Safely test the fixture with a spare cord to see if it works. If it does not - check the fixture wiring, bulbs etc. Be careful when testing neutral wires, because a neutral wire can produce an electric shock if the circuit is energized and a load is on the circuit..
Sometimes a circuit hot wire will test ok to a grounded path such as a water facet, or typically a ground wire, but will not test ok to the white neutral wire. This can be caused by a few things, most of all a loose or burnt wire connection that has burnt to the extent of a lost connection.
This may occur at a screw terminal on a receptacle outlet, or the push-in insertion point on the back of a receptacle outlet. Without the neutral wire connection a device will not work. Be sure to check all the neutral connections at the power source, and at any junction leading to the problem area. Checking The Wire Connections Make sure your connections are well made. A loose connection will also cause shorts and create burnt wires which could result in a potential fire hazard.
Twist wires together using pliers before screwing on any wire nuts, this ensures a good connection. Don't over tighten wire nuts, but make sure they are on tight.
As the circuit and all the components are checked you should identify the problem. Most of the time it is something very obvious. Let me know if this helps you, I really enjoy your comments and suggestions! Be Very Careful and Be Safe! Troubleshooting Electrical Outlet Problems Non of the electrical outlets after the 2nd box work if there is not a plug in the top receptacle on outlet two… Electrical Question- Could there be a Problem with our Main Circuit Breaker?
Recently after an electrical storm during which we lost power we have developed a problem of lights dimming when certain appliances are used. Old existing 12 gauge wire, appears it goes directly to the panel and a 20 amp breaker.
I wired up some GFI outlets 1st time, but sure its right , light on outlet comes on, V showing on my meter, plugged in fan, nothing. The breaker at panel does not trip. Working on other wiring in the attic, I noticed some of the same old wiring had been cut out, small pieces under staple.
Any idea? Of course I'd rather replace the wiring entirely, but low pitch of roof and drywall is up. Feeling dumb, Thank You for your time.
This alone could be an indication that there are problems with the wiring that needs immediate attention. You mentioned that you are helping a friend, so I am curious about what the original problem was that needed assistance? You are right in mentioning that it would be best to remove and replace the old wiring, and make any corrections as needed to make the home safe.
The home owner should consider having a professional electrical wiring upgrade. Electrical Circuit Troubleshooting I have a circuit that is out. The line comes up from the electrical box to a bedroom, and that ceiling light works, but everything from there out does not, yet the switches and ceiling lights have power. We tested them with a meter and they all beeped showing there was power going to them. The only weird thing that happened is after the lights went out a couple of days later a smoke detector that is hard wired to the same line started going off.
It would give a couple of beeps, then speed up and beep loudly and after a few seconds the beeping continued but the sound level would get much quieter. We had to disconnect it to stop it-none of the other detectors went off not hard wired and we checked for any sign of fire-there was none. Any ideas? Why would the lines show power going to them if the fixtures do not work? M Smith, From what you have explained I believe that the circuit has lost connection with either the power or the neutral source.
This may be found be at one of the device boxes, such as an outlet or light fixture. This would explain why there is an abnormal voltage reading, but devices are not getting full power, which is most likely a result of power that is feeding back through the wiring and devices from other locations. Appliance Testing I was trying to electrically test and tag a food processor without success. The item was not marked as being double insulated, so I made the assumption it was type one.
The item was fully sealed so I was unable to attach the probe to exposed metal. Any advice? Tim Tim, you may need to reference your common test lead to the termination point of the ground, or attach to the ground at the power source. We lost power to the area due to storm. It is a code violation to place tandem breakers in one slot rather than too many single-pole breakers. The danger level will be minimal. This problem can be resolved by adding a sub-panel with extra slots or replacing the existing panel with a bigger model.
It has a high danger level as aluminium was used as a cheap substitute for copper in earlier days and is no longer a safe option. This is because corrosion takes place when aluminium is in contact with copper and when the connections loosen, it leads to fires. The solution for this issue is retrofitting a dielectric wire nut for an aluminum wire to copper connection in case of light fixtures. This helps in stopping corrosion due to the grease in the nuts.
