OT Home wiring

[jj]

Sorry for the off-topic.
After last weeks lighning storms (we had about 4 real close strikes)
I find that one room ; plus a couple of other lights/receptacles
that are adjacent to the faulty room ; is out of power.
No panel breakers tripped - they were all operated and checked with a
meter & OK. Wires & connections to the panel breakers all good.
I strongly suspect an open circuit - but where ?
I pulled all the non working receptacles & lights & switches to check
the wires in the boxes - all wiring seems ok - but no power.
One of the non functioning receptacles is a GFI - but it has no power
in or out.
Could there be a hidden junction box with the problem ? In attic or
wall ? Is there any way to trace wiring within a wall ? A pulse
sender / detector type gizmo ?
Any suggestions ?
John T.

 

[Dale Farmer]

Sorry for the off-topic.
After last weeks lighning storms (we had about 4 real close strikes)
I find that one room ; plus a couple of other lights/receptacles
that are adjacent to the faulty room ; is out of power.
No panel breakers tripped - they were all operated and checked with a
meter & OK. Wires & connections to the panel breakers all good.
I strongly suspect an open circuit - but where ?
I pulled all the non working receptacles & lights & switches to check
the wires in the boxes - all wiring seems ok - but no power.
One of the non functioning receptacles is a GFI - but it has no power
in or out.
Could there be a hidden junction box with the problem ? In attic or
wall ? Is there any way to trace wiring within a wall ? A pulse
sender / detector type gizmo ?
Any suggestions ?
John T.

My first guess is that the GFI was damaged from the ground surge
from the nearby lightning strikes. Would not be surprised that the
GFI is fed from the panel, and then in turn feeds the other dead outlets.
Tracer type devices do exist, but the good ones are too damn expensive
for non-professionals to justify buying.
Open up the GFI wall box and carefully ( All wires are electrified
until you have tested it with a meter yourself. When you leave the
room, recheck the wires just in case the electrocution fairy came
along and turned the switch back on. ) pull the GFI out of the wall
until you can reach the wires with your meter. Test the terminals
on both sides of the GFI.
If you have power on the input side, but not the output side, then
that is it. If no power at all, then go look further upstream.
This is something you may want to hire an electrician to come out
and do for you. There is some danger here and hooking the GFI
back up correctly as a feed through device is not intuitively obvious.

--Dale

 

[hubops]

Sorry for the off-topic.

My first guess is that the GFI was damaged from the ground surge
from the nearby lightning strikes. Would not be surprised that the
GFI is fed from the panel, and then in turn feeds the other dead outlets.
Tracer type devices do exist, but the good ones are too damn expensive
for non-professionals to justify buying.
Open up the GFI wall box and carefully ( All wires are electrified
until you have tested it with a meter yourself. When you leave the
room, recheck the wires just in case the electrocution fairy came
along and turned the switch back on. ) pull the GFI out of the wall
until you can reach the wires with your meter. Test the terminals
on both sides of the GFI.
If you have power on the input side, but not the output side, then
that is it. If no power at all, then go look further upstream.
This is something you may want to hire an electrician to come out
and do for you. There is some danger here and hooking the GFI
back up correctly as a feed through device is not intuitively obvious.
--Dale

Thanks Dale. Both sides of the GFI are dead.
John T.

 

[hubops]

I'd agree with your idea, that you have lost a connection at a junction
box somewhere. Only the electrician who installed your wiring would know
where all of those might be, unfortunately. The defect might be in an
outlet that works. The incoming wire could still be connected, but the
outgoing wire might have come loose or been damaged. I'd check the
working outlets / junction boxes nearest the "dead" ones. Maybe just
turn all your power off and check all of the outlets, tightening any
loose connections as you go?
If you check a few home-builder / hardware stores you might find an
electronic studfinder that will detect a "hot" electrical line inside a
wall as well as finding your wall studs. Using it to trace your wiring
would be difficult, but it's all I can think up for you at the moment.
Karl S.

Thanks Karl.
John T.

 

[ben williams]

Thanks, Ben.
I did pull all the fixtures and found no power in any of them.
I am thinking of repeating that process - I will check the bus bars
carefully too.
John T.

The one your looking for will have power to one socket and none to the other
(duplex outlet), because the power comes into one and the buss bars feed the
other (and all the rest on that line).
ben

 

[albown]

Sorry for the off-topic.
After last weeks lighning storms (we had about 4 real close strikes)
I find that one room ; plus a couple of other lights/receptacles
that are adjacent to the faulty room ; is out of power.
No panel breakers tripped - they were all operated and checked with a
meter & OK. Wires & connections to the panel breakers all good.
I strongly suspect an open circuit - but where ?
I pulled all the non working receptacles & lights & switches to check
the wires in the boxes - all wiring seems ok - but no power.
One of the non functioning receptacles is a GFI - but it has no power
in or out.
Could there be a hidden junction box with the problem ? In attic or
wall ? Is there any way to trace wiring within a wall ? A pulse
sender / detector type gizmo ?
Any suggestions ?
John T.

Many home centers carry circuit tracing equipment. The problem is if you do
not completely understand the principals it will not help much. You could
have an open neutral, or an open hot.

Safety first
I suggest that you start from the beginning. Open and close every breaker
in the panel. Make sure there is power flowing from them. Then one at a
time with all of the power shut off except the circuit your working on try
and find where the power stops. WW Grainers sells a Tic Tracer, ( known as
other names) You can trace the power through the drywalled walls about 70%
of the time with one of them. Do not try it with one of the non contact
"voltage pens" will not work.

Unfortunately I have seen a home that need to be completely rewired after
near by strikes.

I suggest that once this is repaired you consider a whole house surge
arrestor for your panel. I have one and it give an extra bit of comfort.
Seriously, if the lightning was real close the amount of energy that is
available is staggering. Even a whole house surge arrestor will not help on
a near miss.

 

[hubops]

Many home centers carry circuit tracing equipment. The problem is if you do
not completely understand the principals it will not help much. You could
have an open neutral, or an open hot.
Safety first
I suggest that you start from the beginning. Open and close every breaker
in the panel. Make sure there is power flowing from them. Then one at a
time with all of the power shut off except the circuit your working on try
and find where the power stops. WW Grainers sells a Tic Tracer, ( known as
other names) You can trace the power through the drywalled walls about 70%
of the time with one of them. Do not try it with one of the non contact
"voltage pens" will not work.
Unfortunately I have seen a home that need to be completely rewired after
near by strikes.
I suggest that once this is repaired you consider a whole house surge
arrestor for your panel. I have one and it give an extra bit of comfort.
Seriously, if the lightning was real close the amount of energy that is
available is staggering. Even a whole house surge arrestor will not help on
a near miss.

Thanks for taking the time to post.
I will maybe look into the Tic Tracer thing.
John T.

 

[jj]

Well .... problem seems fixed, but still some mystery to it.
I found an apparent open-circuit-black wire between the panel and the
first (?) junction out - a triple switch box. The white wire in the
cable seemed fine - no open, no short.
I ran a new length of wire; replaced the GFI receptacle; and
everything seems fine, now.
How the open-circuit occured is a real mystery. One suggestion is
that the black may have been nicked with a nail/screw some time ago
and the weak point acted like a fuse during the surge from the
lightning ... I sure can't come-up with anything better ..
Thanks for all who responded to the original post.
John T.