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Outside Garage Receptacle No Power!
- Thread starter seagiant
- Start date
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Are there other outdoor outlets? If so, do they work? Pull those apart and see if they are backstabbed. Also, pull the known GFCI outlets out, take the wires off and splice them together black-black, white-white and see if the dead outlet comes to life. It was a one time deal, but I have seen a GFCI that appeared to be working fine wasn't feeding out on the load side.
Also, pull the known GFCI outlets out, take the wires off and splice them together black-black, white-white and see if the dead outlet comes to life. It was a one time deal, but I have seen a GFCI that appeared to be working fine wasn't feeding out on the load side.
Wouldn't it be quicker to throw a meter (not a non contact tester, a real meter) on the load terminals?
Also less chance of messing up what might already be a wiring mess
sparky 1971
Well-known member
In a perfect world, yes. The wire could be half assed stuck under the clamp, A #12 could have been stripped with a #14 stripper hole and it's broken, or it's not stripped far enough and the clamp is tightened down on the insulation, among other possibilities. I like to bypass anything that could be a point of failure.Wouldn't it be quicker to throw a meter (not a non contact tester, a real meter) on the load terminals?
Also less chance of messing up what might already be a wiring mess
My guess is that this is going to have nothing to do with the GFCI's unless one is bad or tripped, and more likely to be a back stabbed receptacle.
My guess is that this is going to have nothing to do with the GFCI's unless one is bad or tripped, and more likely to be a back stabbed receptacle.
I'll throw my guess out there: OP hasn't found the GFCI this feeds from yet
Codyboy
Well-known member
I'll throw my guess out there: OP hasn't found the GFCI this feeds from yet
Has been mentioned. Hidden GFCI .
OP it's behind the graham crackers in the pantry on the 2nd shelf from the bottom.
Or go into a room or closet thats seldom used.
In my 1st house that was built in 83 it had all kinda wtf in the wiring.
Garage gfi fed receptacles all around the outside. 75 ft this way, 60ft that way. Made no sense. I guess gfi's were very expensive back then idk , so they'd save the money to pull 250ft of wire vs. Install another gfi.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Possible, but the dead outlet hasn't worked for years. If it's actually a tripped GFI, there's probably something else not working that would have been noticed in that time span. Maybe it's the only thing connected to the load and the hidden and tripped GFCI has never been used.I'll throw my guess out there: OP hasn't found the GFCI this feeds from yet
It could be switched as well. The switch could be off and everybody has always wondered what in the hell that switch is for, not knowing the previous owner had it installed for Christmas lights.
It could be switched as well. The switch could be off and everybody has always wondered what in the hell that switch is for, not knowing the previous owner had it installed for Christmas lights.
Lol, we used to shut the Xmas lights off with the "test" button on the bathroom GFCI (it fed the outlet outside)
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Not if there is a tripped GFCI in the middle, and if it's connected to a working GFCI there's no reason to trace it. At 20 years old, I don't think the exterior outlets will be shared with a bath circuit, definitely not the kitchen. You should also have two exterior outlets, one at the front and another in the back, maybe more. Check the other(s), pull them out of of the box and check for backstabbing.Hi,
LOL!...
Well, there is no wiring "Mess" that I know of, at least not yet!
Shouldn't I be able to trace from the outside receptacle wires to the Breaker Panel, even if there is a GFI somewhere in the middle?
whateg01
Well-known member
No. Is it logical? Maybe. But whoever wired it could have done pretty much anything.Hi,
Is it safe to say that this outside receptacle HAS to be going to one of the close Garage GFI';s???
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
We have one of those switches in a rental.Possible, but the dead outlet hasn't worked for years. If it's actually a tripped GFI, there's probably something else not working that would have been noticed in that time span. Maybe it's the only thing connected to the load and the hidden and tripped GFCI has never been used.
It could be switched as well. The switch could be off and everybody has always wondered what in the hell that switch is for, not knowing the previous owner had it installed for Christmas lights.
The switch runs one half of a two story unattached garage? Someone put that switch on a stair landing inside the house. Each time we have new tenants, the switch is included in their "orientation". Nobody ever seems to remember. I guess the good thing is the ease of fixing their late night garage light problem.
I have seen GFI plugs inside cabinets. Probably installed for some old appliance that has been long gone.
Crazy how easy it would be to get a blocking cover or just wire nut it permanently on...We have one of those switches in a rental.
The switch runs one half of a two story unattached garage? Someone put that switch on a stair landing inside the house. Each time we have new tenants, the switch is included in their "orientation". Nobody ever seems to remember. I guess the good thing is the ease of fixing their late night garage light problem.
I have seen GFI plugs inside cabinets. Probably installed for some old appliance that has been long gone.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I've seen (found) GFCI outlets in the damndest places, but never on a house that's only 20 years old.We have one of those switches in a rental.
The switch runs one half of a two story unattached garage? Someone put that switch on a stair landing inside the house. Each time we have new tenants, the switch is included in their "orientation". Nobody ever seems to remember. I guess the good thing is the ease of fixing their late night garage light problem.
I have seen GFI plugs inside cabinets. Probably installed for some old appliance that has been long gone.
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
It has a guard cover. I'm always amazed that someone went through the hassle of flipping the switch.Crazy how easy it would be to get a blocking cover or just wire nut it permanently on...
dave*99
Well-known member
I have read many threads similar to this one. Lots of good diagnostic info comes out......and the threads usually end with "I found it"Hi,
I found it!
Feel like a *****, but I found the GFI...
It was behind a stand up 6' shelf that had been there forever. (full of **** of course!)
Thanks EVERYONE, for help on this, learning all the time!!!
You are not alone.