The pushed wires at the back can be loose for new switches than those anchored around screw terminals. This is not a code violation as it is allowed for new constructions too.
The risk occurs only when the loose wires are worst in case otherwise it stops the switch from working. Check if your wires are backstabbed, if so, release it and fix them to the respective screw terminals on the receptacle.
Always be cautious with the signs of electrical problems in home as it causes a dangerous hazard. Not all problems are related and may be due to human error too. There are at times when electronic appliances go bad or problems occur due to faulty wiring and get increased when environmental conditions are bad. Here are some tips for troubleshooting your electrical problems easily as it is true that troubleshooting a problem has a complete solution.
In some situations, troubleshooting will be quite easy when it is the case of a switch or the light bulb burned out. Many times, you may notice RCCB receptacle is tripped and the tripped plug is behind a pile of boxes in a garage without even noticing that there is a plug present there. It is very important to make sure of your safety while working with electrical problems and solutions. You can insulate the hot wire with red or black to identify from others also known as hot wire flagging.
Flag the circuit with a label to make others aware that you are working on it. Isolate the equipment to avoid a failing component. This can be caused by a couple of things, a free or burnt association that has burnt clear of the association point, for example, a receptacle screw or the point of insertion at the back of a receptacle. Make sure to check all the Neutral Connections at the source and at any intersection prompting the issue zone. This occurs especially on the heater side.
A free connection will likewise cause shorts and make burnt wires which could bring about potential fire danger. As the circuit and all the components are checked you must be able to find the issue and fix it. A professional electrician can easily diagnose and resolve it. Be safe!! Most electrical dangers could be controlled if you quality products certified by the concerned authorities are used. In all likelihood, this will fix the problem. Sometimes, you may find that the wire connections are made via push-in fittings on the back of the switch or outlet.
This method of connection is notorious for being prone to failure—so much so that most professional electricians don't use the push-in fittings at all, but instead make all wire connections with the screw terminal connections on the sides of the switch or outlet. If you find that your device is made with the push-in fittings, you might want to remove them and reconnect the wires to the screw terminals on the device. Finally, if there are pass-through wire connections inside the box that are made with wire nuts or another type of connector, check these to make sure the wires are tightly joined together.
A loose connector is also a common source of problems. A classic wire connection error is when wires are joined together with electrical tape rather than a wire nut or other sanctioned connector.
To fix the problem, first, turn off the power to the circuit. Then, remove the electrical tape from the wires and clean them. Another common wire connection problem is when you find two or more wires held under a single screw terminal on a switch or outlet. This is a clear sign of amateur work and a distinct fire hazard.
It is allowable to have a single wire under each of the two screw terminals on the side of an outlet or switch, but it is a code violation to have two wires wedged under a single screw. This is most often seen when two bare copper grounding wires are found under the grounding screw on the outlet or switch, but you also may occasionally find hot wires or neutral wires connected to a single screw terminal. To fix this problem, once again, this repair involves first shutting off the power.
Then, the two offending wires are removed from their screw terminal. Cut a 6-inch pigtail wire of the same color as the two wires use a green pigtail if you are joining two bare copper grounding wires. Now, attach the free end of the pigtail wire to the screw terminal that once held the two wires.
You have essentially created a bridge, or pathway, that connects both wires to the desired screw terminal on the outlet or switch. Note: Make sure the pigtail wire is the same wire gauge as the circuit wires. A amp circuit normally uses gauge wire; a amp circuit uses gauge wire. It is quite common, especially with amateur electrical work, to see a screw terminal connection or wire nut connection where it has too much or too little exposed copper wire showing at the wires.
With screw terminal connections, there should be enough bare copper wire stripped to wrap entirely around the screw terminal but not so much that excess bare copper wire extends out from the screw.
It's a fine balance: Too little exposed copper wire allows the screw, when tightened, to rest on the insulation instead of the wire itself, while too much exposed wire can short out if it touches a metal box or other wires. Wires should be wrapped clockwise around the screw terminals; if they are reversed, they can be prone to loosening. With wire nut connections, all of the bare copper wire should be hidden under the plastic cap, with no exposed wire showing at the bottom of the wire nut.
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