Weird Issue with Outlets


  #1  
Old 01-19-21, 11:59 AM
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Weird Issue with Outlets

Hello,

I have a phenomenon which I cannot explain nor find the issue.
Four outlets are not working anymore.
This would not be a big problem to find out what the reason it, but one outlet is in the guest bathroom, one in the garage, which is on the other end of the house, and one on the front and one on the back of the house outside.
All breakers are on.
I cannot find the problem.

Anyone of the experts has any idea?
 
  #2  
Old 01-19-21, 12:23 PM
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Double check the breakers. Turn them off one by one and then back on. Often a thrown breaker might look like it's on but needs to be reset with a little bit of force. Do you know if all those outlets are on the same breaker? Determine these question first and lets go from there.
 
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Old 01-19-21, 01:11 PM
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Hi, check for a hidden GFCI ,seems odd but possibly.
Geo🇺🇸
 
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Old 01-19-21, 01:21 PM
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You have e tripped GFCI. It is usually found behind the pile of boxes in the garage or the basement.
 
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  #5  
Old 01-19-21, 03:31 PM
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I agree with Joed, you have a tripped GFCI. All of those locations are required to be GFCI protected. Check all the GFCI's in the house which could be in the basement, garage, another bathroom, by the panel, under a stair stairwell. As mentioned, it is likely hidden behind something.
 
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Old 01-19-21, 03:55 PM
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Back not so long ago...... one GFI device could be used to protect all GFI required locations in the same house. I work in a town house community where all the houses were wired with one GFI receptacle to protect all areas. Typically it was in one of the bathrooms.

It protected two bathrooms, powder room, two outside receptacles, one receptacle in the garage and one receptacle in the unfinished basement. Nothing in the kitchen.

You can rewire large circuits like this with multiple GFI receptacles to eliminate nuisance trips.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 12:17 PM
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To all of you who responded here. Thank you very much. I followed each of your recommendation.
I checked all outlets if they have power. I ended up with GFCI in master and guest bathroom, garage, and outside not having any power. The ones without power I unmounted and checked the wires if they are hot. Nothing. So I did a very deep dive into the breaker box where I looked several time before and it seem all breakers where on. One actually was a little tiny bit to the Off position which I really did not noticed and it was hard to notice too, but after switching off and back on all outlet have power again. I guess it is time for new breakers and a nice box too after 30 years.

Thank you so much.

One thought. All GFCI's are wired together. What about the other ones? Wouldn't they need one too? Makes no sense.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 12:35 PM
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One actually was a little tiny bit to the Off position which I really did not noticed and it was hard to notice too, but after switching off and back on all outlet have power again.
See post #2 for the win!
 
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Old 01-20-21, 12:45 PM
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See post #2 for the win!
Sorry, but all won this time.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 01:27 PM
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One actually was a little tiny bit to the Off position which I really did not noticed and it was hard to notice too, but after switching off and back on all outlet have power again. I guess it is time for new breakers and a nice box too after 30 years.
The breaker operated correctly. Many times the tripped position is not the full Off position. The breaker handle needs to be pushed hard to the Off position to reset it before pushing back to the On position.

If you are not having any other problems your breakers and panel shouldn't have to be replaced after 30 years unless you need more power or if it is one of the FPE (or other) defective panels that have been identified as hazardous.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 01:39 PM
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If you are not having any other problems your breakers and panel shouldn't have to be replaced after 30 years unless you need more power or if it is one of the FPE (or other) defective panels that have been identified as hazardous.


Now you make me worry if I got a defective panel. How do I find that out?
 
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Old 01-20-21, 01:45 PM
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It's not unusual for a breaker to trip once in awhile. If it trips often then you have a problem. Or if it won't reset. Just wait and see.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 01:48 PM
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Google "dangerous electric panel" or post a picture of or the nameplate information from your panel here and someone may be able to advise you. Obviously any burning electrical smell, high temperature on the breakers or panel front, buzzing or flashing would indicate a problem. A tripped breaker does not indicate a problem with the panel, only that a circuit was overloaded or shorted. If it resets, it should not be a problem unless it continues to occur.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 02:15 PM
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I have a GE panel with breakers.
 
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Old 01-20-21, 10:03 PM
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You can rewire large circuits like this with multiple GFI receptacles to eliminate nuisance trips.
You can do this make sure each GFCI is wired to line only and pigtail the line terminals to the next receptacle making each GFCI independent of each other
EX: one trips only that ones loses power so you don't go looking all over the place to find which one tripped.
 
 

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