Stupid question about 240v power

[Soundside]

Hi, I know the answer to this question but I’m really scratching my head and just wondering if I’ve forgotten something. I am feeding a subpanel on a dock from the main panel in my house. I have a 50 amp, 240 V breaker in the main panel. The supply from this breaker goes to a physical disconnect on the outside of the house. I have the breaker closed and the disconnect open. The disconnect only interrupts the two hot legs but not the neutral. From there, the feed goes to another disconnect switch at the dock before it gets to the subpanel. At that disconnect, both hot legs and neutral are interrupted. This switch is open.
Now, checking power at the first disconnect. I have 240 across the two hot legs. I have 120 from each of them to ground. Of course this also means I have 120 to the neutral, since neutral and ground are bonded in the main panel. Here’s the weird thing. I also have 120 from each of the supply side hot legs to the opposite leg on the load side.
Is there something obvious that I’m just brain dead about? I would not think I’d see any potential there.

 

[Soundside]

Also have 120v from each hot leg to its own load side. Again, all three, L1, L2, and neutral are open at the switch downstream.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Soundside]

Continuity check shows no continuity from either leg on the load side to ground or to each other.

 

[Soundside]

Well, I’m still waiting for admin to approve these posts, and I’ve resolved the issue. Apparently it is not unusual to get a “phantom“ voltage from the hot leg to a substantial conductor like the wire downstream. Apparently it’s a feature of digital voltmeters and how they respond to capacitive sources.

 

[bigb56]

I was just getting ready to ask if you were using a DVM or a Wiggy. A Wiggy will tell the truth.

 

[Fitter30]

There is no other wires running with the wires from disconnect to dock? Have a drop light with incandescent bulb? Tie a couple of pieces of scrap wire on plug put it across hot and neutral and check voltage between coming from plug to neutral. Also check connection at ground rod.

 

[Reach4]

Well, I’m still waiting for admin to approve these posts, and I’ve resolved the issue. Apparently it is not unusual to get a “phantom“ voltage from the hot leg to a substantial conductor like the wire downstream. Apparently it’s a feature of digital voltmeters and how they respond to capacitive sources.

Many digital multimeters feature a have a "LoZ" or low impedance mode. Or an old analog meter would not have that problem.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/197042690767 would be a cheapy. An old https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=simpson+260 would be more durable, although with a voltmeter, it is the test leads that are more likely to fail.

 

[bigb56]

Many digital multimeters feature a have a "LoZ" or low impedance mode. Or an old analog meter would not have that problem.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/197042690767 would be a cheapy. An old https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=simpson+260 would be more durable, although with a voltmeter, it is the test leads that are more likely to fail.

You can't beat the old Simpsons. Leads are readily available as well. I have an assortment including ones with alligator clips on them.