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You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Electrical Wiring in the Home > Multiple outlets stopped working
Expert: Greg Hughes - 11/3/2009
Question
Hi Greg,
After reading thru many question and answers, I believe I know what at least what to check. Anyway I would still like to tell you my problem. An outlet in an upstairs bathroom just stopped working, then the downstairs bathroom outlet stopped working, I'm sure at the same time and the one in the garage also stopped. These are all on the same breaker and there are no GFI outlets on this breaker. Using a tester, that just has small lights, there is power going to each outlet. When messing with the one downstairs I tripped the breaker then came to realize that the other bathroom outlet and switch are on the same breaker and work fine. Is this where I start looking for a possible loose wire? Should I check all the wiring at the fuse box?
I'm out of town now and of course the wife wants this done now. I would hate to pay 75-85 bucks an hour if this is a simple problem.
thanks,
Brett
Answer
First, throw the tester with lights in your drawer and get a digital voltmeter (they are less than $10.00).
Start at the breakers and read the voltage from the breaker to neutral.
If it is good, 108 to 120 volts a/c, walk around the house and carefully look for an outside outlet that may be gfci controlled.
Unless your house is really old you have a gfci outlet somewhere.
You want to go to each outlet in that circuit and pull them out and measure the voltage from hot to neutral, and hot to ground. Eventually you will find the problem. It could be a loose wire or a bad outlet.
While you have the outlets pulled out, turn off the power and replace them. They are inexpensive and most likely need to be changed. For $0.50 each, roughly, it makes no sense to put the old worn ones back in.
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