help solve this mystery
 

Got back-to-back wall 110vac outlets. Let's call 'em outlets 1A/1B, and
2A/2B.

Presumably, these are fed by a common wire.

1A/1B have been in daily use for several years. Don't know when 2A or 2B
were last used.

Yesterday, 1A/1B, and 2A were found dead. How can this be? I thought if 2A
were dead, 2B would have to be dead also. But, it's still hot.

How could 1A/1B be dead, with 2A dead?

I'm fixing to troubleshoot, and need to know what to look for (yes, I have
the little neon glow testers and a multimeter). I'd like to have some idea
of what to expect. Right now I have none.

help solve this mystery
 

RB wrote:
Got back-to-back wall 110vac outlets. Let's call 'em outlets 1A/1B, and
2A/2B.

Presumably, these are fed by a common wire.

1A/1B have been in daily use for several years. Don't know when 2A or 2B
were last used.

Yesterday, 1A/1B, and 2A were found dead. How can this be? I thought if 2A
were dead, 2B would have to be dead also. But, it's still hot.

How could 1A/1B be dead, with 2A dead?

I'm fixing to troubleshoot, and need to know what to look for (yes, I have
the little neon glow testers and a multimeter). I'd like to have some idea
of what to expect. Right now I have none.

Not sure as to your wiring description.

1A & 1B on the same plug, as in upper plug and lower plug?

1A in one room and 1B on the other side of the wall in another room?

Still trying to get a idea as to the layout.

Start at the hot plug and walk down the wall and tell us what you see.

Is it like this?

+ ============1A =======1B ======2A =======2B


Or like this?

+ ========1A & 1B ======2A & 2B

Or like this?

1B 2B
Wall **********=*********=*********
+ =====1A======2A


Hope my ASCII art holds up. ;-)

help solve this mystery
 

1A/1B is one double outlet. 2A/2B is another double outlet. They are back
to back.

help solve this mystery
 

RB, 2/22/2006, 9:31:55 AM,
wrote:

I'm fixing to troubleshoot, and need to know what to look for (yes, I
have the little neon glow testers and a multimeter). I'd like to
have some idea of what to expect. Right now I have none.

Start with the basics. Look for bad connections and loose wires. Take
out the receptacles and look for power on the wires. The one
receptacle that works may be wired to a different circuit, like maybe a
wall switch.

help solve this mystery
 

RB wrote:
1A/1B is one double outlet. 2A/2B is another double outlet. They are back
to back.



Yo didn't mention whether any breakers (or fuses) opened. Chances are
that one serving the now dead outlets did. If not, luouve got a "loose
disconnection" somewhere.

Pull the #2 receptical. I bet you'll find that the "disconnect" straps
on the side of the receptical have been snapped off and that there's two
sets of black and white leads running to the two halves of that receptical.

Why? I dunno, but perhaps someone wanted to use half of the outlet for a
floor lamp controlled by a wall switch, and they brought the power to
that switch from another circuit.

Let us know what you find.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

help solve this mystery
 

RB wrote:
Got back-to-back wall 110vac outlets. Let's call 'em outlets 1A/1B, and
2A/2B.

Presumably, these are fed by a common wire.

1A/1B have been in daily use for several years. Don't know when 2A or 2B
were last used.

Yesterday, 1A/1B, and 2A were found dead. How can this be? I thought if 2A
were dead, 2B would have to be dead also. But, it's still hot.

How could 1A/1B be dead, with 2A dead?


Because each outlet/socket has its own set of connections.


I'm fixing to troubleshoot, and need to know what to look for (yes, I have
the little neon glow testers and a multimeter). I'd like to have some idea
of what to expect. Right now I have none.




--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16

help solve this mystery
 

RB wrote:
1A/1B is one double outlet. 2A/2B is another double outlet. They are back
to back.


Have you pulled them out and looked at the wires?




It could be that 2A is fed by a different line.
There is a little tab that can be broken off to separate the A from the B.

help solve this mystery
 

Rich256 wrote:
RB wrote:
1A/1B is one double outlet. 2A/2B is another double outlet. They are
back to back.

