billy915
Well-Known Member
Quick question. Do circuit breakers need maintenance? I'm asking because some but not all of my wall sockets in my kitchen don't work anymore. Any advice?
House circuit breaker
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LLBeanJ
Well-Known Member
Not that I'm aware of, but I'm not an electrician. Is there a chance that those wall sockets are on the same circuit as a GFCI outlet that has tripped and needs to be reset?
don't lick it! true story.
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
Generally no, but like someone else said, Check the GFCI if you have one. Also, I have seen a circuit breaker go bad.
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billy915
Well-Known Member
I have a gfci outlet. And have reset it but nothing changed
processhead
Well-Known Member
No, not normally.
If they malfunction, replace them.
If they malfunction, replace them.
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
Is this a recent problem?
Have you checked all the GFCI's? I ask because I have a GFCI in my bathroom that also protects 2 outlets in my kitchen, due to a shared wall and circuit.
Have you checked all the GFCI's? I ask because I have a GFCI in my bathroom that also protects 2 outlets in my kitchen, due to a shared wall and circuit.
LLBeanJ
Well-Known Member
Well, if this were my problem, I'd first replace the GFCI. If that didn't do it, I next replace the circuit breaker. If that also failed to solve the problem, I'd toss in the towel and call an electrician.
Edit: What Airplanedoc said. I once lost power to outlets in an upstairs bathroom because the GFCI outlet in the downstairs bath right below it tripped. Check them all.
Edit: What Airplanedoc said. I once lost power to outlets in an upstairs bathroom because the GFCI outlet in the downstairs bath right below it tripped. Check them all.
Normally for a kitchen every other receptacle is on the same breaker. If one works then the next does't my guess is a wire came off the terminal on one of the receptacales.
processhead
Well-Known Member
You may want to consider calling in an electrician if you aren't able to troubleshoot residential wiring.
If all the receptacles on the the breaker are dead, you could have a bad connection or broken wire.
As the others mentioned, a tripped or defective GFI could kill all the receptacles that it feeds.
A voltmeter can tell you if the circuit is energized at the breaker.
A voltmeter can also tell you if you have a bad connection at one of the receptacles.
If all the receptacles on the the breaker are dead, you could have a bad connection or broken wire.
As the others mentioned, a tripped or defective GFI could kill all the receptacles that it feeds.
A voltmeter can tell you if the circuit is energized at the breaker.
A voltmeter can also tell you if you have a bad connection at one of the receptacles.
Like has been mentioned, check GFI's. They do go bad, so use a voltmeter or a cheap $2 test light* to check for voltage at the outlet terminals before you try to replace one. Check for voltage at the terminals of each outlet, and with a test light (or voltmeter) you could easily check each breaker in your box in about 5 minutes (hold one prong on the neutral bar, and run down the terminal screws of each breaker - if it's not tripped, there should be 110v at each one)
Do you know *exactly* what each breaker feeds? If not, figure it out. Turn every light on, plug a lamp or radio into every outlet, and turn off exactly one breaker. Walk through the house, and take note of what outlets/light fixtures go dead. Turn breaker #1 on, turn #2 off and repeat.
If you find a breaker that when you trip it, nothing else in your house goes dead, then you have a reasonable assumption that you've isolated the circuit with the problem. (Alternatively, you can buy a tracer tool, but this is the po man's way of figuring it out).
*In my personal experience, I wouldn't trust one of those no-contact voltage detectors for ANYTHING. There are several things you can unknowingly do while using them that would render them useless. IMO, they're novelty junk that has no business in a working toolbox.
Do you know *exactly* what each breaker feeds? If not, figure it out. Turn every light on, plug a lamp or radio into every outlet, and turn off exactly one breaker. Walk through the house, and take note of what outlets/light fixtures go dead. Turn breaker #1 on, turn #2 off and repeat.
If you find a breaker that when you trip it, nothing else in your house goes dead, then you have a reasonable assumption that you've isolated the circuit with the problem. (Alternatively, you can buy a tracer tool, but this is the po man's way of figuring it out).
*In my personal experience, I wouldn't trust one of those no-contact voltage detectors for ANYTHING. There are several things you can unknowingly do while using them that would render them useless. IMO, they're novelty junk that has no business in a working toolbox.
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
For GFCI there is a small test tool, you can get for a few bucks. You plug it into the outlet and it lights up telling you if its wired properly, or what is incorrect.
http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-GFI-3501-Outlet-Tester/dp/B00170KUPC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
I will second this, these things have their place, and can be useful, but I don't recommend them for general use.
http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-GFI-3501-Outlet-Tester/dp/B00170KUPC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
I will second this, these things have their place, and can be useful, but I don't recommend them for general use.
