How to trace power wire in my house?

[ixlr8]

I recently bought a house that was built in 1975 and a few changes have been done since. I have a 3 way switch that does not appear to do anything, with no matching 3 way switch that I can find. There is power to the switch. I also have several outlet boxes with blank covers on them. Some have cable wires in them, some have Telco wires in them some have power wires in them. Some of the power wires are hot, some are not. I am trying to sort it all out so I at least know what is what and where it goes. I suspect some of the outlets with blank covers were for thermostats for the electric baseboard heaters that have been removed. I saw an article that recommended this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Electrical-61-946-SureTrace-Circuit/dp/B0D4C25NR1?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was wondering if there was something better/cheaper that would do the job.
TIA- Jim

 

[gleman]

You could try this for a cheaper option. It includes adapters for lights, sockets and bare wires.



You'll have to do some mapping but start at the switch and find the correct breaker--check the labels at breaker. etc..

I wouldn't worry about phone lines or coax unless you need them and those should be fairly obvious to sort out.

My electric baseboards still have the funky 70's mains powered thermostats but if they arent there, no worries!

 

[mikedodge]

If you want a tool for it and especially for home use you can buy circuit tracers like that for under $50. Referring to the $200 one, not Klein.

I'd do it the old way of either using a volt meter or attaching a light to those wires and start turning on and off switches or breakers to find what's controlling it.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

I recently bought a house that was built in 1975 and a few changes have been done since. I have a 3 way switch that does not appear to do anything, with no matching 3 way switch that I can find. There is power to the switch. I also have several outlet boxes with blank covers on them. Some have cable wires in them, some have Telco wires in them some have power wires in them. Some of the power wires are hot, some are not. I am trying to sort it all out so I at least know what is what and where it goes. I suspect some of the outlets with blank covers were for thermostats for the electric baseboard heaters that have been removed. I saw an article that recommended this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Electrical-61-946-SureTrace-Circuit/dp/B0D4C25NR1?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was wondering if there was something better/cheaper that would do the job.
TIA- Jim

In the "meter/diagnostic equipment arena" you get what you pay for…….. I like the Ideal Sure Trace and if I was in the market for one this is the one I would buy.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I've done some tracing with a $20 tone & probe kit from Harbor Freight. Works well enough but the power has to be Off to whatever you're connecting it to.

 

[Carchie]

I recently bought a house that was built in 1975 and a few changes have been done since. I have a 3 way switch that does not appear to do anything, with no matching 3 way switch that I can find. There is power to the switch. I also have several outlet boxes with blank covers on them. Some have cable wires in them, some have Telco wires in them some have power wires in them. Some of the power wires are hot, some are not. I am trying to sort it all out so I at least know what is what and where it goes. I suspect some of the outlets with blank covers were for thermostats for the electric baseboard heaters that have been removed. I saw an article that recommended this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Electrical-61-946-SureTrace-Circuit/dp/B0D4C25NR1?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was wondering if there was something better/cheaper that would do the job.
TIA- Jim

Yeah welcome to old house spaghetti wiring lol. Those circuit tracers actually work, you don’t need the fancy one, even a basic tone generator + probe kit will get you most of the way. Clip it on the wire, follow the signal through walls and boxes, done. But honestly half the battle is just turning breakers off one by one and mapping stuff manually, takes time but it’s reliable. For that dead 3 way, check if it’s just an abandoned traveler pair, super common when someone “simplified” things. Just go slow, label everything as you go or you’ll be back to square one in a week.

 

[Codyboy]

Lol.
You'd have an aneurism if you came to my house.
And yes I wired it. All with a purpose though at the time.
However, some of those purposes were never completed.
But none of it I've ever left a trap for someone to find.
I have a couple of switches and wiring i installed for lighting but never installed the lights. It's all in the walls but not connected to power. Mostly accent lighting stuff.
I have lots of low voltage stuff I pulled for whole house audio. It's just.all dead in the walls with blank covers. But hey its there if ever needed.
Tons of coax , its there but never terminated or used. Just blank covers.

Have you looked in the attic lighting for the other end to the 3 way?
Maybe it was one end of a 4 way that is now a 3 way?
Hell , I've got a gas key valve on the wall with no outlet or stub out. The plumber never turned out the stub and the masons covered up the wall. It's capped in the wall though.