I need to run-down a power loss in my home, I have had a handy man in my house; no luck, where do i check next

Question

The power loss exists in 3 outlets and with 2 lights; we have checked the breakers; the outlets and the lights/fans. The breaker is fine, the outlets etc. are getting no juice. The circuit is broken somehwere i just can't find where. My next move will have to be to empty the attic and remove the plywood that has been up their for 9 years (ouch) and rundown wires. I have never called anyone into my home for repairs, I have fixed many a problem. I called in a handy-man and he couldn't find the problem either. He checked the voltage and none of the outlets where getting any juice so he confirmed my fears. The gfci's are good. My house alarm checked out fine. I have had one animal in my attic and that was 2 years ago, we have traps up in the attic now and closed how they got in. Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

You should check the plugs again pull them out and look at the connections , if they are backed stabbed into the outlets redo the connections so they are wired onto the screws on the outlets . Make sure you check the outlets in that area that are working because the feed in may be fine , but the feed out may not be. Backing stabbing of outlets is a common problem of power loss. Check splices in switches to
if you have a continuity tester check neutral to ground if it rings out you have a break in the hot wire if not you have a total break

Answer 2

There should be no joins in cable outside of boxes.

The outlets should be connected by pigtails to the main wires in wire nuts inside the outlet boxes.

You should determine how many circuits are likely to be affected and check what outlets are still active . Then TURN OFF BREAKERS and open each outlet box and check that the wires are correctly connected . If they have been chained using the outlets check the wires are tightened down , and that there is a good connection between the two screws. Wire nuts should just be checked for tightness . If anything seems loose or HOT remove the connection and redo it .

This may take a long time but is the only way I know without a signal tracer. Thats a device you plug in an outlet and you use a wand to trace the wire carrying the signal. With it you can find if the signal ends inside a wall .

It may help if you can remember anything happening at the time you noticed the failure.

Answer 3

From what you said, it sounds like a wire either is broken, or it was pulled out of the connection. I assume that the 3 outlets and 2 lights are all on the same circuit? If so, then you will just have to trace it back from the defective outlet to the breaker or to an outlet that works, then you will know where the problem is. good luck.

Answer 4

Get yourself a signal generator, many are less than $50.00 now. Also get yourself a Volt Ohmmeter. Turn off main breaker at the panel. Go to ohms with the Volt ohmmeter X 1 or the lowest scale on ohms. Place one lead on the white wire and the other lead on the ground wire (bare wire) You should read less than 50 ohms (more like 3 or 4 ohms). If you do read this your neutral wire (white) is good to the panel. Now hook up the signal generator on the black wire in one of the problem receptacles. Using the detection device listen to the loudest tone and follow routing of the cable until you can no longer find it. I once had a problem like this and found a connection in a ceiling that someone had made and did not use a connection box. One of the wire connectors had worked loose. Would bet you will find a bad wire connection (probably in one of the ceiling lights) but if you had a competent handyman He should have found that.

Answer 5

Could possibly be a bad circuit breaker, try replacing the breaker with another temporarily and see if you get power, if so then simply replace the breaker. They do go bad from time to time, especially if overheated.

If the above doesn't solve the problem, try removing the outlets in question and using a multimeter touch the black/white wires with the black/red wire from the multimeter and see if you get power.

I wouldn't think your electrical cable is bad unless perhaps you hung a picture or something lately and accidently drove a nail or screw through the cable.

Answer 6

Sound like a broken wire some where between the breaker and the first light or out let Or maybe a wire nut come off in the first junction. Try a continuity between the breaker and the first junction. Use a long wire that you know is good.

Answer 7

You can get signal generators at Home Depot, etc, that connect to a line, and another part of the device detects the signal in the line. It will just be a process of elimination ... no easy way out. Sounds like a little beasty chewed a wire.

Answer 8

if all else fails and you know the breaker that controls them, you might try running new lines. cannot offer more than what has already been said above.

Answer 9

IF YOU HAVE A VOLT METER AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT,CHECK AND SEE IF YOU HAVE CONTINUITY,THIS WELL TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE A BREAK IN A WIRE,IF NOT,FIND ALL YOUR JUNCTION BOX'S AND CHECK THEM BEFORE YOU START TRACKING WIRES.

Answer 10

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