Home electrical problem

[Jose]

So the power went out to my storage shed and car port. I thought it was the breaker but that seems to be fine as the breaker also has power for my gazebo and the power gate for my driveway and they work. I turn the breaker off and those lose power but when I turn it on they work but still no power to my shed or car port. So now I'm wondering if it's a short in the cable leading there as they both share the same power line.

What's the best way to troubleshoot this? I found where the power cable comes out of the house to those two areas. Is it something I can safely pierce with a multimeter and see if it's getting power or would I be better off spending money on a clamp on meter?

[STANGGT40]

So the power went out to my storage shed and car port. I thought it was the breaker but that seems to be fine as the breaker also has power for my gazebo and the power gate for my driveway and they work. I turn the breaker off and those lose power but when I turn it on they work but still no power to my shed or car port. So now I'm wondering if it's a short in the cable leading there as they both share the same power line.

What's the best way to troubleshoot this? I found where the power cable comes out of the house to those two areas. Is it something I can safely pierce with a multimeter and see if it's getting power or would I be better off spending money on a clamp on meter?

Is this just a single pole 20 amp circuit? You'll need to trace the path of the circuit from A to Z...first termination, second, etc. in all liklihood, you have either a tripped/bad gfci receptacle or the circuit is fed through a receptacle/device that is no longer making a good connection. (Where the wires are pressed into the back instead of wrapped around the screws and they're pulling away from the terminations). Those terminations were very common in the 80s and fail often. They still sell a clamp down, press in style connection, but they screw down with the termination screw, which is a lot more reliable. It could also be a situation where something has caused a short and the wires separated because of it. (Ants are common culprits).

[Jose]

Is this just a single pole 20 amp circuit? You'll need to trace the path of the circuit from A to Z...first termination, second, etc. in all liklihood, you have either a tripped/bad gfci receptacle or the circuit is fed through a receptacle/device that is no longer making a good connection. (Where the wires are pressed into the back instead of wrapped around the screws and they're pulling away from the terminations). Those terminations were very common in the 80s and fail often. They still sell a clamp down, press in style connection, but they screw down with the termination screw, which is a lot more reliable. It could also be a situation where something has caused a short and the wires separated because of it. (Ants are common culprits).

So far no luck. Yes it's just a sing pole 20 amp circuit. Checked all the receptacles (and all were GFCI's) and none were tripped. The only thing I can think of is a short somewhere.

I know where the power cable comes out of the house to the shed. What's a safe way to test it?

[FATHERFORD]

Digital Voltage tester

I have a voltage tester I use all the time when working with anything electrical. Just hold it up to a switch/wire and if it's hot it will buzz and go off. Helps me troubleshoot easily.

[juiceweezl]

So far no luck. Yes it's just a sing pole 20 amp circuit. Checked all the receptacles (and all were GFCI's) and none were tripped. The only thing I can think of is a short somewhere.

I know where the power cable comes out of the house to the shed. What's a safe way to test it?

Still sounds like a bad GFCI or receptacle on the chain. In my garage, the door and a few outlets in the garage are first in line...then a GFCI...then the front porch lights. It's not uncommon for the front porch lights not to work but everything else work fine. When we discover it, I go to the garage and the GFCI is tripped. Meanwhile, my workbench (which has cordless tool batteries charging) is working fine because it's in line before the GFCI as is the sprinkler controller and garage door openers. I thought it weird to be wired like that, but I haven't changed it.

If it's not that, then I would say it's a loose wire/short somewhere as Brad suggested.

[Jose]

Digital Voltage tester

I have a voltage tester I use all the time when working with anything electrical. Just hold it up to a switch/wire and if it's hot it will buzz and go off. Helps me troubleshoot easily.

Thanks man! That's exactly what I was looking for and cheaper than the clamp on multimeter I was thinking about getting. I'll probably pick one up on the way home from work today.

Still sounds like a bad GFCI or receptacle on the chain. In my garage, the door and a few outlets in the garage are first in line...then a GFCI...then the front porch lights. It's not uncommon for the front porch lights not to work but everything else work fine. When we discover it, I go to the garage and the GFCI is tripped. Meanwhile, my workbench (which has cordless tool batteries charging) is working fine because it's in line before the GFCI as is the sprinkler controller and garage door openers. I thought it weird to be wired like that, but I haven't changed it.

If it's not that, then I would say it's a loose wire/short somewhere as Brad suggested.

I'm sure your right but without replacing the outlet, I can't tell if it's a break/short or a bad outlet. I'll be buying the tool that FATHERFORD, mentioned and continue my troubleshooting from there. If it's hot before the first outlet than I know that's where the problem is.

Thanks everybody for the tips. Can't afford an electrician right now but I hope I can at least narrow down where the problem is and maybe I can fix it myself.

[46Tbird]

I have EXACTLY the same issue on a circuit in my house. It's so similar, it sounds like I typed it myself.

However....

Digital Voltage tester

I have a voltage tester I use all the time when working with anything electrical. Just hold it up to a switch/wire and if it's hot it will buzz and go off. Helps me troubleshoot easily.

I have one of these. And when I hover over one of the receptacles, sometimes I will get a weak tone and sometimes none at all. WTF I have even taken it apart and put this thing directly to a wire, and gotten no tone and then try again 10 seconds later and get a tone.

Any idea what THAT would be?

[Jose]

I have one of these. And when I hover over one of the receptacles, sometimes I will get a weak tone and sometimes none at all. WTF I have even taken it apart and put this thing directly to a wire, and gotten no tone and then try again 10 seconds later and get a tone.

Any idea what THAT would be?

I'm guessing it only occurs on that one receptacle right and works fine on others?

Had to work a little late today and traffic was bad on the way home so I'll be picking up the voltage detector tomorrow during lunch.

[46Tbird]

I'm guessing it only occurs on that one receptacle right and works fine on others?

Kinda.

I get a strong tone on every receptacle in the circuit, up to that one, and then I don't get a tone at any receptacle in the circuit after that one. And unfortunately this is the circuit my garage and kitchen overhead light are on!

[FATHERFORD]

Have you done a voltage test on that circuit?

I'm not exactly sure how these magic buzzing/toning devices work, but I imagine if there was low voltage it won't work at all?

I never tried it on a circuit without a ground like in an older house either.