Have you pulled them out and looked at the wires?




It could be that 2A is fed by a different line.
There is a little tab that can be broken off to separate the A from the B.

And of course be certain that the breakers that feed it are turned off.

help solve this mystery
 

BE VERY CAREFUL with what appears to be a dead outlet if your unsure as
to which breaker its on!

Better to turn off the main and use a flashlight.

you might have a lose wire and get shocked.

help solve this mystery
 

}}} Have you pulled them out and looked at the wires?

It could be that 2A is fed by a different line.
There is a little tab that can be broken off to separate the A from the B.
{{{

You're right. I pulled the outlet on one side of the wall. I found the
dual sockets were independent of each other, electrically. And, there were
two red wires on one side, and two white wires on the other.

At that point, I called an electrician to come sort it out.

Don't know what he'll find about the outlet on the opposite side of the
wall.

help solve this mystery
 

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:50:43 -0500, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:

RB wrote:
1A/1B is one double outlet. 2A/2B is another double outlet. They are back
to back.



Yo didn't mention whether any breakers (or fuses) opened. Chances are
that one serving the now dead outlets did. If not, luouve got a "loose
disconnection" somewhere.

Pull the #2 receptical. I bet you'll find that the "disconnect" straps
on the side of the receptical have been snapped off and that there's two
sets of black and white leads running to the two halves of that receptical.

Why? I dunno, but perhaps someone wanted to use half of the outlet for a
floor lamp controlled by a wall switch, and they brought the power to
that switch from another circuit.

Let us know what you find.

Jeff

I agree with you up to a point. I'm guessing the line feed is to 2B,
to 2A through the disconnect strap and then to 1A & B with a jumper
from 2A. Same troubleshooting procedure; check the straps on 2.

help solve this mystery
 

RB wrote:
}}} Have you pulled them out and looked at the wires?

It could be that 2A is fed by a different line.
There is a little tab that can be broken off to separate the A from the B.
{{{

You're right. I pulled the outlet on one side of the wall. I found the
dual sockets were independent of each other, electrically. And, there were
two red wires on one side, and two white wires on the other.

At that point, I called an electrician to come sort it out.

Don't know what he'll find about the outlet on the opposite side of the
wall.



One configuration I might have expected was to find that there was a
white feeding one side and a black and a red to the A and B hot sides.
That would have indicated to me that it was being fed by a 220 volt line
(110 to each outlet). Two reds surprises me.

help solve this mystery
 

help solve this mystery
 

dnoyeB wrote:
wrote:

BE VERY CAREFUL with what appears to be a dead outlet if your unsure as
to which breaker its on!

Better to turn off the main and use a flashlight.

you might have a lose wire and get shocked.


I recall doing some work on one of my mothers outlets. I turned off the
breaker then went to work. Got shocked and used ssome colorful language
to express that I had turned the power off.

My mother had some joke about my fathers wiring at that point :)



Now that I recall it, this was my fault. The outlet under the sink has
one portion switched by a light switch for the garbage grinder, and the
other wired standard. I turned off the switched part, then got shocked
by the other part.

So he may want to see if one outlet is on a switch.

--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16

help solve this mystery
 

So several months have passed since your message, what was the solution to
your dead socket problems?

Bob

"RB" wrote in message
...
Got back-to-back wall 110vac outlets. Let's call 'em outlets 1A/1B, and
2A/2B.

Presumably, these are fed by a common wire.

1A/1B have been in daily use for several years. Don't know when 2A or 2B
were last used.

Yesterday, 1A/1B, and 2A were found dead. How can this be? I thought if
2A were dead, 2B would have to be dead also. But, it's still hot.

How could 1A/1B be dead, with 2A dead?

I'm fixing to troubleshoot, and need to know what to look for (yes, I have
the little neon glow testers and a multimeter). I'd like to have some
idea of what to expect. Right now I have none.