Log in

View Full Version : No power to an outlet


lmscali
Mar 29, 2009, 05:08 PM
I was working on changing an outlet that was old 2 prong to a new 3 prong one. It had power before I changed it. Now when I tested the wires there appears to be no power going to the wires. I disconnected the wires from the outlet to check with a tester. Before I switched this outlet I had installed a GFI outlet. That is working properly, I checked it by resetting and hitting the test buttons.

Any answers would be greatly appreciated...
Lou

lmscali
Mar 29, 2009, 05:09 PM
I forgot to add that the GFI is in another location in the room. Hope this makes sense. If you need more info, please ask me.

Perito
Mar 29, 2009, 08:06 PM
If the outlet receives power *through* the GFCI, then you need to make sure you wired the GFCI properly. Usually there are two pairs of terminals on the GFCI. Power from the breaker box goes to one pair of terminals. Power from the GFCI to other outlets connects to the other pair of terminals. Make sure you've wired it correctly.

Second, make sure the circuit breaker hasn't tripped.

lmscali
Mar 30, 2009, 08:06 AM
The outlet does not receive power through the GFCI. And the GFCI is wired correctly because there is a TV and refrigerator that are working off that outlet with no problem. I checked the breaker and it wasn't tripped. I even flipped it back and forth once to make sure.

Perito
Mar 30, 2009, 08:13 AM
If it had power before you took the original outlet out, and now there is no power at the black wire, then something else has changed -- somewhere. You mentioned the GFCI outlet. I'm not sure what that has to do with this outlet. If it has something to do with it (power routed through that box, but possibly not through the GFCI), then you need to open up that box and fix the connection. Othewise, you need to check anything that has changed and locate the break in the circuit.

lmscali
Mar 30, 2009, 01:02 PM
As far as I know the GFCI is not on the circuit. I only mentioned it because I changed that outlet first. If it was on the same circuit and the GFCI is working properly, is it possible for everything else after it not to work? I know the refrigerator is on the same circuit and it works.

Thank you for trying to help me solve this problem...

BRycraft
Mar 30, 2009, 01:23 PM
Just out of curiosity you mention that the old outlet was a 2 prong meaning it was ungrounded? If that's so where did you get the ground for the GFCI? Is the box metal, do you have conduit or armored cable (BX)? Because if you have romex and there is no ground wire that GFCI won't work without a ground because it needs a ground to set/reset. If you have a ground then make sure you hooked up the hot to the correct terminal on the GFCI. There is a small plug in tester with 2 yellow and one red lamp on it for about $10 at home depot or menards that you plug into any outlet and depending on which lamps light up will tell you how the outlet is incorrectly wired, or correctly wired. But if you have say Romex and that box isn't grounded running a ground wire to a ungrounded box will do you no good and that GFCI will never work properly, I don't know how your home is wired. My home is all conduit but when I watch home improvement channels even my wife notices now how it seems everyone's home is romex around the country.
Bill

lmscali
Mar 31, 2009, 10:11 AM
The GFCI outlet was grounded... the outlet with the problem is in a different place. I only mentioned the GFCI because I swapped that out. I didn't think to check the power in the outlet with the 2 prong before swapping it for a newer outlet.

BRycraft
Mar 31, 2009, 10:25 AM
Make sure there is power to that new outlet. They sell these voltage detectors that when the tip is positioned near a live circuit the light up and buzz, they are also about $10 and come in very handy when working on circuits to make sure the circuit is dead or checking for a live wire if you don't have a meter handy. They come in handy for checking extension cords etc...
Bill

lmscali
Apr 1, 2009, 07:50 AM
That's my problem, when I tested the wires there was no power going to them. There was power as far as I know before I swapped the outlet for a new one.

BRycraft
Apr 1, 2009, 09:23 AM
No power to the wires in the box has nothing to do with the new outlet, if you know for certain there was power to that outlet before you removed the old one, then something changed in the process. I would strongly recommend getting a non contact voltage tester. I included a link to a tool page that shows what I a referring to. Amprobe VP-600SB Electrical Tester Non Contact Voltage Probe (http://www.testersandtools.com/Amprobe-VP-600SB-Electrical-Tester-Non-Contact-Voltage-Probe.php)
You have to know what's going on in that box to determine where the problem is at, if you have multiple wires tied together with wire nuts maybe when you pushed the wires back onto the box a connection came loose, that happens often when either the wrong sized wire nut is used to tie the wires together or one of the wires in the group is too short and never gets twisted together and backs out losing contact with the others. Personally I give a little tug on each wire when using wire nuts to make sure each wire is secure, then I even take it a step further that most electricians won't do and that is tape the wires and wire nut with electrical tape, just a few wraps to secure it. Yes its probably a little overkill as some will argue that if done properly it isn't necessary, maybe so but I like to add that little extra bit of security keeping those wires together. I also run a couple wraps of electrical tape around the outlet or wall switch I am installing covering the exposed side terminals. Just a habit I have gotten into all my life. You never know who is coming along next to remove that outlet and some people may not kill the circuit power or the wrong circuit and reach in to pull the outlet out of the box and hit the side terminals and get shocked, plus it makes the job look more professional.
Keep me informed...
Bill

ohb0b
Apr 13, 2009, 01:03 AM
A side note: You replaced an older 2-prong receptacle with a GFCI, which is code compliant.
Now you are replacing the GFCI with a 3-prong receptacle? How are you grounding this receptacle? Why not just leave the GFCI in?

As for there being no power, check the connections inside the box. You may have worked something loose when you replaced the receptacle.
A plug-in receptacle tester is an inexpensive handy tool to have.