Lost power in basement


  #1  
Old 02-22-10, 01:16 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Lost power in basement

Hi,

A couple of days ago siding workers working outside our house accidentally damaged a lighting fixture which resulted power outage in basement. The circuit breaker did not trip but I went ahead and switched the circuit breaker off and back on with no luck. I have also checked GFCI outlet switches which don’t have power. Any ideas what I should check?

Thx.
 
  #2  
Old 02-22-10, 03:00 PM
P
Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: port chester n y
Posts: 1,983
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
A "GFI outlet switch" is an oxymoron; what you checked were "receptacles".
( "were" for a plural noun ).

What exactly was your testing procedure ? A "positive" check for a GFI receptacle is to test for voltage at the device terminals.
 
  #3  
Old 02-23-10, 05:09 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I checked with a basic volt tester which showed no power. This GFI switch is wired right bellow the circuit breaker panel. I am suspecting no power is coming from circuit breaker panel. Please advise what I should check next.

Thank you.
 
  #4  
Old 02-23-10, 05:16 AM
pcboss's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 13,976
Received 194 Upvotes on 170 Posts
Did you check the bulb? Vibration can kill bulbs very quickly. You should also check the connections to the fixture.

Please tell me the siding contractor used a proper junction box behind the fixture. Mounting the fixture without a box seems to be a common procedure, but is not Code compliant.
 
  #5  
Old 02-23-10, 05:33 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Yes, the CFL bulb was broken at the base and I could see some internal wires hanging out. The siding contractor was replacing cracked sidings when they damaged the light fixture. Behind it was a circular shaped object but I am not sure whether it is a junction box.
 
  #6  
Old 02-23-10, 09:31 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
Behind it was a circular shaped object but I am not sure whether it is a junction box.
Can you post a picture? Just upload to a site like imageshack.us or photobucket and post the URL
 
  #7  
Old 02-23-10, 12:10 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I will post a picture as soon as I get home.

Thank you.
 
  #8  
Old 02-23-10, 08:58 PM
J
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: KS
Posts: 1,655
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
It's probably a standard siding mount. Looks like this:



When you say the GFCI is right below the panel, is there a box mounted TO the panel? Or does it just happen to be underneath it with no visible connection to the panel?
 
  #9  
Old 02-24-10, 05:44 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi All,

I was able to figure out the problem. It seems there was a loose ground wire connection behind the GFI switch which is feeding the line. It is a first switch in the circuit mounted on a stud located about 4 feet from the circuit board panel. When I was removing it from the junction box after some wiggling suddenly power came back. When I wiggle the copper wire I could see lights flicker. It looked two copper wires joined together behind the switch for rest of the line. I will try to post the pictures later. For now I put the switch back into the box as it was without disturbing the power. I am not sure how this loose connection happened after power got tripped.

Thank you all for your help.
 
  #10  
Old 02-24-10, 06:59 AM
pcboss's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Maryland
Posts: 13,976
Received 194 Upvotes on 170 Posts
A loose ground should not affect the operation of a light fixture. I would continue to look for another problem.
 
  #11  
Old 02-24-10, 11:19 AM
ray2047's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 29,711
Upvotes: 0
Received 15 Upvotes on 13 Posts
the GFI switch which is feeding the line.
When you write "GFI switch" which of the devices below are you referring to?

 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: