Dead Outlet

[TX63CONV]

I have a recently constructed house with a ceiling outlet that was going to be for a garage door motor. When I switched to a jack shaft opener, a cover plate was put on.

Fast forward 9 months--today I went to install an outlet so that I could install my extension cord reel and there is no juice to the wires--or at least my test light wont light. The strange thing was the black hot wire was clipped, covered in some kind of grease and then capped with a wire nut.

I went back to old pictures before sheet rock and the line that runs to the ceiling outlet runs across the ceiling and down a wall into a GFCI outlet. I reset the outlet with no luck. I can see the wire from the ceiling going into the top of the outlet.

(a) what was the gray grease for?
(b) thoughts on why no juice to the ceiling outlet?

 

[justsam]

Was the wire aluminum or copper. A dielectric oxidation reduction grease may have been applied if aluminum wire.

Sounds like you reset the GFI with no change. It may have failed so I would remove it and confirm that when reset that you have power on both the line and load side.

 

[StaticFilter]

Aww troubleshooting, the fun stuff... If you are positive the wire goes down to the GFCI, you can turn off the GFCI's breaker, remove the GFCI, detach the wire you "think" goes up to the box in question. twist/touch/wirenut the neutral and ground wire together and check the other end for continuity (using a meter) then do the same for the Hot/neutral and hot/ground. this will help ensure you have the right wire AND that the wire isn't damaged. this also gives you a chance to double check the connections on the GFCI (they could have came loose) Not sure what the "grease" would be, but most likely not part of the issue

 

[Socophreak]

Gray grease is probably dielectric for corrosion. Are the wires copper or Aluminum?
No juice could be for several reasons. Is the wire hooked up at the GFCI? Is it possible its capped off in the same manner at the GFCI? Possibly a breaker? Find out where you have power and where you don't. Your problem will be somewhere in the middle.

 

[cowboyjosh]

if the house was recently constructed aside from the service, the ac, and maybe the range; there is no aluminum wiring on a 15 or 20 amp circuit. The GFCI might be wired wrong, happens all the time. If its for a GDO; did they install a switch anywhere? Sometimes I spec a switch to kill the GDO outlets so the snow birds can be assured their garage doors are off and secure when they are gone. I usually mount the switch pretty high and out of the way.

 

[TX63CONV]

Thanks everyone. Definitely not alum wiring. When i pulled the GFCI outlet out of the wall, I see the wire running from the ceiling outlet into the box and into the GFCI.

No switch anywhere other than overhead light. The pic (which i can share) shows the ceiling joist with the wire running beside it, through the top plate, down the wall and into the wall outlet box. This isnt to say that they didnt hit the wire installing the drywall or pinning it to the stud.

The outlet worked but that is not to say that the GFCI outlet is wired correctly.

I'll check and report back.

 

[Zeke]

You really don't know that it ever worked. You'll have to verify that the wires coming out of the GFCI box are hot. A simple non contact voltage detector will help you follow the current up and out of the box (if there is any).

 

[curly8888]

If you have a meter verify the wire at the gfi is good to the ceiling do a continuity check
Also I would pigtail it together you don't really need a gfi for an opener if you need a gfi for other reasons put one on the ceiling separate from the wall

 

[larry_g]

You really don't know that it ever worked. You'll have to verify that the wires coming out of the GFCI box are hot. A simple non contact voltage detector will help you follow the current up and out of the box (if there is any).

You have to be a bit careful with the non-contact detectors for checking circuits. They will detect voltage after a bad connection that will not carry current. Son was putting in a circuit and found it would not power up his load. The non-contact detector was indicating voltage but checking with a meter found it was only 50 volts. Traced the problem to a bad wire nut install.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[bcradio]

You really don't know that it ever worked. You'll have to verify that the wires coming out of the GFCI box are hot. A simple non contact voltage detector will help you follow the current up and out of the box (if there is any).

Shouldn't be any current unless you have a load pulling current somewhere on the line.

