"aemeijers" wrote in message
news
RBM wrote:
"stavros" wrote in message
...
On Aug 23, 7:57 am, aemeijers wrote:
stavros wrote:
Last night a circuit breaker tripped. On this circuit are the
overhead lights and outlets in a couple bedrooms and a hall light. I
flipped the breaker back on, but power only came back to one of the
bedrooms. The hall light and power in the other bedroom are still
out. I've never seen this behavior before. What could the problem be
and how can I troubleshoot this? Thanks in advance!
Probably a daisy-chained circuit, and a switch or an outlet is fried, or
has a loose connection. What was the last electrical item turned on or
in use before breaker tripped? Wherever that was plugged in or switched,
pull and check that outlet or switch. Multiple rooms, I would bet on on
fried plug or loose connection. Hall light is probably fed off the
bedroom next to it, from the last outlet in the daisy chain, or from the
ceiling light in that room. As cheap as new outlets and switches are, as
long as you have it apart, may as well replace it, just for giggles.
Especially true for heavily used outlets and switches, or if your house
is more than a few years old. It could be a junction box in attic, but
that is a lot less likely. If live bedroom and dead bedroom have a
common wall, the problem is probably the last live outlet or the first
dead one, closest to it in the wall.

If the above does not make sense, go buy a DIY electrical book with
pictures, or hire somebody. That isn't a flame- there is no shame in not
knowing how to do something, and everyone has to start somewhere. And
unlike most home repairs, messing up electrical work can actually kill
you.

--
aem sends...

I lucked out and quickly identified a failing outlet in the chain.
Just by jiggling my voltage tester in the receptacle slots, the rest
of the lights and outlets in the chain flickered on and off. I have a
bunch of new replacement outlets, so I set out to replace this one and
ran into a new question.

There are three runs of Romex heading into this outlet box, and
they're all connected to this receptacle. I've replaced several
outlets in my house, but I've never seen this wiring before. My new
replacement outlets have four connectors - two hot and two neutral -
and this is what I'm used to dealing with. Instead, this old failing
outlet has eight push-in style connectors, and there are three hot
wires and three neutrals already connected.

Can I use my standard four-connector outlet to replace this one? If
so, how do I wire it? Can I take the three hots and wire cap them
together, along with one extra pigtail for the outlet, then do the
same with the neutrals?

This is not a switched outlet, btw.

As long as it's not switched, or half switched, pigtails is exactly what
you do.

Pigtails will work, if there is enough room in the box. If not, you can
extend the box out (if the people in the house will accept that ugliness),

If there was enough room in the box to begin with, there is enough with
pigtails.

or cut it out and replace it with a larger 'old-work' box.

You're not getting a nail on box with 3 cables in it, out of the wall
without making a hole larger than the box, at which point, you're better off
using something like a "smart box"

The extra romex probably feeds the ceiling light or hall light. Most
electricians try to lay out wire runs to avoid a 3-way connection, because
they are a PITA.

We do?, that's news to me, and totally ridiculous.

Nobody else said it, so I will- you don't have
aluminum wiring, do you? I've never personally seen an outlet for use on
copper with 8 backstab holes.

Since you are not an electrician, why would you?

And like most people on here keep saying- ignore the backstab holes and
use the screws.

--
aem sends...