Tiki Hut electrical failure
Okay, my sister-in-law has a wired dedicated branch circuit (120V / 20 A) Tiki Hut in the back yard.
The feed is on dedicated breaker feeds a GFCI receptacle (which protects all of the downstream outlets in the Tiki Hut) and then underground in PVC conduit over to the hut. The conductors are 12 AWG wires, not cables.
Problem: The GFCI receptacle kept tripping as soon as it was energized.
A feed wire from the overhead outlet supplies two post mounted switches - SW1 to the light on the fan. - - SW2 Rotary light switch for fan.
Problem: The feed from the outlet box to SW1 was stripped and horseshoed bent to the SW2 screw post and then to feed SW2. However it came loose and arched, blowing the switch (SW blew to an open condition) and the rotary switch and taking the GFCI with it every time power is reset.
I replaced both the SW1 and SW2 (now a 3 speed fan switch)
New problem: The SW1 now operates properly, but the light does not come on, nor does the rotary switch activate the fan. Also there are several receptacle outlets arranged under the Tiki Hut's canopy that are also dead and have been all along.
What could the SW1 to the light take out that killed everything else?
There is a nasty looking hive near the fan base overhead outlet box and I have no real desire to see if it is active just to get into that outlet box. Any creative ideas?