[lynx5]

I'm going to take pictures of everything and draw an illustration of what's going on here.. before I give up. Will you be online for the next 30 minutes or so? Thanks..

[tkrussell]

Yep.

[donf]

Steve,

How did you isolate the breaker in the first place, so you could flag it as the villain controlling the strings?

TK is the resident expert here, but I can suggest a safer way then you having you stick your hands into a live panel box. You can spend some money and buy a "Circuit Finder" at almost any hardware store. Make sure you get one that is capable of generating a tone from a batter, since you are shooting on a dead line. Also , leave a trail for yourself. Put a piece of tape or remove the face plate to mark face plate were you got tone. I'd use "Black for no tone and Red for tone)

Put the failing out let back together and plug the tone generator into the outlet. The probe end will let you hear the signal back at the CB stack without you having to remove the cover.

If you cannot pick up tone at any of the breakers, turn the main power off, go back to the outlet and start plugging in the probe, if the outlet is connected to the prior outlet and you get tone, keep moving to the next access point in the circuit. Eventually you will develop a straight line to follow the circuit. If the tone stops, back up to the last tone spot, remove the face plate and check the wires attached to the load. If there are two sets of black and white pairs (with bare grounds) than check each black for tone. If you have tone into the receptacle and not out of it, pull the receptacle and check for a loose connection. If you only find one pair then you are at the other end of the run. Go back to the failing outlet and work the other direction. Use the same process. Keep going until you find the last outlet or switch that has four leads inside. This may be the line from the breaker to the circuit. Remove one pair and put your signal tester in the plug. Go back to the panel and see if you get tone. If you do, then remove your tester, and turn the breaker on, now do a voltage test at the receptacle, is it at 120 VAC?

However you choose to do this, you should pick up some books on basic home wiring read through them before you just jump in. Familiarize yourself before you get seriously burned or dead. In your situation I echo TK's suggestion and get a licensed electrician on-site and see if he/she will show what you did wrong and how to find the error in the future. Don't help the electrician, just answer questions and ask why he is doing what?

Good luck.

[lynx5]

Ok check this out please http://99.229.128.221/ made my own webpage and everything ;)
It didn't turn out the way I would have wanted it too but hopefully it gives a clearer picture..

Yep.

[tkrussell]

OK I see typical outlet box, device, panelboard that will remain until you open each outlet, junction box, etc to find the broken connection. Not much more I can offer.

[lynx5]

What excatly do you mean by broken connection?. they all read 0 volts. And worked previously. (this is my first home electrical experience) can't say Im going to forget it anytime soon either..
I appericate the help..

OK I see typical outlet box, device, panelboard that will remain until you open each outlet, junction box, etc to find the broken connection. Not much more I can offer.

[tkrussell]

OK I will be the bad guy here, I really think you need to call in a pro if you have to ask what a broken connection is, no offense meant.

Each box you replaced a device in needs to be pulled out and all the wire connections, terminals, splices, etc need to be checked to be each is clean ,tight, clean, properly terminated for that method. If a splice, the wires need to be bare a half inch or so, twisted, and splice cap twisted tight, if a screw terminal, the wire needs to be striped a half inch or so and wrapped around the proper screw terminal, clockwise, etc.

I realize that this is your first time, your words say it all. Troubleshooting open circuits can be very frustrating, confusing, and difficult to identify the defect for those even with knowledge of what to look for.

You may even need to map the circuit out on paper to to be able to make notes of what you found in certain areas for voltage readings, etc.

A good electrician opens a few boxes, take a few readings, and keeps a map of the wiring diagram in his head, and changes it as new parts of the circuit is discovered.

Depending on your personal mechanical experience, will depend on if you can tackle this safely and in a timely manner, and not cause any more damage by disturbing wires that were originally installed by a pro.

Sorry, but I says it the ways I sees it.

[Stratmando]

Forgive if already discussed, does GFI in bath look tripped?

[lynx5]

Well I saw the tutorials on how to install an outlet for just about anyone..
I am a graduated automotive service technician by profession so I wasn't feeling too insecure about changing some outlets that anyone should be able to do.

All you really do to replace an outlet is remember the order of the wires make sure you have a good clean connection and duplicate it on the new outlet.. that being said I guess things can still go wrong like they have. :(

OK I will be the bad guy here, I really think you need to call in a pro if you have to ask what a broken connection is, no offense meant.

Each box you replaced a device in needs to be pulled out and all the wire connections, terminals, splices, etc need to be checked to be each is clean ,tight, clean, properly terminated for that method. If a splice, the wires need to be bare a half inch or so, twisted, and splice cap twisted tight, if a screw terminal, the wire needs to be striped a half inch or so and wrapped around the proper screw terminal, clockwise, etc.

I realize that this is your first time, your words say it all. Troubleshooting open circuits can be very frustrating, confusing, and difficult to identify the defect for those even with knowledge of what to look for.

You may even need to map the circuit out on paper to to be able to make notes of what you found in certain areas for voltage readings, etc.

A good electrician opens a few boxes, take a few readings, and keeps a map of the wiring diagram in his head, and changes it as new parts of the circuit is discovered.

Depending on your personal mechanical experience, will depend on if you can tackle this safely and in a timely manner, and not cause any more damage by disturbing wires that were originally installed by a pro.

Sorry, but I says it the ways I sees it.

[lynx5]

Yeah its been discussed.. no GFI's anywhere we have only the standard outlet's..

Forgive if already discussed, does GFI in bath look tripped?

[tkrussell]

Then with your work experience I am sure you can do this. You just need to be safe as you will need to have power on for testing and power off for manipulating the wires and connections as you look for the bad connection.

It may be the circuitry that will confuse you, how each cable path goes from outlet to outlet. Not always as you would think.

[lynx5]

Yeah Im starting to get worried about the applicances with all this ON OFF ON OFF crap..

Then with your work experience I am sure you can do this. You just need to be safe as you will need to have power on for testing and power off for manipulating the wires and connections as you look for the bad connection.

It may be the circuitry that will confuse you, how each cable path goes from outlet to outlet. Not always as you would think.

[gmme00]

Okay I am having the same problem. There is no power coming out of the wires at the receptacle, the breaker is good, and all the other outlets in the same 12x8 room work. Can someone help?

[hkstroud]

Pull outlet and see if it has been wired using the little holes in the back (quick connects). If so rewire using the screw terminals. Quick connects are know to develop bad connections after a period of time.

Also make sure that this outlet is not controlled by a wall switch.

[Stratmando]

Check that outlet, and closest outlet or switchbox. Could also be in a light/fan box.