Ground and neutral should be tied together somewhere upstream. Seeing 5.3vac says the neutral wire is disconnected somewhere before being reaching this outlet. Likely that voltage is more like a static reading because the meter has a very high input impedance. If you put a 3-way outlet adapter in, with the tester and then your meter, I bet the voltages goes close to zero. Or to 117vac, depending on how that tester is set up. (or use a load without a ground lead)
Next step is to look at other outlets located between this one and the breaker. Check the white wires for a bad wirenut, open junction, loose white wire, etc.
Do not tie the white to the ground.
Looks like that outlet is in concrete block. Garage maybe? There could be an outlet on that circuit in the attic too.
Is the breaker tripping a GFCI ?? Power flowing from outlet hot to a device and returning via ground will trip a GFCI.
Last edited by Maker; 07-02-2025 at 11:36 AM.
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