Armored cable carry two sets of wire for two circuits?
Strange question. I opened up my fuse panel box to see which fuse was for what circuits as its really old and although it was labeled, it wasn't completely labeled. Fuse 1 and fuse 3 hots, go into the same armored cable it seems. And this isn't the neutral either, as the neutrals go to a bus bar. So there is 4 wires. The armored cable then goes to a junction box. And out of the junction box another armored cable goes to an outlet in the basement, romex goes out into the back porch which runs an outlet there, and another armored cable goes out of the house and from what I can tell must go to the garage. As it disappears into the ground and then armored cable comes out of the ground into the garage. Plus the panel says that fuse 3 is garage. When I unscrew fuse 1 the outlet in the basement and porch stops supplying power. When I unscrew fuse 3, those outlets are still hot. But here is my problem.
Wired into the fuse panel is a switch that turns on and off the garage outlet. The hots are marreted together, from the armored cable to the marret to the switch and to the fuse 3 hot. The outlet in the garage doesn't work period. I am not sure if this is related to the switch or the actual outlet. The fuse has been replaced so that takes that out of the question.
So my questions are, can armored cable carry wires for two separate circuits? In regards to thee garage, which is the likely suspect that isn't working and what is the best method for checking without getting electrocuted. I test the outlet, but no power. I want to test the switch or power from the actual cable in the garage that the outlet is connected to safely. Or is this so called "two circuits per armored cable" business the problem?