Ultimately, you need to repair the damaged conductor, but first of all, as I
said originally, you need to find the GFCI device that's protecting the
circuit. If it's not a GFCI breaker, it's probably going to be an upstream
GFCI outlet from the point of the non functioning outlets. When GFCI outlets
trip, at least some models, depending upon age, will open both neutral and
hot conductors. Since your neutral conductor is intact, but dead, I would be
looking for a problem with the upstream GFCI device



"albee" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Aug 2007 18:05:45 -0400, albee wrote:

On Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:17:08 -0400, albee wrote:



Thanks. It appears what happened what he was getting bleedover, for
lack of a better term (is that induced voltage?) from the light
line
running parallel to it. Anyway, he's cut away at the wall, but is
having trouble trying to repair the damaged one. What's the best
way
to repair this. Not sure of the gauge. It's copper wire, though.
Also,
one problem he's having is he can't pull it away from the wall
because
it's stapled up and down so tightly.
Anyone's best solution for him would be much appreciated!

Best, or legal? or both?
Somebody please correct me and cite code section if I am wrong, but
I believe that there is no code permitted way to have a splice
concealed
behind drywall. You will need a junction box with an accessible
cover.
And since the cable will be short, you may even need two.
Since you have already ripped up drywall, best to replace the cable
all
the way to the outlet boxes, or at least to a location where you are
willing to put in an additional outlet. Depending upon accessibility
from attic or basement, you may want to just abandon the existing
cable
and fish a new one.


Okay, we're still puzzled here. Here's the situation:
It's a GFCI. He drilled into the line, presumable causing this
problem. There are a Black, White and Ground (bare copper) wire
groupled together. He drilled into, nicking the black and ground.
However, we can still get 120v on a multimeter using the Black and the
Ground. But nothing testing the Black and White (actually, I get 5v,
he gets 70v, apparently due to different impedance multimeters).
But the white doesn't appear to have gotten nicked at all. The
insulation appears intact, though it's darkened, presumably (?) from
the nicking, and arcing, of the black and ground.
Is there something specific to GFCI's that we don't understand
white and ground? Is there something else that could have gotten
damaged that's not allowing a Black/White connection to work?
Oh yeah, and he replaced the breaker, just in case, prior to this
latest round of testing.
There's only a couple of inches of space between the drywall and the
brick behind it, so a tight working envirnonment.
Any help or thoughts are much appreciated!
Okay, I'm guessing this is going to be a big "duh", due to it being a
GFCI circuit, but we'll see. Just to clarify, it's a GFCI circuit (at
least it's labeled that way at the breaker box!), but the outlets are
NOT GFCI-type. Wondering if the outlets are supposed to be wired with
the black and "ground", and that the white isn't needed since it's
gfci? It wasn't wired like that before, but my neighbor isn't positive
that it worked before, either! How do you test to make sure it's
grounded? Thanks again.