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#1
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Certain outlets have gone dead (Breakers all in tact)
My wife was using the vacuuming and what seemed like a simple act of
circuit breaker's just doing their job has turned into a mystery to me. All circuit breakers are on. The outlets that are affected are NOT even on the same circuit (i know this from the breakers go off in the past), and some of the outlets that I know are on the same breakers as the ones that don't work are working fine. I have two GFI outlets (one in each bathroom) and one works fine and one does not. I am truly stumped. Any help would be appreciated. |
#2
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Your first step should be to make 100 % certain that ALL breakers are ON. Many breakers LOOK like they are on, but they have tripped, and have only moved a tiny bit. The best way to be sure is to turn each one of them all the way to OFF and then turn them back on. Good luck !! --James-- |
#3
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Not too much information to go on, but it is possible that you have a loose
or broken wire somewhere on the line. Start at the electrical panel and tighten all connections on the circuit breakers and the neutral bar. While you are in there check to see that you are actually getting "Juice" off of each circuit breaker. If that doesn't resolve the problem, the next step would be to open up each receptacle, switch, and light fixture on that particular circuit in search of a broken or loose connection. The problem could even be in a receptacle that is still working. If you are not comfortable doing this, I suggest that you call in an electrician. John Grabowski http://www.mrelectrician.tv "RJM" wrote in message ... My wife was using the vacuuming and what seemed like a simple act of circuit breaker's just doing their job has turned into a mystery to me. All circuit breakers are on. The outlets that are affected are NOT even on the same circuit (i know this from the breakers go off in the past), and some of the outlets that I know are on the same breakers as the ones that don't work are working fine. I have two GFI outlets (one in each bathroom) and one works fine and one does not. I am truly stumped. Any help would be appreciated. |
#4
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"John Grabowski" wrote in message ... Not too much information to go on, but it is possible that you have a loose or broken wire somewhere on the line. Start at the electrical panel and tighten all connections on the circuit breakers and the neutral bar. While you are in there check to see that you are actually getting "Juice" off of each circuit breaker. If that doesn't resolve the problem, the next step would be to open up each receptacle, switch, and light fixture on that particular circuit in search of a broken or loose connection. The problem could even be in a receptacle that is still working. If you are not comfortable doing this, I suggest that you call in an electrician. What John says is certainly the way to go about it, but... You claim that several outlets on different circuits stopped working simultaneously, but other outlets on those circuits still work. Is that right? Well, except as a bizarre coincidence, that's not possible. If you are sure it is what happened, I suggest you get an electrician ASAP for fear something really perverse is going on. If they simply stopped working the same week, or something than that, then follow John's advice. |
#5
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In article ,
"toller" wrote: What John says is certainly the way to go about it, but... You claim that several outlets on different circuits stopped working simultaneously, but other outlets on those circuits still work. Is that right? Well, except as a bizarre coincidence, that's not possible. Yes i do believe that is what has happened and here is why I think this way. A few months back (again while vacuuming) a circuit breaker tripped and shut off an air conditioner that was on the first floor and one above it on the second floor (clock radio and light were also plug into the upstairs outlet & went off). I flipped the circuit breaker back on and all was fine. So I know (or guess) that they are on the same curcuit. This time the air conditioner up stairs is now off (along with clock radio and light) but the air conditioner on the first floor (and it's outlet) are working fine. Now, if you say this is pretty impossible than maybe I may not remembering the facts correctly and of course the labeling on the breaker box is written in sand script. I will flip the breakers on and off tomorrow and see if my memory is fading or not. |
#6
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toller wrote: "John Grabowski" wrote in message ... Not too much information to go on, but it is possible that you have a loose or broken wire somewhere on the line. Start at the electrical panel and tighten all connections on the circuit breakers and the neutral bar. While you are in there check to see that you are actually getting "Juice" off of each circuit breaker. If that doesn't resolve the problem, the next step would be to open up each receptacle, switch, and light fixture on that particular circuit in search of a broken or loose connection. The problem could even be in a receptacle that is still working. If you are not comfortable doing this, I suggest that you call in an electrician. What John says is certainly the way to go about it, but... You claim that several outlets on different circuits stopped working simultaneously, but other outlets on those circuits still work. Is that right? Well, except as a bizarre coincidence, that's not possible. If you are sure it is what happened, I suggest you get an electrician ASAP for fear something really perverse is going on. If they simply stopped working the same week, or something than that, then follow John's advice. Greetings Toller, This is possible. Imagine the following counterexample. two breakers in use 12-3 connected to both breakers (shared neutral) 15 A breaker on pole B in slot 2 of breaker box (red) 20 A breaker on pole A in slot 19 of breaker box (black) 12-3 wire runs to living room into junction box 15 A circuit from junction box feeds living room lights (red circuit) 20 A circuit from junction box feed living room receptacles (black circuit) 12-3 continues on to bathroom into second junction box 15 A circuit from junction box feeds bathroom fan (red circuit) 20 A circuit from junction box feeds receptacles (black circuit) If someone drove a nail through the shared neutral after the living room but before the bathroom the living room would continue to work (both circuits) but the bathroom would experience 240V and the fan / GFCI receptacles might appear dead. I don't pretend to claim that this is what is happening. I only want to point out that what the poster claims is entirely possible. Hope this helps, William |
#7
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It is probably a wire burnt off of the last working plug or the first not
working plug in the circuit. If the plugs are quick plugged(pushed in the holes instead of wrapped around the screws) this causes the wires to have a poor connection after a couple of years, especially if there is a heavy load at the far end of the circuit. "RJM" wrote in message ... My wife was using the vacuuming and what seemed like a simple act of circuit breaker's just doing their job has turned into a mystery to me. All circuit breakers are on. The outlets that are affected are NOT even on the same circuit (i know this from the breakers go off in the past), and some of the outlets that I know are on the same breakers as the ones that don't work are working fine. I have two GFI outlets (one in each bathroom) and one works fine and one does not. I am truly stumped. Any help would be appreciated. |
#8
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RJM wrote:
My wife was using the vacuuming and what seemed like a simple act of circuit breaker's just doing their job has turned into a mystery to me. All circuit breakers are on. The outlets that are affected are NOT even on the same circuit (i know this from the breakers go off in the past), and some of the outlets that I know are on the same breakers as the ones that don't work are working fine. I have two GFI outlets (one in each bathroom) and one works fine and one does not. I am truly stumped. Any help would be appreciated. I hope you don't have aluminum wiring. -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#9
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RJM wrote:
My wife was using the vacuuming and what seemed like a simple act of circuit breaker's just doing their job has turned into a mystery to me. All circuit breakers are on. The outlets that are affected are NOT even on the same circuit (i know this from the breakers go off in the past), and some of the outlets that I know are on the same breakers as the ones that don't work are working fine. I have two GFI outlets (one in each bathroom) and one works fine and one does not. I am truly stumped. Any help would be appreciated. Reset the GFIs? -- dadiOH ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico |
#11
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Around wrote:
It is probably a wire burnt off of the last working plug or the first not working plug in the circuit. If the plugs are quick plugged(pushed in the holes instead of wrapped around the screws) this causes the wires to have a poor connection after a couple of years, especially if there is a heavy load at the far end of the circuit. Second that! Jeff -- Jeffry Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) "Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented." |
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