Posted: 10/30/2016 5:17:11 PM EDT
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So about 1/3 of my basement is without power. I have several dead outlets and an overhead light/fan. I checked/reset all the breakers to no avail. I removed the cover to the breaker box and verified 120 V coming out of all the breakers (measured from the hot screw on each breaker to the neutral bus. I used a long extension cord from one of the dead outlets to the breaker box area and the continuity function on my multimeter to verify the connection between 1 prong of the outlet and the hot side of the breaker. I also verified the circular ground prong has continuity with the neutral bus. I can't figure out what is wrong... One thing I noticed is that I measure 120v from all 3 prongs on the outlet to the hot side of the breaker...that doesn't seem right Any ideas? |
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Quoted:
So about 1/3 of my basement is without power. I have several dead outlets and an overhead light/fan. I checked/reset all the breakers to no avail. I removed the cover to the breaker box and verified 120 V coming out of all the breakers (measured from the hot screw on each breaker to the neutral bus. I used a long extension cord from one of the dead outlets to the breaker box area and the continuity function on my multimeter to verify the connection between 1 prong of the outlet and the hot side of the breaker. I also verified the circular ground prong has continuity with the neutral bus. I can't figure out what is wrong... One thing I noticed is that I measure 120v from all 3 prongs on the outlet to the hot side of the breaker...that doesn't seem right Any ideas? Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking |
| Since you mention its in a basement which in some areas may be considered a "wet" area, be sure to look for any GFCI plugs that have tripped. Provided there isn't a breaker or GFCI that is tripped you should have 120v on the black wire using either the common or ground for the other side of the meter. Is the wiring inside a wall or its it exposed conduit? If exposed you may be able to follow the conduit back to the last good plug and check the connections there. |
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Quoted:
Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking Quoted:
Quoted:
So about 1/3 of my basement is without power. I have several dead outlets and an overhead light/fan. I checked/reset all the breakers to no avail. I removed the cover to the breaker box and verified 120 V coming out of all the breakers (measured from the hot screw on each breaker to the neutral bus. I used a long extension cord from one of the dead outlets to the breaker box area and the continuity function on my multimeter to verify the connection between 1 prong of the outlet and the hot side of the breaker. I also verified the circular ground prong has continuity with the neutral bus. I can't figure out what is wrong... One thing I noticed is that I measure 120v from all 3 prongs on the outlet to the hot side of the breaker...that doesn't seem right Any ideas? Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking Don't forget to check the junction boxes over your lights (if it's an unfinished basement) |
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Quoted: Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking Quoted: Quoted: So about 1/3 of my basement is without power. I have several dead outlets and an overhead light/fan. I checked/reset all the breakers to no avail. I removed the cover to the breaker box and verified 120 V coming out of all the breakers (measured from the hot screw on each breaker to the neutral bus. I used a long extension cord from one of the dead outlets to the breaker box area and the continuity function on my multimeter to verify the connection between 1 prong of the outlet and the hot side of the breaker. I also verified the circular ground prong has continuity with the neutral bus. I can't figure out what is wrong... One thing I noticed is that I measure 120v from all 3 prongs on the outlet to the hot side of the breaker...that doesn't seem right Any ideas? Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking Got it fixed..thanks guys. It was a loose neutral on another outlet that was daisy chained into the circuit. I didn't even realize loose wires (in the wall especially) were a thing. I wonder how a wire loosens up over time. House is a 2004 so not that old. What was throwing me is that I had dead outlets and an overhead light. I didn't think it was all that common to daisy chain them on the same circuit. Second, what I meant by the last sentence in my OP was that I could measure 120V from hot, neutral, and ground from one outlet (apparently last in the chain since only 1 set of wires running to the one I chose to look at first) to the hot side of the breaker in the box. I would think one of the 3 measurements would have given me 0v (hot outlet back to hot breaker). I knew if I called an electrician it would cost me $100 and be something stupid...arfcom delivers...thanks guys |
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Quoted: Got it fixed..thanks guys. It was a loose neutral on another outlet that was daisy chained into the circuit. I didn't even realize loose wires (in the wall especially) were a thing. I wonder how a wire loosens up over time. House is a 2004 so not that old. What was throwing me is that I had dead outlets and an overhead light. I didn't think it was all that common to daisy chain them on the same circuit. Second, what I meant by the last sentence in my OP was that I could measure 120V from hot, neutral, and ground from one outlet (apparently last in the chain since only 1 set of wires running to the one I chose to look at first) to the hot side of the breaker in the box. I would think one of the 3 measurements would have given me 0v (hot outlet back to hot breaker). I knew if I called an electrician it would cost me $100 and be something stupid...arfcom delivers...thanks guys Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: So about 1/3 of my basement is without power. I have several dead outlets and an overhead light/fan. I checked/reset all the breakers to no avail. I removed the cover to the breaker box and verified 120 V coming out of all the breakers (measured from the hot screw on each breaker to the neutral bus. I used a long extension cord from one of the dead outlets to the breaker box area and the continuity function on my multimeter to verify the connection between 1 prong of the outlet and the hot side of the breaker. I also verified the circular ground prong has continuity with the neutral bus. I can't figure out what is wrong... One thing I noticed is that I measure 120v from all 3 prongs on the outlet to the hot side of the breaker...that doesn't seem right Any ideas? Check for 120 volts at the outlet. First from the hot side to ground. Then the hot side to nuetral. You may have a broken neutral. The receptacles could also be daisy chained together and one of the connections have come loose. Open every dead receptacle and start checking Got it fixed..thanks guys. It was a loose neutral on another outlet that was daisy chained into the circuit. I didn't even realize loose wires (in the wall especially) were a thing. I wonder how a wire loosens up over time. House is a 2004 so not that old. What was throwing me is that I had dead outlets and an overhead light. I didn't think it was all that common to daisy chain them on the same circuit. Second, what I meant by the last sentence in my OP was that I could measure 120V from hot, neutral, and ground from one outlet (apparently last in the chain since only 1 set of wires running to the one I chose to look at first) to the hot side of the breaker in the box. I would think one of the 3 measurements would have given me 0v (hot outlet back to hot breaker). I knew if I called an electrician it would cost me $100 and be something stupid...arfcom delivers...thanks guys Since it was a on a receptacle you said, I'm guessing they didn't splice/pigtail the wires and either used the back stabs or screws and both neutrals were on the device. Not my preferred method as an electrician but I know a lot of residential guys do this to save time. If that neutral was being shared with with another circuit(mwbc) and the same thing happened, all your shit on those circuits would be fried, it would have turned into a giant 240v series circuit. Z Anyway, here's the last loose neutral I had to troubleshoot. Same symptoms as yours, they let it go for a few days. Loose neutral and aluminum wire. That black glob is melted wire nuts, which then melted the insulation off the hots. Probably a few hours away from a serious fire. Straight up homeowner hack job. Box wasn't grounded so breaker never tripped, even though a hot was in contact with box- just an energized old work box.  |