We have remodeled our garage into two bedrooms. We added the electrical circuit to the existing circuit coming into the garage. We had not wired the outlets and lights correctly so when we added the wires and turned the electric on it surged and had a loud buzz and sparked from the box. We noticed after turning it off the wires coming off the box and all the way to the circuit starts in the dining room where fried. We replaced the wire and then fixed all of the outlets and lights in the garage but still the electric buzzed loud and sharp but turned the breaker off as soon as we turned it on and heard it. On the start of the circuit is a four way one to the light one to a plug and then one to the rest of the circuit, we only had the plug hooked up and it worked just fine but when we added the rest it did the buzz again. We then opened the other 5 outlets before the garage to look at them but none of them looked fried and we had the garage off the circuit. We are at a stand still trying to figure this out. Please Help.

Was this a legal conversion that had permits and inspections?

No this was not. I was looking and we replaced the wire that is awg from the box to the circuit and is on a 50 amp breaker, could that be the prouble?

Your breaker is way too big for residential outlets and lights. Sounds like a dead short and I respectfully say you need an electrician to correct your work.

All of the wiring is correct at this point and have not touched anything that was already there and working. The wires I added I disconnected so Is there anyway I can try and determine the part that is making the trouble. The breaker was already in the home before I moved in and only added three new plugs in garage all other light and plugs already there just moved them. I do not have money to call electrician so I was trying to do this myself.

What is the easiest way to troubleshoot to find what is the cause of a circuit not working.

Step 1: Is it a circuit breaker or fuse, tripped or blown?

This is a circuit breaker. I originally added more outlets on the line but did not do them correctly at first but now disconnected and still does not work. There are three way out of the main circuit from box one to light one to plug and one to rest of line. The plug works when only it was attached but when I attached the rest of the line it did not work just a loud buzz and turned it off right a way.

If adding more outlets on a circuit and disconnected it and just capped the ends of the wires would this cause a short circuit? Do we need to just disconnect from the last outlet or light before the add on to bring the power back on?

Okay, please level set me. I am not trying to pick a fight or be a smart a**.

What, if any is your level of expertise with residential electrical work?

At your main service panelboard: Did you do anything at all to change the existing configuration? I do mean anything, did you even remove the cover and look inside the panelboard?

" We added the electrical circuit to the existing circuit coming into the garage" Tell me exactly how you did whatever it is that you did!

FYI - The term "AWG" stands for American Wire Gauge. It is the size of the conductor (copper, aluminum or copper clad aluminum). There is a number in front of the AWG for example 14 - 12 -10. That is the actual size. On the cable that you modified, what was that number.

Going backwards now, toward the panelboard, that cable goes to a circuit breaker, on the handle of the circuit breaker is an embossed number, what is that number.

Once I have this information, I will try to assist you, however, be forewarned if I come to a point where I believe you are doing something seriously dangerous I will stop immediately.

I also must warn you that the fact that you did not file for permits to this work has you already sitting on the razors edge.

Yes we did open the main circuit in the dinning room coming from the breaker in the box. The number on the wire is 12. On what wire will the other number be? Is the panel the breaker box.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by michelepeterson

If adding more outlets on a circuit and disconnected it and just capped the ends of the wires would this cause a short circuit? Do we need to just disconnect from the last outlet or light before the add on to bring the power back on?

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For our experts to be able to give you the best advice they can, please keep all questions and information about this subject in this thread.

Okay, Michele you are seriously scaring me!

There is one and only one "Main Circuit". That is the feed into the main service panelboard from the power company.

From the main panelboard, power is distributed through "Branch Circuits". Each Branch Circuit is protected by a circuit breaker or fuse at the point where it originates within the panelboard.

Do you have any real experience with working on electrical circuits or should I be asking you to list me as one of your heirs on your will? I am not joking!

The "12 AWG" cable should be lead back to a 20 AMP circuit breaker in the main service panelboard.

If you reconstructed you garage to become two bedrooms, you should have added the required branch circuits to the main service panelboard and run the cables to the outlets (receptacle and lighting) when the rooms were framed. Then if you had pulled permits, they would have been inspected (rough in). Once this inspection was passed, you would be allowed to close the walls in (drywall).

You cannot just open a branch circuit and extend it to additional outlets without knowing what is already on the circuit (load). You can up, killing yourself, burning down the dwelling, getting seriously burned or wore causing others to be injured.

Have you even spent any time at all researching how to do residential electrical work? There are dozens of books available at bookstores and hardware stores.

Ok this makes since, The 12awg came from a 50 amp breaker which was already there to begin with. So would it be easier to close the circuit from the house and run a new one straight to the panel box. There was already the same circuit running threw the garage that I was adding more outlets to. I have been researching and watching how to videos online.

I can not see the main circuit and since in the conduit and there is not a main shut off switch for this home. It a concrete and steel home and the only breaker box is located outside. I would say this home is from the 1960s

12 AWG is maxed at 20 AMP. Change the breaker or you may very well have a fire due to overloaded circuits that won't trip because of the breaker size.

Michele,

Get an electrician to at least look at what you have. Again, the Main Circuit is the feed from the power company to the what you are calling the outside panel box.

Can you at the very least take a few pictures and attach them to this thread using the "Go Advanced" button and then the manage attachments.