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#1
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Home electrical circuit dead
The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker
switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke |
#2
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Home electrical circuit dead
Luke wrote:
The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Are you sure there's not a third GFCI somewhere? -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form . |
#3
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Home electrical circuit dead
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#4
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Home electrical circuit dead
"Luke" wrote in message ... The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Clearly an open circuit. The slightly peculiar thing is that you have an outside GFCI outlet and a bathroom GFCI outlet on the same circuit, but protected individually. If these two GFCI outlets were wired with connections in the "load" terminals, I would go with CJT's suggestion and look for a third GFCI device, possibly in the garage, or basement, that is protecting the entire circuit |
#5
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Home electrical circuit dead
"RBM" wrote in message ... "Luke" wrote in message ... The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Clearly an open circuit. The slightly peculiar thing is that you have an outside GFCI outlet and a bathroom GFCI outlet on the same circuit, but protected individually. If these two GFCI outlets were wired with connections in the "load" terminals, I would go with CJT's suggestion and look for a third GFCI device, possibly in the garage, or basement, that is protecting the entire circuit Not so clearly an open circuit. An open circuit would not prevent the GFCIs from resetting. Charlie |
#6
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Home electrical circuit dead
Charlie wrote:
"RBM" wrote in message ... "Luke" wrote in message ... The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Clearly an open circuit. The slightly peculiar thing is that you have an outside GFCI outlet and a bathroom GFCI outlet on the same circuit, but protected individually. If these two GFCI outlets were wired with connections in the "load" terminals, I would go with CJT's suggestion and look for a third GFCI device, possibly in the garage, or basement, that is protecting the entire circuit Not so clearly an open circuit. An open circuit would not prevent the GFCIs from resetting. Charlie Depending on the GFCI it might. ISTR that the new Leviton "smart lock" ones will not reset until power is restored, and those are the ones likely to be found at your local Big Box. nate |
#7
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Home electrical circuit dead
"Charlie" wrote in message ... "RBM" wrote in message ... "Luke" wrote in message ... The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Clearly an open circuit. The slightly peculiar thing is that you have an outside GFCI outlet and a bathroom GFCI outlet on the same circuit, but protected individually. If these two GFCI outlets were wired with connections in the "load" terminals, I would go with CJT's suggestion and look for a third GFCI device, possibly in the garage, or basement, that is protecting the entire circuit Not so clearly an open circuit. An open circuit would not prevent the GFCIs from resetting. Charlie All the newer GFCI outlets will lock out the reset button if there is no power, but my assumption was that the OP meant , restore electricity, when he said, "reset" |
#8
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Home electrical circuit dead
"Blattus Slafaly" wrote in message ... Luke wrote: The electrical service to my house has a main panel with breaker switches and a sub-panel in the garage with breaker switches for each circuit in the house. One of the circuits has gone dead and I can use some help diagnosing it before I break down and call an electrician. The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. These are the circumstances leading up to this situation: I was using a power washer (with another gfci built-in to the plug) plugged in to the outdoor gfci outlet to wash my rear deck. While in the middle of this task the power washer suddenly went dead and since that time the electrical circuit is also dead. None of the breaker switches in the main panel nor in the sub-panel were triggered. I have toggled the breaker switches in the main panel and the sub- panel. I have tried to reset both gfci's, (in the bathroom and the outdoor electrical outlet) to no avail. Neither one will reset. I have also replaced both gfci's and then tried to reset both of them. Again, neither one will reset. Can anyone help me deduce what might have occurred and/or suggest how to fix this? I am suspicious that having two gfci's on the same circuit may have something to do with this. TIA Luke Change all your GFCI's to standard outlets. Nothing ****es me off more than playing hunt and seek to find the blown GFCI. Breakers belong in the damn panel where you can find them, not all over the house. This is the stupidest idea I have ever seen. If you need GFCI, put a GFCI breaker in the damn distribution panel. -- Blattus Slafaly ? 3 7/8 GFCI devices are not breakers. It makes little sense to install a GFCI circuit breaker on parts of circuits that don't require that type of protection. IMO the most sensible thing to do is install GFCI devices at the locations required with nothing off the load side of the device, this way each GFCI device won't affect anything downstream of it. When a device goes bad, only that device is affected |
#9
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Home electrical circuit dead
On Aug 30, 12:01*pm, Blattus Slafaly
wrote: Change all your GFCI's to standard outlets. Nothing ****es me off more than playing hunt and seek to find the blown GFCI. Breakers belong in Sounds like a pretty good place to start. |
#10
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Home electrical circuit dead
"Blattus Slafaly" wrote
The dead circuit services the bathroom (with one gfci outlet), a bedroom and one outdoor gfci outlet. Change all your GFCI's to standard outlets. Nothing ****es me off more than playing hunt and seek to find the blown GFCI. Breakers belong in the damn panel where you can find them, not all over the house. This is the stupidest idea I have ever seen. If you need GFCI, put a GFCI breaker in the damn distribution panel. Sorry, but codes require all outlets in bathrooms be GFCI, as well as all outdoor ones be proper outdoor type. But you are right, probably one of the GFCI's popped badly. I'm suprised replacing them didnt fix it though. Must be something at the main panel or sub panel? |
#11
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Home electrical circuit dead
cshenk wrote:
snip Sorry, but codes require all outlets in bathrooms be GFCI snip Are you sure? I thought the code only required that they be GFCI protected. There's a huge difference between the two. -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form . |
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