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tone_s
Member
GFCI receptical cost me a lot of meat in garage freezer. They do wear out and get super sensitive
Hang Glider
Beer Drinker
I've had one (in all my years - read "one") get tired and not pull full current - recently, the microwave decided to work intermittently. I replaced the circuit breaker and have had no problems since -
however, this is NOT a common problem. Typically, circuit breakers need no maintenance whatsoever - also, each outlet in a Kitchen is supposed to be wired to it's own breaker. They don't have to be GCFI unless they're within 3 feet of a water source, but it's not a bad idea in any case.
did you check your breaker box first? a tripped breaker is not quickly noticeable, and you must click it fully OFF before clicking it back on. When tripped, it lands in a 'halfway' setting. It will physically click on, but the insides have not engaged until you click it off.
however, this is NOT a common problem. Typically, circuit breakers need no maintenance whatsoever - also, each outlet in a Kitchen is supposed to be wired to it's own breaker. They don't have to be GCFI unless they're within 3 feet of a water source, but it's not a bad idea in any case.
did you check your breaker box first? a tripped breaker is not quickly noticeable, and you must click it fully OFF before clicking it back on. When tripped, it lands in a 'halfway' setting. It will physically click on, but the insides have not engaged until you click it off.
Just to show my age- switch type breakers or fuses?
Heck, that's got nothing to do with YOUR age, and everything to do with the age of your house. I'd be willing to bet a fair number of the houses in my town still have screw-in fuses.
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billy915
Well-Known Member
Well, this is my breaker. Didn't notice a halfway point. Just turned them all off. Replaced the gfci socket and still nothing. With the other socket I noticed I couldn't keep the reset button to hold in the "pushed down" position. Same with the new socket. Does that mean something's wrong with the internal wiring?
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
If you can't keep the reset button depressed, you have a ground fault some place in the circuit. It takes very little to trip a GFCI. If you are comfirablt with electricity, you can check the wiring in each outlet that is off, for obvious problems, If not call a electrician.
TheGoodNamesWereAllTaken
New Member
Some GFCI outlets will only reset with something turned on and plugged into it. I have one like this in my kitchen. Had me baffled for a while.
processhead
Well-Known Member
Do you know if the GFCI feeds other receptacles on the circuit?
If you have a defective appliance plugged into any of these downstream receps., you will continue to trip the new GFCI.
Unplug everything, and if it still won't reset, it may be problems with your wiring .
If you have a defective appliance plugged into any of these downstream receps., you will continue to trip the new GFCI.
Unplug everything, and if it still won't reset, it may be problems with your wiring .
brewinginnc
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You never know where that gfci could be wired to. I had one in an upstairs bathroom that was on same circuit as outside socket. Took me awile to find out why christmas lights wouldnt work one year
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billy915
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Thanks for all the responses. I'm still not sure what's wrong but luckily my cousins uncle is an electrician. He's going to take a look at it next week. I'll keep you guys updated
OrdinaryAvgGuy
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Sometimes, electrical problems are the result of something very simple.
One example is a problem that we had at my brother-in-law's house recently.
In his basement his mother had something plugged in and suddenly, 8 or so outlets went dead in the room.
Every time the guys would come over and drink beer, the challenge was to find where the short was. (BTW, beer and electrical work: not the best idea).
Over a year passed and no one could find the problem. Checked the breaker box, all gifs in the house, etc.
One day, my FIL opened a small closet door in the basement and there it was. A hidden breaker box with 3 breakers in it! Flipped the switch and power was restored!
Your problem could stem from a number of possibilities. Grab a flashlight and check every square inch of wall, ceiling and floor for gfi or breakers.
One example is a problem that we had at my brother-in-law's house recently.
In his basement his mother had something plugged in and suddenly, 8 or so outlets went dead in the room.
Every time the guys would come over and drink beer, the challenge was to find where the short was. (BTW, beer and electrical work: not the best idea).
Over a year passed and no one could find the problem. Checked the breaker box, all gifs in the house, etc.
One day, my FIL opened a small closet door in the basement and there it was. A hidden breaker box with 3 breakers in it! Flipped the switch and power was restored!
Your problem could stem from a number of possibilities. Grab a flashlight and check every square inch of wall, ceiling and floor for gfi or breakers.
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billy915
Well-Known Member
The results are in. It's bad wiring. The wire goes from my island socket under my kitchen floor, behind my dish washer to another socket. Didn't have it replaced today, but the other sockets are working just fine now.
Airplanedoc
Well-Known Member
If you can get to the wire from the basement/crawlspace or what ever, that might not be horrible to repair/replace. If you can't its going to be a itch
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billy915
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Here in El Paso most homes don't have basements.
OrdinaryAvgGuy
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That's interesting. What do you speculate happened to the wire?
My guess is that there was a break in the wire somewhere along the traffic area?
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billy915
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His thoughts were that when they were installing the electrical wire some of the insulation got damaged and over time it just got worse; now it causes the breaker to trip
OrdinaryAvgGuy
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Very interesting. Seems like more work to replace the wire than its worth. Id'e just cap it off where it ties in upstream and remember to replace it if and when you decide to install new flooring in your kitchen.
Leaned something new today.
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