Need electrical help in house

M&P Shooter · 10-13-2012, 14:16

I have a double switch on wall which consist of 2 single switches side by side and they control the outlet on the floor near front living room window. Window decorations light stopped working and so did lamp so I replaced both switches and replaced outlet and yes I put white wire to silver and black to gold but still nothing. What now? The other outlet in living room is on same breaker and that works fine

Cmacc · 10-13-2012, 14:20

If it is really, really not the switch, outlet or breaker it has to be wiring but that would be rare. Triple check your work to be certain.

rednoved · 10-13-2012, 14:28

Are you positive it is on the same breaker? Try flipping the breaker on and off again, and double check to make sure there aren't any others flipped. If you have a multimeter now is the time to use it! I'd check your wires and make sure they are hot. Make sure your wires are stripped properly and you have good.mechanical connections to your switches/outlet. They should be stripped about 3/4 an inch and wrapped clockwise around the screw. That's the only thing I can think of. Have you tried plugging in another device besides the lamps/lights to check for power?

***F14Scott*** · 10-13-2012, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by rednoved

Are you positive it is on the same breaker? Try flipping the breaker on and off again, and double check to make sure there aren't any others flipped. If you have a multimeter now is the time to use it! I'd check your wires and make sure they are hot. Make sure your wires are stripped properly and you have good.mechanical connections to your switches/outlet. They should be stripped about 3/4 an inch and wrapped clockwise around the screw. That's the only thing I can think of. Have you tried plugging in another device besides the lamps/lights to check for power?

Yep. Start with what you know for sure has power. Then, start working downstream testing each component with a multi-tester. Test the switches at another junction that is currently working. Finally, test the lamps themselves.

M&P Shooter · 10-13-2012, 14:44

OK off from work until Monday and friend has a meter I am borrowing tomorrow morning. I will check everything you guys said. I just got a shower and started enjoying some beer so I'll wait until tomorrow morning and start fresh with what you guys said.

kAr · 10-13-2012, 15:20

I'd suugest pulling the switches back out of the box, after you turn iff the breaker, and checking the wire connectors (wire nuts) to make sure they are tight and that the wires are all captured in the connectors as well. I've seen this problem on a couple occasions.

stevemc · 10-14-2012, 06:49

Could be a few things. Do you have 120v at the switch? Check that first with the switch off. We normally wire the hot on the top screw, but it could be either. Then turn the switch on and check the voltage on the switch leg. Check to neutral (if available) and ground first. If that is OK, I would check another hot to the neutral of the receptacle. If not, there could be a open splice somewhere when you were working on it. Make sure the splices are good. If it goes to a ceiling box first,check that also. People sometimes use light bulbs that are too high in wattage in the ceiling fixtures, and it damages the wiring above it. Pics may help if you can't get it.

Caver 60 · 10-14-2012, 07:05

Do you know how to use your friends multi-meter? You can blow a fuse on the multi-meter (or worse) if you don't have it on the correct setting for what you are checking.

dango · 10-14-2012, 07:26

Check the wires on the OTHER switch in the other room and keep tracing back all out-lets and switches on that breaker !

Trace it back to first switch or out-let (The first source of power) and you will no doubt find the problem !

Droid noob · 10-14-2012, 07:32

Did you try plugging something other than the lamp and window decoration in the outlet? Maybe they both have bad lamps. Stupid, i know. I've seen this happen before though.

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heyTJ · 10-14-2012, 07:34

Another option, if this outlet is fed from a GFI. If you have any GFI's in the house, make sure they have not tripped.

groundhawg · 10-14-2012, 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyTJ

Another option, if this outlet is fed from a GFI. If you have any GFI's in the house, make sure they have not tripped.

After you have checked to see that you do indeed have power at the switch, no loose connections and see that the receptacle is not "burnt up" you make look into the possibility of the receptacle being fedoff of a gfi. I take it that the receptacle is on an outside wall and there may be the culprit gfi outside and causing the problem. Because of the silly ways people will run circuits to save a foot of romex, troubleshooting can be both fun and a pita.

Sage46 · 10-14-2012, 09:04

If someone fell for the shortcut of shoving the wire into the back and not around the screw, somewhere there is a wire that slipped out. Won't be in any you have changed I'm guessing, may not even be in the same room.