Any electricians - Power Outlet Question

[maverickfhs]

Looking for an advise related to power outlets. Two power outlets in the basement have suddenly lost power.

No circuit breaker is tripped and power to the rest of the house is good. Only the two outlets in the basement are without power.

As a first step, planning to open one of the outlet and check if any melted wires, then validate the breakers again. What else I should be doing as a first step, any tips or advise? Thank you.

 

[spasm3]

Check any ground fault outlets in the house that may be on the same circuit. Time to get out the meter and check voltage at the wires. I've had outlets crack and fail yet power to the wires. They were backstabbed, so when cracked the circuit was open.

 

[Hall]

Check any other outlets on the same circuit. Is there a GFCI ahead of them by chance ? Look for any GFCI that's tripped.

 

[maverickfhs]

I don't think there is any GFCI on the same circuit but will check on it.

When you say meter, means Voltmeter or any specialized one? Hoping simplest thing is that the outlet is just dead. Could it be something complicated or expensive? Or not a possibility.

 

[mlw270win]

There is a chance that one of the 2 dead outlets is the problem. You will need to take both dead receptacle out to inspect them and the wiring. It could be a natural or hot wire that's broke or lose or a bad outlet.

 

[Donald]

If you know which breaker turn it to off then on. Look for GFI breaker or outlet.

Loose connection in wire nuts behind outlet is more likely than a outlet becoming defective.

Watch out for prior work done by a DIY hack.

If you have the outlets where the power wire is just pushed into a hole in the back of the outlet (no screw) then rewire to the screw. No speedwire connections (I think that is what they are called).

 

[maverickfhs]

Just learned it looks like 4 of the power outlets are not working. Could they all be interconnected some how? Or one being problematic impacting all of them? Thank you.

 

[mlw270win]

One other thing if after you pull the 2 dead outlet out and don't find the problem look in both outlet boxes one will probably just have 2 romex cables in it, one of the cables will go to the other dead outlet and the other will be the feed (HOT WIRE). If there is not a problem at the 2 dead outlets (broken wire, bad receptacle, bad breaker or GFI) you will have to start pull other receptacle out of there boxes and checking them. Like I said earlier in may be the neutral and not the hot so check them both. If you have a VOM meter it will certainly help

 

[tshephard]

Probably 'daisy-chained' and you can look and figure out who is first in line.
If those 'feed wires' are dead follow them to panel, to other receptacles or to a ground fault - anywhere in the house.
Electricians acted like they were gold when they first came out - would chain all over the house

 

[mlw270win]

Sounds like they are are all on the same circuit. Do you know which breaker feeds that circuit? If so turn the breaker off and start pull all the dead receptacles out until you find the problem.

 

[maverickfhs]

Thank you, so planning to turn the breaker off and start from the one which is nearest to the breaker. Should it be a sound approach or do other way with the farthest one?

 

[55hambone]

How are the receptacles wired? The screw connections on the side are the best, but many homes have receptacles with push-in connections on the back. Those use a spring to hold the wire in place, but as it gets hot the spring loses its temper and the connection becomes loose. When I was an apprentice I made a lot of money because of those receptacles. Check both of those receptacles for loose wires and see if you can figure out which receptacle is upstream from those two and check it as well. Please don't use the push-in connections on a replacement receptacle, I think that they are a fire hazard. If the receptacles check out good, use a voltmeter to check that the breaker is hot. It can look like the breaker is on when it is not. And as it has been mentioned, it could be an upstream GFCI that has been tripped.

 

[Hall]

Could they all be interconnected some how?

Yes, this is completely normal.

and start from the one which is nearest to the breaker.

Logically, yes, but who knows how it was wired. You don't have to wire them any particular "direction". Start with the one you think is first in the circuit. You'll know which is last because it will only have one side wired. The others are most likely 'in' one side and 'out' the other, on to the next receptacle. That's not 100% guaranteed either but don't worry about that for now.

 

[maverickfhs]

They have screws to keep the wires in place type receptacles.

 

[hemitom]

They have screws to keep the wires in place type receptacles.

By chance would these outlets also be connect to a wall switch ?

 

[maverickfhs]

By chance would these outlets also be connect to a wall switch ?

I am not sure, but all lights are working.

 

[KJSmith]

If you have a meter. Before you tear into everything and before you kill power.
Check the line (hot) side of the receptacle to ground.
If you have voltage there.... but not across the poles ( hot to neutral).... your neutral is bad.

Your problem will be in the last good recpt. or the first bad one.

 

[Dennywires]

if the receptacles are not on the load end of a GFCI circuit.. Find the receptacle first in line and check for any back stabbed connections that are burnt up or even the set of screws that feed the recepts down stream. i always like to pigtail my receptacles so if one receptacle fails down stream is not affected.

 

[Hall]

They have screws to keep the wires in place type receptacles.

With the breaker off, keep checking outlets for one that's not working. There could be just these 4 you've guessed or there could be 24. If you don't have a plug-in outlet tester, just use something small you can carry around, even a phone + charger or a lamp. Breakers do fail too but it's probably time to call an electrician if you get to that point.

 

[maverickfhs]

Thanks again all. It ended up being a GFCI and that was hidden!!! But all is good now.