Ask Me Help Desk - Electric in only Half of Double Wide?

We are trying to get a doubl wide ready for us to move in.

We ran the service wire from the pole to the breaker box in home. In the back part of the double wide we found two round electrical boxes, this is where it looked like both halves of the double wide wired together. We wired these back together. There were a total of three wires one 14/2, and two 12/2. where the cuts were made each part was labeled so we knew where to wire the split back together.

We turned the power on at the box and we have electric in only half the double wide.

What is the easiest way to track down where the halves splice back together?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdmaynard

We are trying to get a doubl wide ready for us to move in.

We ran the service wire from the pole to the breaker box in home. In the back part of the double wide we found two round electrical boxes, this is where it looked like both halves of the double wide wired together. We wired these back together. there were a total of three wires one 14/2, and two 12/2. where the cuts were made each part was labled so we knew where to wire the split back together.

We turned the power on at the box and we have electric in only half the double wide.

What is the easiest way to track down where the halves splice back together?

1. make sure power is on each bus in the disconnect sub panel.
2. reset all breakers fully off and then turn on. Caution: If breaker doesn't want to reset, this indicates faulty circuit short. Release breaker handle immediately or breaker will possibly get damaged. Depends on brand. Disconnect that branch circuit wire out of the breaker too see if breaker resets. If it does, then the circuit short needs to be traced.
3. Qu.. what half of the double wide is not working. Front half farthest away? Side half farthest away... from interior subpanel? If front half, then look for other j-boxes not yet connected.
4. If circuits have been matched 14-2 should already work. The two 12-2's should also work also but may need switching or relabeling at the panel to match branch circuit label.
If these circuits do not function, make sure wiring is correct at each termination. Wiring is black-black, white-white, bare-bare. Corresponding home run black wires must be connected on the breakers, white wires on the neutral bus, bare conductors on the ground bus. If this is an old trailer, the neutral and ground busses are one in the same. (3-wire system.)
5. Qu.. Is wiring 14-2 & 12-2 romex Aluminum?
6. Highly suggest getting a licensed electrician to checkout the grounding system of the trailer (or modular). This is a critical life-safety issue.
7. Make sure every bedroom and the hallway has a smoke detector/alarm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmwirez

1. make sure power is on each bus in the disconnect sub panel.done
2. reset all breakers fully off and then turn on. Caution: If breaker doesn't want to reset, this indicates faulty circuit short. Release breaker handle immediately or breaker will possibly get damaged. Depends on brand. Disconnect that branch circuit wire out of the breaker too see if breaker resets. If it does, then the circuit short needs to be traced.Done, breakers did not trip
3. Qu..what half of the double wide is not working. Front half farthest away? Side half farthest away...from interior subpanel? If front half, then look for other j-boxes not yet connected. The section furtherst awasy from panel
4. If circuits have been matched 14-2 should already work. The two 12-2's should also work also but may need switching or relabeling at the panel to match branch circuit label.
If these circuits do not function, make sure wiring is correct at each termination. Wiring is black-black, white-white, bare-bare. corresponding home run black wires must be connected on the breakers, white wires on the neutral bus, bare conductors on the ground bus. If this is an old trailer, the neutral and ground busses are one in the same. (3-wire system.) They have been matched up black/black, white/white, bare/bare
5. Qu..Is wiring 14-2 & 12-2 romex Aluminum? No aluminum
6. Highly suggest getting a licensed electrician to checkout the grounding system of the trailer (or modular). This is a critical life-safety issue. I will have this check out but feel confident in grounding system
7. Make sure every bedroom and the hallway has a smoke detector/alarm.

done, firm believer in smoke detector and carbon minoxide detectors

Still no power to section of double wide furthest from panel. I will continue looking to see if there any other places that splice could be. I also want to test at the splices we did find to see if there is current before the splice and if so then maybe the problem is at the splice or after.

To do simple checks like this you do need some tools. A test light, a meter, or a voltage detector might be the best place to start with. I came across the niftiest gadget for trouble shooting, a voltage detector. They work through the insulation of wires. There are several brands. I have a GB Instruments GVD-505A, less than $15 at Home Depot. Touch it to a hot wire, and the end glows red. Find the doodad that lights it on one side, and not the other, and you have the culprit. You do not have to open up housings and expose electrical contacts. You are looking at where your hand is, not where the meter is. Most people are capable of doing repairs and will get it going and not get hurt if they use a little sense. The voltage detector makes it even easier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdmaynard

done, firm believer in smoke detector and carbon minoxide detectors

Still no power to section of double wide furthest from panel. I will continue looking to see if there any other places that splice could be. I also want to test at the splices we did find to see if there is current before the splice and if so then maybe the problem is at the splice or after.

Sounds like getting under the trailer and checking for other j-boxes may be necessary. Sometimes this requires pulling out the undercarriage insulator panels. Depends on the manufacturer. Also check the water heater closet for other j-box connections that may have been inadvertently disconnected in the original process. An easy and inexpensive tester to get is a voltage sensor for determining if the romex is energized. This is the most quick way of tracing hot cables. Just slowly pass across the wiring without touching anything making sure the tester tip is perpendicular to the cable run. The tester is 10 bucks.