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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

OT: Tracing an electrical line

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wirehair

10-03-2005 04:55:09




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Folks,

I need your advice on solving an electrical problem. I have an outside GFCI outlet that quit working on me. I was going to move it, so I pulled the line and traced it all the way up the wall the header. At that point it goes across the ceiling.

This is in the mobile home. Last time I had a similar problem the breaker was getting tripped and I found a nail through the wire. No breakers are getting tripped this time and everything else electrical works.

Is there a device that will let me connect to one end of the line and "buzz" it so that I can tell where it runs inside the wall. I already had to ruin a bunch of new drywall and would like to minimize further damage.

Any advice will be sincerely appreciated.

wirehair

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Eric Stevens

10-05-2005 19:19:04




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
with the power off to all locations near it you can leave the wire hooked up and pull the set you believe it is near the source and use the ohlm side of the meter to see if the propper ohlms are there. then disconnect wires at the outlet and check from same place. If the ohlms now reads zero you have the right set of wires. Not sure if that is what you needed.
Eric



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MarkB_MI

10-04-2005 02:36:29




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
There are devices that will indicate the presence of AC. I have a stud finder with that capability, and you can find other devices in the electrical section of Home Depot.

However, don't waste your money on one of these gadgets. Buy a decent digital multimeter. Pull the GFCI outlet out of its box (breaker off), but leave the wires connected. Check to see if you're getting voltage to the screws on the outlet (breaker on). If no (or low) voltage to the back of the outlet, you have a problem elsewhere. Now plug a load (say a lamp) into the receptacle and recheck the voltage to the back of the outlet. If the voltage has dropped to nearly zero, you have a bad connection upstream. If you still have a solid 120 volts, your GFCI outlet is bad.

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RandyB

10-03-2005 08:11:23




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
Do you know which circuit breaker feeds that GFCI and have you checked for power at the circuit breaker? I agree with other comments that wires don't just suddenly break. A nail will usually short the circuit and pop a breaker. Since this is an added circuit-- check that it is not wired to a switched circuit. Try all your switches. Check each breaker on the load side for voltage even if the breaker is not popped. Circuit may even be tapped off of ceiling light since you said the wire goes into ceiling. I am not too sure one of the tracers would help you as much as some keen observing.

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TomTX

10-03-2005 07:36:32




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
Check all your GFCI circuits inside and outside. In my house, there were several on just one circuit. If any one of them are tripped then the whole circuit is off.



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Richard H.

10-03-2005 06:45:21




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
My first thought would be the gfi is bad since it is outside, you don"t say if you tested the circuit or not. To get a tic-tracer for the kind of trouble you have is expensive way to much for a one time use. Follow Sportsters advise.



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wirehair

10-03-2005 07:28:54




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to Richard H., 10-03-2005 06:45:21  
Yes, I took the GFCI outlet off and pulled the wire. There is no power at it.

I don't want to just abandon the line because of possibility of a nail/screw through it somewhere causing electrical fire.

wirehair



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Richard H.

10-03-2005 09:31:50




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 07:28:54  
Ok, from your post, what I"m reading is you dont have a clue as whats going where in your panel. I am an electrcian and I would have to go at it thru a process of elimination myself. this would be a help for you in the future also. Just mark everything permanently as you go. You simply can"t rule out anything, loose joint in a fixture box,? recpt box etc. ps, Breakers go bad also!



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dr.sportster

10-03-2005 05:52:25




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
A wire does not go bad from point a to point b without some outside influence. This could be anything like chemicals,plumber with sawzall or other trade cutting,nailing etc.If there has been sheetrockers that have nailed your wire more than once the wire may not be protected by nailer plates.In these cases it is often easier to abandon the old line and just run a new one by going underneath and snaking up into the bay you need.If you have lost power that means that line has "blown out" with a short between the two insulated conductors and wiil need to be repaired anyhow or it wont have continuity.Im just saying save your money on the tracer and buy a new roll of romex for the same price.If you still have power on that line and a good neutral then your gfi has gone bad.

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paul

10-03-2005 09:53:24




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to dr.sportster, 10-03-2005 05:52:25  
Obviously, remove the other end of the wire from the breaker box, correct? :) So it is truely abandoned.

--->Paul



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dr.sportster

10-03-2005 13:30:42




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to paul, 10-03-2005 09:53:24  
Yes but it is more likely to be fed from a splice box somwhere along the line.I thnk the breaker[if you knew which one]is going to shut off other parts of the wiring unless that gfi location was a home run to the panel but Im guessing it part of a larger circuit.You almost really need a tracer of some sort.At least we all try to help.



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paul

10-05-2005 13:53:45




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to dr.sportster, 10-03-2005 13:30:42  
Oh, yea. My house was set up in the 1920's with a power generator in the basement, a light bulb in every ceiling, a single outlet in every upstairs bedroom..... So, nearly every wire _is_ a home run.... ;) Thanks.

--->Paul



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Dusty

10-03-2005 05:38:22




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 Re: OT: Tracing an electrical line in reply to wirehair, 10-03-2005 04:55:09  
Yes. You can find them at Lowe"s and places like that, about $30.00.

Dusty



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