Electrical problem replacing a receptacle
#1
05-25-15, 02:55 PM
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Electrical problem replacing a receptacle
I have a problem. I was replacing an outlet. Upper portion is supposed to be controlled by the wall switch. I did replace it and i can see that the outlet is getting power. There is a lighted ceiling fan that worked previously. However, the wall switch and the ceiling fan are not working now. How do i fix it. I will say that when i was removing the plug from the wall. i found that one group of wires came apart so I cant remember how they went back together. The wiring mentions red wires and grey wires..all i see are black and white and ground.
#2
05-25-15, 03:31 PM
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Welcome to the forums!
Can you post a picture of what you are working with? You say and outlet, but then you are saying your fan is not working, is the fan on a switch? Same switch as the outlet?
Can you post a picture of what you are working with? You say and outlet, but then you are saying your fan is not working, is the fan on a switch? Same switch as the outlet?
#4
05-25-15, 08:10 PM
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pics of the socket
#5
05-25-15, 08:15 PM
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#6
05-25-15, 08:18 PM
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#8
05-25-15, 08:34 PM
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The closeup pics don't help us. The one you thought was not great tells the story.
First.... you need to clean up those neutral(white connections). It looks like they're ready to fall off.
You have 3) two wire cables there....... power in, power out and a switch loop.
You will need to open that splice and measure from each black wire to ground. You need to find the always live black wire and mark it. Then look at it's matching white wire and make sure it's one of the ones on the receptacle.
We'll probably have you pull all the connections apart. I'm pretty sure they're wrong. I can't see well enough inside the box.
First.... you need to clean up those neutral(white connections). It looks like they're ready to fall off.
You have 3) two wire cables there....... power in, power out and a switch loop.
You will need to open that splice and measure from each black wire to ground. You need to find the always live black wire and mark it. Then look at it's matching white wire and make sure it's one of the ones on the receptacle.
We'll probably have you pull all the connections apart. I'm pretty sure they're wrong. I can't see well enough inside the box.
#10
05-26-15, 08:14 AM
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Part of the problem is that im electrical ignorant. My original plan was just to put everything where i saw it come off. Thats generally how i do it. I kill the power first. then slowly peel the plug out of the wall. In this instance, the old plug basically crumbled in my hands as i was pullling it out. my guess is it had sparked/arced a few times and had become brittle. The splice you speak of, actually had a nut on it, but i was not able to see what wires were in it.apart from black and white. When you speak of the ground. are you talking the one in the outlet box??
#11
05-26-15, 08:29 AM
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#12
05-26-15, 11:03 AM
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#13
06-13-15, 02:26 PM
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Ok so..new pic I took. I've managed to sort what is what. Two wires on left are the incoming hot wires. Upper right on top is return to rest of circuit. Lower right hand set is switch leg drop. I suppose i should ask where the pigtail goes or how do i finish wiring it??
Last edited by Johnny Myers; 06-13-15 at 02:45 PM.
#14
06-13-15, 02:42 PM
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here is the pic..couldnt seem to upload it from my phone..
#16
06-13-15, 04:51 PM
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might you be able to lay it out in steps, verbally?? something like maybe
#1 connect the supply wire to??
#2 the pigtail contains what wires??
#3 after splicing the pigtail..connect it to??
I seem to follow it just a tad better that way.
#1 connect the supply wire to??
#2 the pigtail contains what wires??
#3 after splicing the pigtail..connect it to??
I seem to follow it just a tad better that way.
#17
06-13-15, 05:29 PM
- Connect power in black and power out black to switch loop white and a black pigtail .
- Break tab on brass side of receptacle.
- Connect black pigtail to one brass receptacle screw.
- Connect black of switch loop to the other brass screw.
- Connect Power in white and power out white to each other and a white pigtail.
- Do not break tab on silver side.
- Connect white pigtail to silver side.
Notes: Switch loop white should be recolored black or red or any color but gray or green on both ends. You can use bands of colored tape ot a felt tip marker. In this case a couple of bands of black electrical tape would be fine.
Grounds are connected per code.
#18
06-13-15, 06:22 PM
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