Phone jack not working

I recently moved into a house where all the jacks are working except the one in the MBR. When I took the cover off, 2 of the wires from the plug to the screw were broken. I purchased another unit just like the one there, wired it in, and I still don't get a dial tone. If it means anything, in addition to no dial tone, when I blow into the phone mic there is no noise in the earpiece.

There is one grey cable coming out of the baseboard with 4 wires (black, yellow, red green). The wires are on the same screws as the jack in the 2nd BR that works. I've taken the (corded) phone to a working jack and I get a dial tone, so it's not the phone or wire coming from the phone.

Of course, of all the jacks in the house, this is one of the few for which the grey cable runs into the wall instead of on top of the baseboard. Is there any way I can trace/fix this problem without going into the wall?

Thanks,

Beth

 

Do you by chance remember what color wires were attached to the original jack, and which ones were broken off? Telephone companies use only use one pair at a time. I have discovered that most use the pairs as such: red wire, green wire (a pair) and then yellow wire, black wire (another pair). The red and green pair are usually the pair used to make the telephone connection and the yellow and black pair are spares or used for second telephone line (separate number).

What may have happened it that the jack in the bedroom has a different telephone number than the rest of the house. It also may just be a jack that leads to no where.

This is the case in my house. The telephone jack in the master bedroom of our home(after searching for lines coming into the house) leads out into the workshop. This is where the original line came into the home years ago. However, when they upgraded the service box at this house the lines had been routed to a new jack in the kitchen. These wires from the box in the master bedroom were connected to nothing. Seems that instead of removing the previous wiring and/or jack, they just left it there.

*Our shop is an addition on the back of the house. I discovered the old original entrance of the wiring behind some shelves in there. Where are fortunate to have a neighbor across the street that has lived here since the houses were built. He knows who lived here (the house is 40 years old, and we are the 3rd owners). He can tell me what was the common procedure for this that or the other in relation to the year it was added.

Please watch for posts. Others will be able to tell you other reasons that particular jack may or may not work.

Oh, another question for you. You mentioned that this is the only jack wired through the wall and the others are wired from line run next to the baseboard. Where do these lines originate? Do baseboard lines to and from the jacks, or just to the jacks? In the rental house down the street our telephone juntion was in the closet where the water heater lives. This may be a good starting point to see where the wires run and which ones are actually 'live' wires.

Sorry if I confused you more on this. I know its frustrating when you first purchase a home and are trying to figure out how things are run in the house. I am finding cable for cable tv in closets, etc that aren't connected to anything, just run but cut. Apparently the second home owner didn't want cable in each room so they just snipped the lines both at the wall (usually in the closets) and also in the attic. Very confusing when you're trying to find the 'real live' cable or wires!

Kay

 

The previous occupant may have had a seperate Line pair for the MBR and this could have been the Red/Green pair if the cable went from the MBR jack directly to the Service connection where it connected to one of 2 pairs from the telephone Central Office (Co).I suggest you determine what interior telephone cables are at the Service connection point. If the MBR jack cable was "bridged" off another jack cable, BR2 for example, it's possible the Red/Green pair for the MBR jack cable connected to the Black/Yellow pair at the BR2 jack cable and the Black/Yellow pair in this cable went (along with the Red/Green pair) to the Sevice connection point where the Black/Yellow pair connected to one CO pair and the Red/Green to another CO pair.--So we'll guess the MBR jack cable goes either directly to the Service connection or to another jack.-Check for dail-tone across the Black/Yellow pair at the MBR jack-----Good Luck

 

Kay--I think the original config was red and green wires connected, with black and yellow not attached to screws. I don't remember if both red and green were broken or just one. There are 2 jacks wired into the wall--both the upstairs bedrooms. The kitchen probably was too, but was renovated 2 yrs before I moved in and it looks pretty new (wall jack). Wire for the jack in the LR is run from the kitchen on top of the baseboard, and the same thing in one part of the finished lower level (it's a split level house).

The other part of the lower level has a wall jack in what seems to be a strange place, but lots around here was done in an unusual way. There is phone wire running outside the box laying on the ground because my neighbor ran over it with his lawn mower while doing me a favor one day. So I guess i need to look in that box try to follow all the wires I can find and see what happens.

Patbaa--It must be too late at night for me to be able to follow your colors and abbreviations. I'll try again in the morning as it looks like helpful advice.

Thanks to you both!

Beth