I've been doing my research and can't find an answer to this question or maybe the answer is plain and simple "no".

I've been doing my research and can't find an answer to this question or maybe the answer is plain and simple "no".

I have a couple outlets in my house that get no power (I'm sure of this).

All my breakers "appear" good. I've mapped them all out except like one or two of them that so far I haven't tracked what they control. So they might technically be bad causing the outlets to not get power?.

Is there a way for me to work on the outlets in question without turning the entire breaker box? Since I can't turn off the individual breakers because I can't tell which breakers cut them off.

I have a feeling I'll be told I have to turn off the entire power to the breaker but I'd prefer not to do that if I don't have to.

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    How are you sure they get no power? To actually be sure, a meter is the easiest way. Have you slapped one in there on the wires, not just in the outlet itself? Do you know how to use a meter? If not, Google a bunch, or call the man.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I bought one of those Klein Tool circuit breaker finder and when I plug it in it gets nothing. I also used a multimeter and get nothing.

      I mean they're getting no power from the plugs. I'm assuming a current IS going through them up to the outlet at some point where the wire is broken or whatever.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Disconnect the breaker, then pull out the outlet, connect breaker again and then check current directly on the wires with your tool. It could be as simple as disconnected or corroded wire.
        If you have no current on the wires themselves you could repeat this with electrical wire boxes from where you get the power for the outlet, but idk how accessible it is for you to do.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >Disconnect the braker

          yeah, I might end up just calling an electrician. I think I could do this right given the time but completely turning off everything in the house while I learn by fricking with things for hours probably isn't right. It'd take me that long. I'm a slow learner.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Get a "Phasenprüfer" or whatever they call it in english. It will tell you if you have live voltage. Judt stick it in a socket and put a finger (or just some skin) on the nipple on the end of the screwdriver

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Thanks. I couldn't figure out why mine didn't work, so, I just have to touch the end?

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I'd use a multimer to test for continuity of the brakers (disconnected from the circuit).

    To begin with i would test if the wires are cut. I have a good tester for checking ethernet cables, you plug it at both ends and it pulses all the wires and you get a light ay both ends. You could also try this with an LED, resistor and a battery.

    If the lines are ok, then it s probably the brakers. Maybe try to swap wires that don't work to a braker that you know works. Then check if you have power your effected outlets.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >Maybe try to swap wires that don't work to a braker that you know works

      hmmm, didn't think about this. I might try it, very practical.

      I have a kind of "dread" feeling about turning off all the power in a house with the main breaker. I feel like it's taboo or something and I'll frick something up like my house will lose power to some critical thing and like explode or melt or some shit. am I overthinking it?

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        You need an electrician and a shrink.

        OP here, as I'm researching I have another question simply out of curiosity.

        If I own this home and I want to re-wire it and add/change/config stuff like take down sheetrock and go in the walls and all that is that illegal since I'm not licensed?

        I'm assuming in some states it's totally illegal and some states maybe it's a gray area?

        Case in point your too dumb to look up your own laws. Just admit that you are a cuck and shell out the clams to let someone else be the man you fail to be.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >I have a kind of "dread" feeling about turning off all the power in a house with the main breaker. I feel like it's taboo or something and I'll frick something up like my house will lose power to some critical thing and like explode or melt or some shit. am I overthinking it?
        Does your house explode when the power goes out? Do your lightbulbs catch fire when you turn the switch off?
        Electricity isn't some magical being that's trying to destroy you, stop making shit up to be afraid of.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          nah it doesn't go crazy when the power goes out, but I just have an ability to frick things up without even trying.

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    OP here, as I'm researching I have another question simply out of curiosity.

    If I own this home and I want to re-wire it and add/change/config stuff like take down sheetrock and go in the walls and all that is that illegal since I'm not licensed?

    I'm assuming in some states it's totally illegal and some states maybe it's a gray area?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >I'm assuming in some states it's totally illegal and some states maybe it's a gray area?
      Yeah it depends on where you are located. Look up your local city, county, or state rules regarding licensure requirements and an exemption for homeowners.

      In a lot of places (at least in all of the red states that I have been in) there is a licensure requirement to do the work in exchange for pay, but there's an exemption that allows the homeowner to do work on their own property (still supposed to pull permits and do it to code)

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >one or two of them that so far I haven't tracked what they control. So they might technically be bad causing the outlets to not get power?.
    Take the cover off the breaker box
    Use a multimeter to test for 125vac at the terminal of the breaker(s) in question.
    If ~125v - breaker is good and set
    If not, reset or replace breaker

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      OP here, thanks man this really might be the simple advice I need to follow.

      You need an electrician and a shrink.
      [...]
      Case in point your too dumb to look up your own laws. Just admit that you are a cuck and shell out the clams to let someone else be the man you fail to be.

      what can I say you got me

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Where are these outlets located in your house?

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      OP here, well one outlet is on the back porch of our house outside of the house. The other two are in each of the bathrooms which are very close to each other.

      I listened to this guy ---->

      >one or two of them that so far I haven't tracked what they control. So they might technically be bad causing the outlets to not get power?.
      Take the cover off the breaker box
      Use a multimeter to test for 125vac at the terminal of the breaker(s) in question.
      If ~125v - breaker is good and set
      If not, reset or replace breaker

      and did use a multimeter to test the breakers and they all are giving proper power so I don't think that's the issue. I pulled out the main bathroom outlet and nothing I can see wrong with the wires in there.

      I haven't done anything with the outlet on the back porch.

      I did use a multimeter to test the outlet in the second bathroom because I don't want to pull it out since when I used the multimeter it bounced around from 0.00 to 0.01 or something which tells me some kind of fricking power is going through it just very very very very little.

      Either way I think I will eventually just call an electrician and tell him to check those couple outlets and it should be a relatively simple job for him.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Have you checked the wires that attach/connect to the outlet?

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          I've only checked the wires behind the one outlet which is the main bathroom. The other two I haven't pulled out.

          I don't know which breakers lead to them and so I don't want to shut down the entire breaker box and so they might have power and I don't want to mess with them.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Your problem almost definitely has nothing to do with the breakers. When breakers fail in my experience, they usually don't trip at all.
    First off make sure these things aren't on switches or timers. next, since you said it's an outside outlet and bathroom outlets. Rule out that it's not a popped or broken GFCI outlet. They always frick up. Even if the outlet itself isn't a GFCI, it could be slaved to one near by. After you've checked it's not that. Then finally, start opening all the outlets near by and trace down the wires coming from the outlet that doesn't work and find a point where they join with live wires. There may be a failed splice somewhere.

    You can work live if you want, you just need to be careful and know how to work on live wires. Which you probably don't know how to since you want to turn of the entire panel. It is much easier and in some cases necessary to troubleshoot stuff like this with it live.
    There's also nothing wrong with turning off the main to the house. It's just annoying.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Yeah, I don't think it's the breakers which is kind of good news.

      >Rule out that it's not a popped or broken GFCI outlet.

      I'm betting this is the issue in the bathroom outlets. As far as the outside one it might just be water/rain or just wear and tear from the environments maybe that messed it up.

      Either way I don't know what breakers go to those outlets so I'm not going to risk it. Will probably get a quiet from a electrician.

      Yeah I don't know anything about working on it live. I just learned how to use a multimeter this week messing with the outlets. But I'm clumsy as frick with stuff like that. I can be aware that I don't need to be touching those live wires but will probably frick it up and end up touchign them on accident on accident anyways.

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