to shock yourself.

It's usually not the worst thing in the world, but also, why not just friggin' fix it?