Help

HI,
I just remodled a bedroom and replaced the outlets. Two of them had 3 white wires and 3 black wires plus a ground wire. I purchased new outlets and installed them. The new ones held 6 wires.
The new outlets work fine however, the overhead light in two bedrooms do not work.
I was careful to replace the wires as I found them but, wonder if the white and black that come out together should be oppisite eachother or if it matters.
Thanks,Ally

 

How exactly were there three wires of each color attached to the old receptacles? Was a pigtail used? Or two backstabs and one screw?

Do you know about the tabs on the sides of receptacles? Were all tabs in place on the old receptacles, and did you leave all tabs in place on the new ones too?

Were any of the receptacles switched by wall switches?

 

Hi John,
Thanks for your quick reply. I didn't exactly give the right info at first, it has 4 wires on each side. I am getting so confused!!! Okay here is the story...
Thr room has a single switch to turn on the overhead light and then 4 outlets. I assumed they were 4 regular oulets ( 2 were ).
Then there are 2 outlets that have 4 white wires on the left side and 4 black on the right. The old outlet has 4 holes on one side for the white and 4 on the other for black plus the ground screw.
I purchased new outlets that have the holes and the screws and used the holes. After installation both outlets work fine as well as all other electrical switches in the room.
The room across the hall and two upstairs have no power to the wall switch but, all the outlets in there work. I found this very strange but, all the wiring in this home is strange. The home was built in 1980.
I hate to call an electrician since I think there has got to be a simple solution. Perhaps I have the wires wrong. I at first had a 3 way that had both holes and screws and put 3 wires in the holes and screwed one in on both sides which didn't work.
Thanks,
Ally

 

If the holes you used are the kind where you just poke the wire in and you're done, you should know that those "backstabs" make very failure-prone connections.

But if the holes you used are the kind where you must tighten a screw to make it grab the wire, then you're okay.

Which kind did you have?

Are all the holes you used identical looking? Are they all round? Or could some of them be rectangular?

Of course you and I both know that if you put everything back the way it was that it would work. So something is different. Since you're there and looking at it, you're in a better position than me to guess what is different. I can offer a few ideas. I asked four questions above. The answers to those might help me make more suggestions.

 

Hi John,
Ok I will try to answer the questions...sorry I am such a pain.
I didn't even know what a backstab was until you told me. So, you are working with a blonde.... keep that in mind!!
The old ones had 8 holes (4 on each side) no screws. The new ones are the kind that you must tighten a screw to grab the wire. They are all round holes. I am thinking that I must not have put the wires back in the same order. All 4 whites are on one side and all 4 blacks are on one side that is correct but maybe the order is wrong. Does that make a difference??
Should the white and black that come out together be opposite eachother on the outlet? That is the only thing I can see to change.
Thanks for your help.
Ally

 

Hi John,
Ok I will try to answer the questions...sorry I am such a pain.
I didn't even know what a backstab was until you told me. So, you are working with a blonde.... keep that in mind!!
The old ones had 8 holes (4 on each side) no screws. The new ones are the kind that you must tighten a screw to grab the wire. They are all round holes. I am thinking that I must not have put the wires back in the same order. All 4 whites are on one side and all 4 blacks are on one side that is correct but maybe the order is wrong. Does that make a difference??
Should the white and black that come out together be opposite eachother on the outlet? That is the only thing I can see to change.
Thanks for your help.
Ally

 

The black wires must be on the gold screw,the white wire must be on the silver screw. Also to make better connections do not use the backstabs,wirenut all the wires of one color {black/black,white/white,etc} with a short peice of wire coming out of each wirenut {tails}.Carefully push the wirenuts into the back of the outletbox before connecting the receptacle. Connect the tails to the screws on the receptacles as stated above remember NO BACKSTABS. Please note do all of this splicing with the breaker OFF.Good luck,becarful.