| Balin Shortstuff | 30 Nov 2013 8:04 p.m. PST |
I've got a house circuit that's dead, but the circuit breaker has not tripped. Resetting the breaker does not work. Could it be a bad breaker or a loose wire? What seemed to trigger it was plugging in a laptop into a power strip attached into the circuit. It's been done before with no problems. |
| coryfromMissoula | 30 Nov 2013 8:28 p.m. PST |
Check for GFI outlets. They essentially have a built in circuit breaker and are usually found within 3' of a water source, but can be anywhere. A tripped GFI can shut down everything else on the circuit. Otherwise, a bad connection somewhere. Wires break, outlets fail, and so on. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 30 Nov 2013 8:49 p.m. PST |
I did check the GFI'sin the house to be sure, but there are no GFI's on the circuit |
 Stosstruppen  | 30 Nov 2013 10:58 p.m. PST |
If you had a meter you could test at the breaker to see if you have power at that point. If it was a loose wire there would be an origin or a first outlet/switch that doesn't work. If it is the entire circuit my first guess would be the breaker. |
| Micman | 01 Dec 2013 12:42 a.m. PST |
Wires do come loose from outlets and switches. Pretty much have to look at every junction box. Although I believe there are some new meters/sensors that can check without opening a box. Not an electrician, so what to I know. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 01 Dec 2013 5:43 a.m. PST |
I was thinking that for a loose wire to affect the entire circuit, it would have to be the first outlet coming from the main box. Or the circuit breaker itself. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 01 Dec 2013 11:08 a.m. PST |
Well, it's not the circuit breaker. Tested a new one for continuity, swapped it for the old one, and the old passed the continuity test, and still no luck. So must be a loose wire going into an (or the first) outlet. Hopefully there is no junction box somewhere. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 01 Dec 2013 4:37 p.m. PST |
With the circuit breaker off, I supplied electricity to the circuit via another outlet from what was essentially an extension cord with two male ends. All outlets worked. I'm stumped. |
| Stephens123 | 01 Dec 2013 5:12 p.m. PST |
Balin,
I'm not an electrician but it seems that you answered your own question. The fault must lie between the two points that you bridged with the extension cord.
Mark |
| Big Red | 01 Dec 2013 6:54 p.m. PST |
Check power strip for reset or circuit breaker. They often have internal protection. |
| Balin Shortstuff | 01 Dec 2013 7:21 p.m. PST |
I'm tracing the cable from the main box using a volt sensor I just borrowed from m'Dad. There IS voltage coming out of the circuit breaker, I just hope the problem is found before the cable disappears behind sheetrock. |
 Saber6  | 02 Dec 2013 4:26 p.m. PST |
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