# indoor/outdoor power



## VectorFL (Aug 19, 2013)

I'm totally stumped on this one. I'm having a screened porch built. The sub was here today using the outside outlet for power in the rain. The power to the outlet cut out and the sub called me at work. I came home to give him access to the breaker box in the garage. No breakers are broken. We checked all the GFCI's in the house, and all are active. Now, I have power all thru out the interior of the house, but no power to the three outlets on the exterior of the house. 
 The outlet on the side of the house, which is right behind the breaker box, has two lines attached to it. The other two outlets in the front and rear of the house each have one line going to them. Any ideas?


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## kok328 (Aug 19, 2013)

Some power tools can pull a lot of current.
Remove the outlet and inspect the wires to the outlet.
Trace the wires back to the origin and test for power there.


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## VectorFL (Aug 19, 2013)

I removed the outlet in question as well as the other two and checked the wires. Everything is connected tight. Since every breaker in the box has power coming out, I don't know where to trace the wires to.


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## nealtw (Aug 19, 2013)

The problem should be a loose connection in the box closest to the breaker box or a loose wire at the breaker itself.


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## nealtw (Aug 19, 2013)

Look for a loose wire at the breaker or neutral. Some breaker don't appear to be off but they have to be turned off to reset them.


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## VectorFL (Aug 19, 2013)

I just shut off every breaker and tightened every screw. I checked all three outside outlets and everything is tight. Turned on the breakers and checked for power. Each breaker has voltage coming out. There is still no power to the three outside outlets.


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## nealtw (Aug 19, 2013)

At the plugs not working, check for power between black and ground. Did any outside light s go off at the same time? Is there an outlet on the inside that might be on the same cercuit, perhaps some one added one. The one with the problem may still be working. Do you have an outlet up in the soffet for xmas lights.
Did you tight all the screws on the white wires too


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## VectorFL (Aug 19, 2013)

There is no power between black & ground. No lights went off. Everything else around the house is working fine. Every outlet, switch, light, ceiling fans. Just the three exterior outlets are dead. I had this house built in 2004. Nothing has been added and there are outlets in the soffit. I tightened all the white and bare wires in the box. One bare wire was completely loose. It's been that way since the house was built, it's tight now.


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## nealtw (Aug 19, 2013)

and there are outlets in the soffit
Check the wires in the soffit outlet, most often they are on the same cercuits as the all the outdoor outlets. And yes you can have a problem behind a plug that still works.


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## VectorFL (Aug 20, 2013)

My apologies. This situation has me tired and stressed. That sentence should have read, Nothing has been added and there are NO outlets in the soffit.


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## nealtw (Aug 20, 2013)

No apologies needed, by turning off each breaker and logging what is turned off by each you may be able to figure out which breaker is the one that feeds these outlets and hopefully you will find some light or outlet somewhere that is on the same line. If not leave it turned off as you may have a broken wire in a wall. Good luck.


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## JoeD (Aug 20, 2013)

I think you are going to find another GFCI somewhere. Did you look all around in the garage behind all the stuff piled up there? Could be in a bathroom or the basement also.


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## VectorFL (Aug 20, 2013)

Bingo! Thanks to all for the assistance. I just got home from work and looked behind the junk piled up against the garage wall. Sure enough, there is a GFCI that was tripped. I reset it and all is fine.


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## nealtw (Aug 20, 2013)

Victor. That's great news to save this problem next time, add a gfi to the first outlet outside and on the one in the garage with pigtails hook both sets of wires to the line side. That way if the outside one kicks it can be set from outside and won't bother the inside one.


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## gottodo1 (Aug 22, 2013)

Vector,
   So there's no power at the outlet right below the breaker box outside the house? Can you get access through an attic above the garage to see which wire set is running down to the outlet? Why are you testing all the breakers, did they not label which breaker powers that outlet? Do you see little green men running out of the breaker box? I've heard those leprechauns can be pretty awful, though not as bad as the gremlins. 

Alternatively, I've seen where people have driven a nail through a power cable and caused it to trip and then it went bad so it never came back on again. Check the breaker that powers those outlets and switch the wire to another breaker and see if it works then? Is there a sub panel somewhere that could be powering the outdoor sockets (crazy but I've seen worse).


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## JoeD (Aug 22, 2013)

gottodo1
Problem has been solved. see post #13.


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## gottodo1 (Aug 23, 2013)

JoeD said:


> gottodo1
> Problem has been solved. see post #13.



I:beer: forgot to push the page 2 button so I replied to page 1 comments


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