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donf · Dec 28, 2012, 02:50 PM

Greetings,

I apologize in advance because I know this is a loose connection type failure, however, I'm stuck in bed with a serious about of Pneumonia and my Niece needs some help.

What I have been able to find out from here is that the receptacle is the end of line receptacle. The cable is a 14 AWG, copper. The conductors are attached to the receptacle screws and are tight, but not to tight to un-wrap from under the screw.

My Niece cannot isolate the breaker because of the completed walls in the garage. Also, the first receptacle in the possible string is a GFCI receptacle, that tests fine.

I would normally start working backwards pulling the receptacles out one at a time until I found the failure, but I strongly suspect that there is a flying splice somewhere in the circuit that a friend created to install a light.

Short of tearing the walls out to trace the circuit, I'm looking for suggestions. I don't have a boro scope to loan her, I do have a tone generator which may help. I'm not sure that I can explain to her how to wring out the conductors using a meter, but until I know the circuit is dead, I do not want her poking around hot wires with something sharp.

Suggestions please.

I'm stuck in bed at least 2 or 3 more weeks, barring a miricale.

tkrussell · Dec 29, 2012, 05:27 AM

This concerns me:

The conductors are attached to the receptacle screws and are tight, but not to tight to un-wrap from under the screw.

What does that mean? The wires are wrapped counterclockwise wise on terminal screws? That is the only method that would allow the wire to un-wrap.

If this is a possibility:

but I strongly suspect that there is a flying splice somewhere in the circuit that a friend created to install a light.

The friend should be asked.

Have to run, will get back to this later. Perhaps you can address my comments so far.

donf · Dec 29, 2012, 06:45 AM

Sorry for injecting confusion into thie thread. My Niece's "Live In" is a Robbert/Homicide Detective here in VB. So when he does stuff with a tool, he tends to crank nuts, bolts and screws so tight you'd think they were spot-welded in place.

The picture that was sent to me showed the conductor under the screw, not torqued down and cammed out from under the screw.

The friend, is now in Atlanta and will not be back until Spring. However, all he remembers is that he found a "Spare wire" in the Attic and just used that. No box, no protection, nothing! Just a "spare Wire"

A friend here is a master so I asked that he find that splice before there is a fire and repair it and the receptacle. My Niece and her daughter get some safety and I get a bill! And peace of mind

Will this miserable year just end already!

Kyle_in_rure · Dec 29, 2012, 12:03 PM

Got to love those "flying splices"...

donf · Jan 7, 2013, 12:16 PM

Follow up:

The villain was found. The flying splice that was cut into the receptacle branch circuit was loose. It seems the friend, cut into the circuit and laid the wires side by side and taped them together. No twists of the wires, just taped.

They are now capped. I get to run the new cables when I'm allowed to get out of this (DIRTY WORDS) bed and back among the living.

hfcarson · Jan 7, 2013, 01:43 PM

You sound energized... if we p**s you off more, you'll be well in no time!

donf · Jan 7, 2013, 04:54 PM

Actually, I'm starting to feel human again.

What annoyed me was that my Niece let her friend do the work because he said it was a nothing job.

Now he's out of town and they dump the problem on me since "I have an understanding" of electricity.

I still have neighbor hood friends vacationing at Attica, maybe I can get them to visit this friend and explain things to him. Opps, they don't get weekend passes from Attica! Darn!

tkrussell · Jan 8, 2013, 05:50 AM

So is anyone going to let the "friend" know that he should not be doing electrical work, for many reasons ?

donf · Jan 10, 2013, 01:38 PM

Kev -Strat - You really have to laugh. I had the cop talk to this "Family friend". Not only did he say the wiring should be fine, but he claimed to have done professional electrical work in the past.

Oh, he's promised to return the $75. He was paid to put the light. I asked the cop to have the Ga. Police explain it a little better to him.