Blew my breaker, plug grounded?
- Thread starter Moabfighter
- Start date
Moabfighter
Well-Known Member
There is no outside outlet. It’s a inside outlet I used to inflate my Halloween pumpkin and Halloween lights outside.
Doug Dawson
Well-Known Member
Hmm, interesting. Never had a false readig from my Fluke, I would not trust the cheap ones. That said I am no expert in this field.
Dougnsalem
Well-Known Member
That won't do anything unless you have a "short finder".
@Moabfighter , you are doing good. Renfro and I discussed it last night. Check that pumpkin outlet to see if it is melted. ALSO- Make sure all of your lights are off. You could have a bad light fixture.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
Hes doing that next. Thats my guess on where the problem is.....
he disappeared on us then i think we started arguing about flushing
Nah i think he will be able to see the problem once he starts pulling outlets out. Im assuming that one of the outlets has/had a bad connection for years and is just now wore out enough to show itself.
That right there is why i would not feel comfortable letting him replace his own outlet unless he KNOWS its connected good. Sure i'll have him poke around the panel here an there but i dont wanna see anyone hurt either.....i have a limit on my advice. Im going to assume the original person to install the outlet knicked a wire or something and it finally broke after all these years, now causing a short.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
Yes, this and not just off but also unplugged.
Dougnsalem
Well-Known Member
I have that exact same one, and it works excellent. Even held on the outside of a cable, it will let you know if there is power on it.
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
Have you checked it for damage?
Moabfighter
Well-Known Member
Gotcha. Like I said man I have more of a mice problem than I really want to admit. Probably atleast 5-8 holes that I can locate by site. I hear those fuckers chewing and poking at night scurrying. House is clean for the most part not to say you can eat off the floors or anything.
I honestly think amouse fucked me more than the pumpkin but we soon will find out
getogrow
Well-Known Member
Renfro might be able to explain why they do that ,....im not sure....ima troubleshooter , i just use the stuff. Same thing with testing for continuity , you see "false readings" all the time. Usually when a working circuit is off at the breaker yuo can get continuity from line to neutral. Not always though.
Them flukes are great but after years of troubleshooting under my belt , they are more for "i dont feel like breaking out my flukes so ill just use my hotstick" (nickname for the flukes you have)
Moabfighter
Well-Known Member
About to
Moabfighter
Well-Known Member
I want to fix this stuff you guys. Hopefully we can get it straightened out. Almost back home to remove that cover where the inflatable pumpkin was.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
Lets hope not , unless you can actually see the damage. if you cant see it , you cant fix it. IF you can trace the wires by eye or hand then thats your next step after we get finished with the basics. Again if you cant see a wire but can run your hand along it then cut the power off an do so .....At this point we are looking at a fairly expensive fix depending on the local electrician. He knows the same amount we do .....nothing more then you tell him so hes going to spend a lot of time just looking and testing things at 100 bucks an hour or more.
Ima cheap ass , id stick to this thread unless your not comfortable anymore....
Dougnsalem
Well-Known Member
Ok. More info is good. Mice can be a HUGE problem with wiring. They love to eat that shit. Still, check the pumpkin outlet first.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
Your panel is labeled nicely. better then me
but as always there is something in there that "dont belong" , like the outlet by the door. Its not unsafe to run it that way but now your not 100% what is all on that one breaker except that bedroom an so far that one outlet by the door..... Check EVERYTHING , every light and every outlet that does not work and write it down. THATS the stuff that belongs on that label on your breaker. The good thing is you prolly only got 5-10 outlets on that circuit so you'll only have to take out that many to find the problem....
Doug Dawson
Well-Known Member
Fair enough, I use both. I have done a ton of electrical stuff from house to electronics to board repair to arcade games and monitors. I always loved my hotstick as you call it, wont tell you anything except wire is hot but it comes in handy. Than again as I mentioned I am not an expert nor can I argue that some may get false readings, just have not had that issue myself. I try to make sure all my electrical testing equipment is Fluke, been using them for decades and they make great stuff.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
That helped a LOT!!! i spit pop all over my pc..... your the man bud!!
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
Same here. Its not a bad thing. I've learned a lot trouble shooting stuff myself. Mainly my boiler.
I dont mind the pen wands either. Theyre nice to stick into outlets one handed and stuff like that. As long as you have fresh batteries in them and dont bump them, its obvious ( to me) whether it's a live reading or false.
getogrow
Well-Known Member
If someone is going to spend decent money on any testers then FLUKE is the only name in the business. Thats my own opinion.
The false readings , i believe come from circuits with no ground or a bad neutral..... most of my troubleshooting work has been done on OLD homes, knob an tube on up. I work on HORRIBLE stuff. i mean the ones most electricians pass up because its too much work to troubleshoot vs replacing everything. The false readings are very common on my end though. (old residential shit)