[stix550]

OK guys I have spent some time on here trying to look for the answer before I asked a question. I hate repeats myself. I have found many with similar symptons but the fixes have not worked. I will not say that I am an expert; though I completely understand how the wiring works and have done it for many years and more times than I can count. Obvious answers are welcome, I may have overlooked one. Here is my story.

From the beginning just in case this helps. I had plugged my 30 Amp travel trailer into a 100' extension (10Amp) cord to run my lights. My wife walked in and turned on the air conditioner. When the compressor kicked in it tripped the 15 amp breaker I was plugged into. After turning off the air conditioner and resetting the breaker all was well. I had my lights again. No problems in the house. The next day I plugged in my table saw to the same outlet with the same cord as I have done many times before. It came on for a split second and went off. I checked the breaker again. It was fine. I shut it off and turned it back on. I switched my table saw to a different outlet with the same cord and was able to keep working. It was later that I realized that the original outlet, 4 outlets in the bedroom, laundry room light, and bathroom light were no longer working. This is a good time to mention that I live in a Mobile Home (trailer house). Hence the multiple outlets wired together. I have a GFCI in the bathroom that is still working.

I have a GB GRT-500 3-prong circuit tester with the lights that tells you what wiring is wrong when you plug it into the outlet. It tells me that the HOT/Ground are reversed. Knowing that this wiring has been exactly the same since new (15 years) it must be something else. OK that reading can sometimes actually mean an OPEN NEUTRAL. Yes all of my outlets and light switches on the circuit were pushed into the back. I have sense changed all outlets and all Light switches to where I have wrapped the wire around the screws in this correct places. I have also check the connections of the 2 lights on the circuit (as mentioned above are now non working) and all is good to go there. But I still show HOT/Ground Reverse on the tester and still not working.

I know this is long, but I have exhausted what I know and need some help.
On a side note there is a light fixture on the back porch that some part is on the same circuit that I have not checked or replaced yet and that is the only one. With it being 10:30PM I am at a lack of light to tackle that on just yet, but it seems that the laundry room light just before that should be working.

Anyhow please help
All and any answers are much appreciated.

Thanks



Real quick another thought. I want to make sure I get all the details in there so I can get a good answer quickly.

I have a different receptacle outside. Now remember I was running my table saw off the first one in the beginning of my story which is at the front of the house. This receptable is in the rear close to that back porch light by the laundry room which isn't working.
I have goo power from this outlet. I only mention it because previously (years ago) I had taken the outlet out and ran romex to my shop from that outlet. No major power usage there just needed some light. I remember when wiring it up I could tell I tripped the breaker by looking at the back porch light. If it was out I would reset the GFCI in the bathroom (where the light doesn't work) and be good to go from there. Also remember that I installed a new GFCI in that bathroom with the LOAD and LINE cables in the corect position. So the point of this paragraph is that the shop works and the porch light does not. Now mind you this light is the only thing on the circuit that has not been replaced until the morning.

NOw that we are all tired from reading this PLEASE HELP ME!

[hkstroud]

Just a suggestion.

Turn off breaker to find all receptacles and fixtures on that circuit. There may be other outlets on that circuit on that work but have a bad neutral connection to a non-working outlet. Also check neutral connection at circuit breaker panel if there is no working devices on that circuit.

[Stratmando]

Does the GFI Trip and Reset?

[stix550]

Just a suggestion.

Turn off breaker to find all receptacles and fixtures on that circuit. There may be other outlets on that circuit on that work but have a bad neutral connection to a non-working outlet. Also check neutral connection at circuit breaker panel if there is no working devices on that circuit.

A suggestion it is.
Though all receptacles and light switches on the entire half of the house have been replaced. Light fixtures rewired.
All rooms effected and any adjacent rooms is all new equipment.

Break panel looks great all neutrals have good connection.

Thanks for the reply anything else?

[stix550]

Does the GFI Trip and Reset?

