Disconnected Outlets. Help

8 years ago

Here's the deal. I have a total of 5 outlets in my house that don't work at all. 1 doesn't have a plug in place, just the wires in the blue plastic box (not connected to a breaker) 3 have the plugs in place but aren't connected to a breaker. The last one has a plug but I have no idea why it doesn't work (probably not connected but can't say for sure)
I would like to hook these up.

I know which breaker box the wires are run to, but I don't know if they are all on one set of wires or not. Any advice to trace them without starting a fire or someone getting hurt? Old family house that's been partially remodeled once already. Also how would I know if I needed an additional breaker or would I be able to wire into one already in the box?

Featured Answer

Vith

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

If you arent comfortable taking the cover off of the panel and seeing what breaker the wire you have traced back to the panel is hooked to and investing in various electrician tools, then dont lol.

If you are then do. You will need non-contact voltage tester, stripper, needle nose pliers, linesman pliers, various screw drivers, multiple wire nut sizes, and some knowledge books to learn. Have to start somewhere, I didnt know much when I was a new homeowner either. If you are unable to grasp the concepts of wiring then dont mess with it. Rule #1 dont work on anything live, that is what the non-contact voltage tester is for. If you are going to open the panel cover, kill the main breaker first and never get close to the wires hooked to the main breaker because they are still live. A good head light is helpful, typically you work in the dark while the power is cut.

You have to manually follow the wires either visually or with a wire tracer, which you would have to buy and learn how to use if the wires are not visible. Or you can hook up the wires and see if it it is live after turning the breaker back on. Always check what you are working on is dead with the voltage tester first. You dont know if that unknown wire is on a different circuit or not.

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Comments (10)

kudzu9
8 years ago
Lauren-

With all due respect, your explanation of the problem is too incomplete to diagnose and give you corrective instructions on. I think that: 1) you have what sounds like messed up wiring in the house that is probably not code compliant due to incompetent work in the past, and 2) your level of knowledge is such that giving you suggestions about what to try might cause more problems.

You really need to get an electrician to look at this. That's because this may not be simply a matter of hooking up a few things. I'm afraid that tinkering on your own could make a bad situation more dangerous. Sorry, but this is the safest and most helpful advice I can give you.
mtvhike
8 years ago
Why would any blue boxes have plugs in place? What kind of plug are you talking about?
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Ron Natalie
8 years ago
I think she means receptacle rather than plug.
DavidR
8 years ago
Ouch. This just shouts "incompetent electrical work" from the rooftop. If this is what you can see, what other electrical botch-ups are hiding inside your walls?
kudzu9
8 years ago
DavidR-

Precisely...
greg_2015
8 years ago
It sounds like some electrical work was started but never finished. Did you buy the house this way?

The danger of just hooking up some wires that somebody ran but abandoned, is that you have no idea if there is a reason that they didn't hook them up.

It's possible that they just never got around to it, but that's a weird way to sell a house. Normally, you fix all of the little things when putting a house up for sale. Dangling unconnected wires from a perfectly acceptable installation that would only take a few minutes to finish would normally be on that list.
Lauren Lauber
Original Author
8 years ago
Okay, First no i didn't buy the house this way. I inherited it this way, or rather I will. I know that the wires aren't hooked up because they never got around to it because my grandfather is the one who did it. He started going down due to age and health and wasn't able to finish a lot of the work on the house. This is the same reason I would really prefer to figure this out on my own rather than ask him. @Ron Yes the receptacle, sorry the terminology is new to me.

I can hook the wires up that's not a problem. Or rather my husband can I'm just searching for information. Mainly if there is anyway to tell before the lines are powered up if they are all run on one set of wires or multiple. Without tearing out my dry wall to trace them that way.
User
8 years ago
Yes, there is a way to trace wires, there are tools for this. For example, put a plug in the receptacle, use a probe in the breaker box, when it beeps, there is a connection.
kudzu9
8 years ago
You don’t need to tear out drywall, but you do have to have knowledge of how circuits work, and usually tracing equipment. Getting things hooked up so that they work is one thing, and knowing that all the wiring is correct in the house, and not dangerous, is an entirely different thing. The fact that this is an incomplete home handyman project makes me think that you still need to get an electrician involved.