 

[DRP6833]

I recently added some garage wiring and had one GFCI outlet where the outlet itself worked but the output side didn't. Could be a defective outlet.

 

[Zeke]

Shouldn't be any current unless you have a load pulling current somewhere on the line.

Then why can I trace current all the way to the end of a cable that is cut off and not hooked up? Or why is it that I can identify the hot lead in a box before making it up? These are wide open "circuits."

Yeah, a meter is useless if there is no complete circuit. That's why I use a non contact voltage sensor.

 

[larry_g]

Then why can I trace current all the way to the end of a cable that is cut off and not hooked up? Or why is it that I can identify the hot lead in a box before making it up? These are wide open "circuits."

Yeah, a meter is useless if there is no complete circuit. That's why I use a non contact voltage sensor.

Your tracing voltage not current. However a line with voltage in it, as detected by a non-contact detector, may not be capable of carrying current.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Alchymist]

Then why can I trace current all the way to the end of a cable that is cut off and not hooked up? Or why is it that I can identify the hot lead in a box before making it up? These are wide open "circuits."

Yeah, a meter is useless if there is no complete circuit. That's why I use a non contact voltage sensor.

You are not tracing current - you are detecting the electromagnetic field around the conductor. Any thing from 30-40 volts up will trigger a non-contact detector.

Edit - larry_g beat me to it!

 

[PT Doc]

Ceiling outlet in garage could be linked to gfi outlet in closest bathroomupstairs .

 

[Zeke]

Sorry about the terminology. I was wrong to say "current." The OP is trying to find out why there is no circuit in his ceiling box, right? Just trying to help him find out why. Maybe the neutral is open. Don't want the guy to get hurt. So whether it's current or voltage, it will become current when his body provides a current path.

Some of you focus too much on the scientific aspect of electricity and not much on the practical side. That's the only reason I post on this particular forum. I believe I think more like the common fellow who is having a problem and doesn't necessarily want to redesign spacecraft.

Sure, there are technicalities and codes. But like plumbing that either leaks or doesn't, flows or doesn't, electrical either works or doesn't (at first glance). Then you evaluate the system for safety and compliance. But if there is no continuity, all the codes in the world won't help.

OK, rant over.

 

[Nostraquedeo]

Sorry about the terminology. I was wrong to say "current." The OP is trying to find out why there is no circuit in his ceiling box, right? Just trying to help him find out why. Maybe the neutral is open. Don't want the guy to get hurt. So whether it's current or voltage, it will become current when his body provides a current path.

Some of you focus too much on the scientific aspect of electricity and not much on the practical side. That's the only reason I post on this particular forum. I believe I think more like the common fellow who is having a problem and doesn't necessarily want to redesign spacecraft.

Sure, there are technicalities and codes. But like plumbing that either leaks or doesn't, flows or doesn't, electrical either works or doesn't (at first glance). Then you evaluate the system for safety and compliance. But if there is no continuity, all the codes in the world won't help.

OK, rant over.

Where's my popcorn, because the electrical Nazis will soon be responding to this post.......Be prepared to hear words like SAFETY, FIRE, NEC, HACK, and other words that electricians think only electricians understand.

 

[Zeke]

I'm all for safety. One word I understand is potential.

 

[Alchymist]

I'm all for safety. One word I understand is potential.

And this thread has lots of potential!

 

[TX63CONV]

Well call me Ishmael....or *****. The line comiing from the ceiling outlet to the gfi on the wall i thought was pigtailed to the gfi just has wire nuts on it. They ran the line but didn't connect it.

I plan to just run the ceiling line to the load side of the gfi.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

 

[plow]

Check the breaker.

 

[rburke65]

Plow....read the posts!

 

[Teken]

Plow....read the posts!

Teken . . .

 

[StaticFilter]

Well call me Ishmael....or *****. The line comiing from the ceiling outlet to the gfi on the wall i thought was pigtailed to the gfi just has wire nuts on it. They ran the line but didn't connect it.

I plan to just run the ceiling line to the load side of the gfi.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

Glad it was an easy fix!