Electrical Outlet Problem

[Z_Fan]

Problem: Outside electrical outlet does not work.

I bought an outlet tester, and when I plugged it in to this outlet it definitely turned its red light on. One yellow light also came on. That last for like a second and then it went out. But it DID come on! The two options that it indicates on the tester are:

Hot/Grd Rev or Hot/Neu Rev

Based on the lights I think I saw, it was Hot/Grd Rev.

The reason I describe it like that is the lights quickly went out - and now absolutely nothing happens when I plug the tester in to the outlet.

I located the breaker. It is labelled "Outside Plug" and it appears to be the only thing on the entire circuit.

I flipped the breaker off. I went out and looked at the receptacle. I removed the wires from the receptacle. The thing looks fine. I'm not sure what can go wrong with receptacles themselves. Anyhow, I hook the wires back up [nothing seems amiss here] - then I left the thing hanging and went and flipped the breaker back on. I tested for voltage at the receptacle and got no reading. Nothing.

I went back to the main box, and I tested for voltage at the breaker. I get a reading. (I just used the wire from the breaker and with the other lead touched to the main bar where all the white wires go). So it has voltage when on, no voltage when off - breaker seems to work.

The plug has never been fucked with before.

One thing I did not check is if the white wire was actually secured properly in the main box. So no answer for that. Would or could this be the problem if it were not connected at all ... ?

Any thoughts here on what could be wrong?

Seems like it should be very simple. It's one frickin' wire. Could something have damaged this wire somehow that may cause this problem? How can I tell...?

[89coupe]

Press that little surge button. It will be located on one of the outside plugs, it controls all the outside plugs usually.

[Z_Fan]

And...

Unfortunately this is in a rental - but I wonder if there could be another receptacle on the circuit that has a GFCI reset switch. The house was built in 1997. Was that a code requirement?

Even so, that red light came on.

I'm just thinking maybe that could be why I get no power at the moment.

[Z_Fan]

89coupe, you're thinking what I am thinking.

But I didn't see a receptacle in the main box area other than one that is for the circuit downstairs. But the box built around the electrical panel could be covering it up. (It's built fucked)

There is no switch or reset button on the outside receptacle itself.

OR maybe there is another outside plug somewhere on the house. Seems fucked that there would only be one. I'll do a perimeter check next time and see if I can find a receptacle with a reset.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Z_Fan

Seems like it should be very simple. It's one frickin' wire. Could something have damaged this wire somehow that may cause this problem? How can I tell...?

Seen any mice around lately?

[Z_Fan]

There are mice outside. Every once in a while one gets in the garage. Usually the cats that prowl the neighborhood kill them. But this is a thought too. That something has damaged the wire.

[89coupe]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
89coupe, you're thinking what I am thinking.

But I didn't see a receptacle in the main box area other than one that is for the circuit downstairs. But the box built around the electrical panel could be covering it up. (It's built fucked)

There is no switch or reset button on the outside receptacle itself.

OR maybe there is another outside plug somewhere on the house. Seems fucked that there would only be one. I'll do a perimeter check next time and see if I can find a receptacle with a reset.

Its usually in the front, and it will have a big plastic casing, larger then the rest. Look for it, you will have one.

[Z_Fan]

I will look for it. In my new house, that reset is at the electrical box in the basement.

In the house I'm talking about, there is only one that I can easily see, and it's for a circuit in the basement for bathroom.

I'm certain there will be one on a receptacle outside somewhere. That's the only way I could have no power. The fucking main box breaker says "Outside Plug" on it. No plural. I never bothered looking elsewhere for outlets outside. So that messed me up! I'll make sure I change the box to say "Outside Plugs". Hah.

When they first called me for this problem I told them to hit the reset button. But they couldn't find one. So I explained it was probably on the plug or in the main panel area somewhere. When I stuck that fucking tester in and the red light came on, then nothing, I started down a different path but unfortunately had to leave as I had other shit to do.

So when I go back, hopefully it will be as easy as I thought it was when I first went! LOL!

[89coupe]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
I will look for it. In my new house, that reset is at the electrical box in the basement.

In the house I'm talking about, there is only one that I can easily see, and it's for a circuit in the basement for bathroom.

I'm certain there will be one on a receptacle outside somewhere. That's the only way I could have no power. The fucking main box breaker says "Outside Plug" on it. No plural. I never bothered looking elsewhere for outlets outside. So that messed me up! I'll make sure I change the box to say "Outside Plugs". Hah.

