A single household electrical outlet voltage dropped, any idea on the root cause?

Question

One of the electrical outlets that has been working the past 7+ years failed on me. Took a voltage measurement with my mulitmeter and got 27V instead of the expected120V. What could've caused this? A weakness in the line perhaps? If so, does this mean wall must be removed to fix it?

One of the electrical outlets that has been working the past 7+ years failed on me. Took a voltage measurement with my mulitmeter and got 27V instead of the expected120V. What could've caused this? A weakness in the line perhaps? If so, does this mean wall must be removed to fix it?

Should've clarified that I took voltage at the line ... guess I'll have to call an electrician. Or maybe it'll just magically come back to life.

Answer 1

First shut off the breaker to that line.

Next go to hardware store and purchase a new outlet.

If you donot understand how to replace it purchase the electrical how to book by Black and Decker, it is the easyest to understand.

Then take off the plate and take out the old one , you can now test the wires directly to see if the current is fine in line or if the problem is the outlet itself. If it's just the outlet put in the new one. If there is a GFCI outlet on that line that may also have gone bad, and need to be replaced.

If the line ( wire ) isn't getting power then call an electrition, because you don't want to mess with that.

They may be able to fix it if it is the wire with out tearing up the wall, but they will let you know.

Good luck and don't burn down the house.

Answer 2

Test the wires, is it 80VAC RMS between the hot and neutral wire. If so, it is not this outlet, check the outlet that comes before this outlet in the circuit. If the voltage is okay at this outlet, then check the wires, make sure they are clean. You may not have secured the wires properly to the GFCI outlet. Some of the GFCIs have a backwire that clamps down on the wire, if you get the wire on the wrong side of the part that clamps down on it, it will not be a good connection.

Answer 3

Check the voltage at each of the outlets on the same circuit. You are far more likely to have a bad connection at one of the terminals or in a wire nut than a "weakness in the line". You can work your way right to the breaker checking terminals and the breaker itself with your multimeter. It is not likely you will have to remove any walls.

Answer 4

make sure the screws are tight on the receptacle.... try a new receptalcle....make sure all your wire nuts are tight.... shut off that circuit and find everything on that circuit...and disconnect any loads ,i.e. lamps , radio, doorbell transformer.... check wire connections in the outlet that is daisy chained prior to that one with low voltage.... meaning the box where that box gets power..... then call an electrician...... when measuring make sure you have good contact with the probes from the multimeter in the receptacle




need i say ,.,,,,,.... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shut the power off when handeling the electrical devices......!!!!!!!!!!!!