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(10-09-2017, 08:31 PM)messmaker Wrote: I had both outlets pulled when I started. No loose wire and no stab connections.Any ides on tracking the circuit upstream?I know how to isolate live plugs ,but dead plugs?
Ok I have to ask was one the end of the run? Also check GFI's in spaces not normally used. You said the old owner wired stuff from where ever was close. If one was the end of a run look at the rest on the wall and which direction the wires in the box appear to come from also look in the room on the other side of the wall for your problem. I have a toner? a device that can trace a dead wire inside a wall, you attach to the dead wire and put this thing near the wall and it makes noise I found an outlet hidden behind a mirrored wall with it
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(10-09-2017, 09:38 PM)Bob10 Wrote: Ok I have to ask was one the end of the run? Also check GFI's in spaces not normally used. You said the old owner wired stuff from where ever was close. If one was the end of a run look at the rest on the wall and which direction the wires in the box appear to come from also look in the room on the other side of the wall for your problem. I have a toner? a device that can trace a dead wire inside a wall, you attach to the dead wire and put this thing near the wall and it makes noise I found an outlet hidden behind a mirrored wall with it
If your tester is showing hot, turn off breakers one at a time to see which circuit it is. Leave that circuit off, turn all others back on. Check each outlet that is dead including lights. Starting nearest to the two outlets that don't work. It will be a connection on the neutral. Many times a wire will slip out of a wire nut connection. Roly
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these were working and then stopped? If they never worked, simple miswiring may be the issue. I had to rewire a batch of outlets in a previous house. Builder built it for himself, probably stiffed all the subs so it was wired by a helper or wired it himself. In any event the person who wired it didn't really understand electricity. Fortunately, nothing dangerous, just dead outlets.
My sister had this same complaint at her house, dead circuits. Turned out that a lot of circuits were fed by light switches. She had no idea.
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(10-09-2017, 10:20 AM)messmaker Wrote: My daughters bedroom has two plugs that are not working. I get a charged reading with a non-contact and a light glow with a circuit tester. I can't seem to get a stable reading with a multi tester. I am thinking one of the feeder wires upstream from the plug is loose. My basement was finished by the previous owner and he piggybacked off existing circuits so it makes no rhyme or reason. i have no doubt I could fix it if I could find it. Any ideas?
Lets go back to your original post. Did these outlets work at one time??? Is there a light switch in the room and are the outlets controlled off the switch. Done many times but usually half the outlet is switched control. Is there a way for you to tell if the circuit is hot after you pulled the outlets??? If so try flipping off breakers till you find the one that controls the outlets. Then turn it off and go around the entire house and check for other outlets or light that are not working. This includes outside outlets, garage outlets and light and bathroom and so on. It could be those outlets were hooked to a GFCI circuit and that is tripped. But if not and you locate the other lights or outlets on the same circuit you then will need to take them out and look for disconnected wires or burnt wires or any indication of broken circuit. As mentioned be careful because other live circuits can be in the same boxes.
John T.
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My nephews tripped a light switch in our bedroom so clock stopped working used this device to figure out wall sockets had no power. Had all the covers off checking wiring after checking circuit breakerand ready to run a buy new wall sockets. Not sure what made me flip that light switch but once did clock starting runing. You can find these at most home centers or hardware stores. Also have a two probe tester that reads volts as a backup.
https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Recept...B0012DHVQ0
Bill
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(10-09-2017, 10:38 PM)EricU Wrote: My sister had this same complaint at her house, dead circuits. Turned out that a lot of circuits were fed by light switches. She had no idea.
I had the tenant from hell and when I evicted her she started telling me I never fixed anything and half the receptacles in the house didn't work. I never got a call from her about anything not working and the receptacles in the living and family room along with all the bedrooms had switched outlets for lamps
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That tester is a real god send.
I had a circuit go bad because upstream the common wire came out to the back of an outlet (use the screws - not the stab joint). I was able to locate the offending outlet that way. That outlet fed several outlets in a couple of rooms.
I did have a issue with a bad outlet in a BR - changed it and it worked fine. Cheap and quick. May or may not fix it but they do go bad.
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(10-10-2017, 05:22 PM)John Mihich Wrote: That tester is a real god send.
I had a circuit go bad because upstream the common wire came out to the back of an outlet (use the screws - not the stab joint). I was able to locate the offending outlet that way. That outlet fed several outlets in a couple of rooms.
I did have a issue with a bad outlet in a BR - changed it and it worked fine. Cheap and quick. May or may not fix it but they do go bad.
I don't think I have a bad plug as I am not getting a proper reading on the hot side of middle plug that feeds the end run.
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(10-11-2017, 08:10 AM)messmaker Wrote: I don't think I have a bad plug as I am not getting a proper reading on the hot side of middle plug that feeds the end run.
Remember you also need a neutral. Is it showing 120v from hot to ground, but not from hot to neutral. You need more than the hot indicator. A solenoid type tester is the best for this type of troubleshooting as it puts a small load on the circuit to rid it of phantom voltage. Roly
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sounds like I may need to call "The Man".
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