No Power
#1
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No Power
I just discovered that I have no power at outlets in my lanai...3 interior and 2 outside outlets.
Ceiling fan and outside lights work ok.
Not sure which breaker it is. but no breakers are tripped and I have 120 volts at all breakers.
GFI is not tripped.
I took apart the 2 obvious outlets for incoming power and ceiling fan wall switch and all connections are ok.
All wiring is from the garage to the attic.
Attic access is limited to sticking my head up into the attic and looking at insulation.
Now what?
Ceiling fan and outside lights work ok.
Not sure which breaker it is. but no breakers are tripped and I have 120 volts at all breakers.
GFI is not tripped.
I took apart the 2 obvious outlets for incoming power and ceiling fan wall switch and all connections are ok.
All wiring is from the garage to the attic.
Attic access is limited to sticking my head up into the attic and looking at insulation.
Now what?
#2
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If you are positive there is no GFCI outlet powering the outlets in the lanai, start by mapping breakers to their loads. Hopefully the mapping get you to 1 breaker not mapped. You need to check the tightness of wire connections on all lanai outlets but you need to have the powering breaker open. Do you have and know how to measure ac volts and continuity with a multimeter?
#3
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Are you certain the breakers were not tripped. Try turning them off and then back on to reset.
Since you opened up a couple outlets did you check for power with a meter or voltage tester?
Since you opened up a couple outlets did you check for power with a meter or voltage tester?
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To Pilot Dane, Yes I turned all the breakers off and back on to reset. Yes, I checked for power with a meter at the 2 outlets I opened.
To beelzebob, I will map the breakers because that is valuable information. I am not convinced I need to check all the outlets because it is not logical that any of the other 3 would be the source of power. I have a multimeter, but do not know how to check continuity. Can you tell me how? It seems like I have a continuity problem since I am absent power in the lanai.
To beelzebob, I will map the breakers because that is valuable information. I am not convinced I need to check all the outlets because it is not logical that any of the other 3 would be the source of power. I have a multimeter, but do not know how to check continuity. Can you tell me how? It seems like I have a continuity problem since I am absent power in the lanai.
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to beelzebob, I am not positive that there is no GFI powering the lanai, because I don't know what is the power source for the lanai. I have only one GFI and I know it power 2 kitchen outlets and two bath outlets. I suspect the one GFI might also power the lanai because the lanai includes 2 exterior outlets.
#7
This will sound like a dumb question, but are you sure there isn't a switch controlling the outlets?
I had 2 outdoor GFCI outlets at my previous home. I never used them. When I went to sell the house, I discovered they didn't work and replaced them. The replacements didn't work either. After some time, I discovered an indoor light switch hiding behind a curtain which powered those outlets. Palm-to-head slap.
I had 2 outdoor GFCI outlets at my previous home. I never used them. When I went to sell the house, I discovered they didn't work and replaced them. The replacements didn't work either. After some time, I discovered an indoor light switch hiding behind a curtain which powered those outlets. Palm-to-head slap.
#8
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You have a switch or GFCI open or one of the 2 wires powering the lanai has a break. The broken wire can be checked by continuity, but you need to identify the powering breaker first so you can find the neutral wire for the cable whose hot wire is connected to the breaker powering the lanai outlets.
#9
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I can't explain it but my lanai is back powered up. All I had to do was tell my neighbor about my outage, and he brought over his little test light and said I had power. It's one of the damnedest things I have ever experienced. I can't figure it out, because it was dead for sure. I will be watching it.
However, it did get me to chart all the breakers which is handy information to have.
However, it did get me to chart all the breakers which is handy information to have.
#10
However, it did get me to chart all the breakers which is handy information to have.
#11
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To test continuity, your multimeter, analog or digital must have an ohms function or continuity (buzzer) selected by a function switch. The wire or device to be tested cannot have any voltage present because it will damage the multimeter's circuit. If the multimeter function switch has multiple ranges for ohms, select the narrowest range (1 ohm,10 ohm) for tests where it is known there should be very little resistance (multimeter indicates or displays a number close to zero). Place the two multimeter leads on the wire or device to be tested, one at each end of the current path. If the multimeter indicates or reads near zero or the speaker buzzes, there is continuity and the wire or device is good. If the multimeter indicates or reads high ohms or the speaker does not buzz, there isn't continuity and the wire or device is bad. Check the web for a user manual for your multimeter to get full use of its capabilities. Hope this helps.
#13
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I don't know what GFCI receptacles cost in the '80's, but it must have been significant. One of the issues is that you will find two baths, the garage, and all the outdoor recepts were tied into only one GFCI branch circuit.
These days, it makes more sense to use multiple GFCI's at the various points of usage, to reduce the confusion when a trip occurs.
These days, it makes more sense to use multiple GFCI's at the various points of usage, to reduce the confusion when a trip occurs.