When they first called me for this problem I told them to hit the reset button. But they couldn't find one. So I explained it was probably on the plug or in the main panel area somewhere. When I stuck that fucking tester in and the red light came on, then nothing, I started down a different path but unfortunately had to leave as I had other shit to do.

So when I go back, hopefully it will be as easy as I thought it was when I first went! LOL!

Trust me, thats all it is.

You know what I'm talking about right? It looks similar to the surge receptacles you see in bathrooms.

Two little buttons on the plug itself.

Kind of looks like this.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/NEMA_5-20RA_GFCI_Tamper_Resistant_Receptacle.jpg

[Z_Fan]

Yup, I know exactly what it is - and this is precisely what I thought the problem was from the moment they called me.

I trip mine often when using tools in the back yard. So I run down stairs and reset it.

Problem is simply I couldn't find a reset switch on the outlet or on a receptacle at the panel. With the "Outside Plug" on the breaker, I didn't look for other plugs. Simple as that. So then I went in to over thinking mode.

But yeah, I know what it is... :poosie:

I'm assuming it will be on one of the other outlets in the back of the house. The tenant has confirmed there are outlets there that don't work too. :-) So that pretty much tells you... :)

[firebane]

I feel uneasy anytime there is a outdoor plug that isn't GFCI'd as well in a weather proof box.

Have you taken a volt meter to the plug with the breaker on to at least verify voltage?

Perhaps the wires are crossed somewhere?

Those little testers are good but not always accurate and a good way to check for voltage is simply using a volt meter and stick the black prong into the ground hole and the positive (red) into one of the other holes.

[Z_Fan]

Yes.

I have tried taking voltage in the plug itself exactly as you described. When I originally got nothing, I tested another outlet in the house - worked fine.

There will be a reset switch. I just don't know where it is. But I am certain it is that simple - as I have thought all along!

Problem was I got too focused on that one outlet - but the tenant did in fact tell me that there were other outlets with no power. Here is the screen cap! So had I just went back and read this again.

Anyhow, thanks for reading! I am certain it is a reset switch. Probably on the outlet nearest the main box - which is in the back yard.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i141/photodump_2006/Junk/outlets_zps09b6fa3d.jpg

[CapnCrunch]

All my outside outlets are each individually controlled by their own light switch. It wouldn't explain why you got a reading initially though. (unless its possible for there to be some sort of small amount of residual electricity in the wiring, I'm not an electrician so I honestly have no clue).

It pissed me off to no end trying to figure out what all the dead switches in my house were doing lol.

None are GFCI's, is this something I should/can change? My house was built in the 60's. I don't want to die in a fire or anything.

[danno]

there is a few ways we wire outside recpetacles/

#1 give the 2 outside plugs each a gfci.
#2 give 1 a gfci and make the other the load
#3 put a dead front in the basement and it feeds the 2 plugs
#4 put in a gfci breaker and feed the plugs that way.

a deadfront is like a gfci although it doesn't have an outlet, it is just has the buttons to reset itself.


sounds like you have option #2 which is normal for 90's

today we do #3 as deadfronts are cheaper

[Z_Fan]

Yeah #2 is how that house is hooked up. I just swung by and of course it is fixed in 2 seconds. Nothing really wrong as I suspected. I just found the proper outside outlet that has the GFCI. Pushed reset, tested the other locations (all OK) and left.

So pretty much just a waste of time. :-) But now the tenant knows where the button is...and so do I...

[firebane]

Originally posted by Z_Fan
Yeah #2 is how that house is hooked up. I just swung by and of course it is fixed in 2 seconds. Nothing really wrong as I suspected. I just found the proper outside outlet that has the GFCI. Pushed reset, tested the other locations (all OK) and left.

So pretty much just a waste of time. :-) But now the tenant knows where the button is...and so do I...

But the question is now why did it it trip in the first place?

[Z_Fan]

That I don't know. There will have been a reason. :-)

But the one at my house will trip if I'm using too many things. Or sometimes it will go just using one of my power saws.

[danno]

Gfci trip way more then a standard outlet. Arc faults trip even more.

His case maybe a little water got in between the neutral and hot, created a short and tripped it. No big deal. If it trips everytime you use it then contact a electrician.