Electrical Outlet failure ?
#1
05-15-04, 07:36 PM
Electrical Outlet failure ?
Hello all,
I have 3 outside electrical outlets. They all have worked for the 2 years I've had them. In the last 2 weeks, I tried to plug something into 2 of them and have not been able to get any electricity. I checked the circuit breaker and it's on. Any suggestions?
I have 3 outside electrical outlets. They all have worked for the 2 years I've had them. In the last 2 weeks, I tried to plug something into 2 of them and have not been able to get any electricity. I checked the circuit breaker and it's on. Any suggestions?
#2
05-15-04, 07:38 PM
Depending upon the age of the outdoor outlets. they should be GFCI protected. Do any of the outside outlets have a TEST and a RESET button? If so, make sure that they they are reset. Also look for a GFCI outlet in your garage, in your basement, and keep looking.
#4
05-15-04, 07:48 PM
None of the outside outlets have a reset. The house was built in '96 and they are GFCI per the circuit breaker. There is an outlet in the garage that has a reset/GFCI red and black buttons. I pressed the reset and then tried the outlet and it didn't work. I might have rushed it, though. Assuming that the garage outlet can reset the outside outlets, why did they have to be reset? Just curious...
#5
05-15-04, 10:05 PM
looped wiring
When your saying outside outlets, look for the wiring to be looped from one to the other, pull the outlet covers off all three start with the one that works. Its possible the hot wire was pulled loose from the output side feeding the next outlet. Track house construction use to push wires in on outlets there faster to wire, but faster to fail, Its happened to often the last one to check works but that s where the loop can be open. Good luck 
#6
05-16-04, 05:13 AM
You say you have a gfci _breaker_? When you checked it to be on, a) look at it? b) try pushing it to the 'on' position? or c) flip all the way to off, and then back on?
If you didn't do c) then go try it now.
-Jon
If you didn't do c) then go try it now.
-Jon
#7
05-16-04, 09:52 PM
Member
For homes built in 1996, it was very common for that GFCI receptacle in the garage to protect the front and back porch receptacles (as well as bathroom and basement receptacles). Perhaps when you pressed the reset button, it didn't reset. GFCIs often trip due to moisture in the boxes. This sometimes happens with a hard rain, kids having fun with the hose, or dad having fun with his new powerwasher.
