Electrical Troubleshooting.

If you’re getting 120V from each hot leg to neutral, but 0V between the two hot legs, something's wrong. On a 240V system, you should see:

• ~120V from Hot 1 to Neutral
  
  

• ~120V from Hot 2 to Neutral
  
  

• ~240V between Hot 1 and Hot 2
  
  

So if you're getting 0V between the two hots, here are a few possible causes:

⚡ 1. Both Hot Legs Are on the Same Phase

If both conductors are tied to the same leg of the panel (e.g., both L1), you’ll see:

• 120V to neutral on both,
  
  

• But 0V between them — because there’s no voltage difference between the same phase.
  
  

🔧 Fix: Make sure the two hot wires come from opposite legs of the split-phase 240V service. In a breaker panel, they should be on different poles of a double-pole breaker or staggered across opposite phases.

🔄 2. Bad Breaker or Panel Wiring

If one leg of a double-pole breaker failed internally (or was installed incorrectly), it might appear to energize both sides but not actually provide 240V between them.

🔧 Fix: Check with a multimeter at the breaker terminals. Confirm both legs are outputting 120V and there's 240V between them.

🧰 3. Open or Shared Neutral Confusion

In rare cases, if someone wired the solar system oddly — maybe sharing a neutral across different circuits — it can cause misleading readings.

🔧 Fix: Trace the wiring carefully. Ensure proper neutral isolation and grounding practices are followed.

⚠️ 4. Testing Error or Floating Ground

If you're testing with a non-contact voltage tester or you have a floating neutral or ground reference, you may get "phantom voltage" that doesn’t actually mean power is there.

🔧 Fix: Always test with a reliable multimeter. Verify your reference points — neutral and ground — are solid and bonded correctly.