The GFI is in the bathroom where the light is out.
The GFI outlet still works.
Since I was changing everything out I replaced the working GFI with a new GFI.
And as mentioned above is working correctly.

Answer to question = yes

Thanks for the reply anything else?

I am still searching this thing down guys anybody have anymore thoughts.

[Stratmando]

I understand GFI has Power, it also trips and resets? A little important.

[hkstroud]

Sound like time to start looking for weird stuff, squirrels eating insulation, wires cut by shifting structural members, stuff like that. Try to trace physical wires. Do anything you can to narrow down the fault location. Get a length of wire and meter to do continuity checks between outlets. Take an old extension cord, cut off female end, add plug. Plug one end into working outlet. Plug other end into non-working outlet. See if other non working outlets work.

[stix550]

I understand GFI has Power, it also trips and resets? A little important.

As stated above
answer to question = yes


GFI trips and resets

[Stratmando]

I would plug an extension cord in known good outlet, verify it is wired coerrectly with tester, you now have a good hot, neutral and ground for reference, Then measure between Outlet hot, and extension cord neutral, no power, hot is lost to receptacle.
Now measure between the Outlet neutral and extension cord hot, no power? Neutral is lost.

[KISS]

I'm having a hard time following, but here goes. I see:

GFCI works ---> Implies this outlet is wired correctly
(Confirm with outlet tester and verify black on brass and white on copper terminal.

Other outlets show ground/hot reversal

(Could mean that these outlets are wired incorrectly and the GFCI is wired incorrectly and even the power source to the trailer is backwards)

Let's go back a bit. You basically had a surge and the wires are pushed in the back. This is a perfect condition to loose a connection. It's a good time to change the connection. Use the screws, pigtail the white or pigtail both the black and the white and don't push in the wires.

You probably need a voltmeter and start at the source - the service entrance panel. The outlet that the extension cord is plugged into and the other end.

[stix550]

I'm having a hard time following, but here goes. I see:

GFCI works ---> Implies this outlet is wired correctly
(Confirm with outlet tester and verify black on brass and white on copper terminal.

Other outlets show ground/hot reversal

(Could mean that these outlets are wired incorrectly and the GFCI is wired incorrectly and even the power source to the trailer is backwards)

Let's go back a bit. You basically had a surge and the wires are pushed in the back. This is a perfect condition to loose a connection. It's a good time to change the connection. Use the screws, pigtail the white or pigtail both the black and the white and don't push in the wires.

You probably need a voltmeter and start at the source - the service entrance panel. The outlet that the extension cord is plugged into and the other end.

Should be pretty clear
Forget about the GFCI there was nothing wrong with it in the first place. I was working in an adjacent room and was just replaced.. That's all. I am using it now. NO GFCI problems whatsoever.

Outlets are NOT wired incorrectly
Lets go back a bit. Already changed all of the connections using the screws as mentioned.

[KISS]

If the GFCI outlet works, it should detect polarity problems and the tester should indicate that it's wired correctly, but what if this outlet had black and white revered and the hot and beutral were revered at the service entrance?

What I am suggesting is to use your tester on the GFCI outlet and inspect the colors.

[stix550]

The GFCI isn't even on the same circuit.
Inspection complete. Just as I have mentioned.

[donf]

What is important to find out is where in the circuit does the GFCI sits in the circuit and if it is set to control downstream devices.

Might I suggest that you purchase a Multi Meter so we can get voltage reading from you instead of lights.

First verify the output of the breaker as being 120 VAC and then determine the voltage present at the rest of the outlet points. Look for open or loose connections.

[Stratmando]

I wonder if you have 2 problems, 1 an interuption it the circuit(s), and wonder if polarity was reversed before, and now finding out due to the outage?
If this is Aluminum wire, they are famous for breaking at strip point on wire.
How did testing with Extension cord as a reference work?

[stix550]

Please please please forget about the GFCI... different circuit and no problems.
We are just worried about the non working outlets and the lights

Stratmando I will get that extension cord test going later.. I just got home from work. I work out of town and have been unable to reply
Thanks