Electrical Issue - please advise

B

bmiquet

Member
I was giving electrical work a try today by adding another outlet in a more ideal location.

In testing the outlet the black(hot) wire hit the side of the outlet box. It sparked and I immediately turned off the circuit.

In and around the same time that this happened (I cannot be certain the above caused the below but most likely it did).

I have a 100AMP box that runs 7 15amp circuits to my room (6K watts plus lots of heaters). Of the 7 circuits, 4 of them seem to be dead or not working. I tried turning the breakers on and off but they never came back on. Oddly 3 seem to be working fine.

Does anybody have any insight on what I might have done????? I would like to get my circuits working as soon as possible so life can go on and I don't want this to be a big ordeal and I don't know any electricians who I can show my space too.

Your insight is appreciated.
 
DaveCoulier

DaveCoulier

Well-Known Member
Do a thread title search for electrician, and you will find two running threads of electricians answering questions.
 
darkdestruction420

darkdestruction420

Well-Known Member
flip the big breaker that controls em all maybe? i have no idea if it would work but its worth a shot imo, if that doesnt work i have no idea what you should do other than look up the electricians answering questions threads.
 
illusi0ns

illusi0ns

Member
no wonder its tripping too much shit

well 7 lights 105amp an you said 100watt braker it will trip every time
 
slk

slk

Well-Known Member
Pull the bad breaker go to Home Depot and replace the 15 amp with a 20 amp don't go any biger than that
 
C

cymbaline

Well-Known Member
slk said:
Pull the bad breaker go to Home Depot and replace the 15 amp with a 20 amp don't go any biger than that
Click to expand...
I would like to stress that unless your wire is 12-2... Installing a 20 amp breaker where a 15 amp breaker was is not a very wise move.. I can't stress this enough.. As mentioned check the electrician threads and a more knowledgeable response can be given why this is a very bad idea..
 
N

NEEDforWEED

Member
first you must find the main panel. turn off your main breaker(feeding the sub panel), then move your breakers around, and turn it back on. always work on it while its off. 120v CAN kill..........
if the same three SPACES are dead, even after you play "musical breakers", the problem is in the main panel. i always wrap electrical tape around a receptical(outlet), to protect the terminals from a short. .......
 
N

NEEDforWEED

Member
its VERY unlikely that all three breakers are bad. very unlikley. and if you replace a breaker, always use the same size(if its a 15 amp, use a 15.......), never replace it with a LARGER one, unless you want to burn your house down. lol.........
im confident i can help you, if you post an update of your situation. .......ill watch for it all day....
 
B

bmiquet

Member
Thanks for the insight. Here is an update.

Update.....

I put in two new breakers so I have 8, 3 working fine and 5 not working. The two new ones are part of the five.

I am not sure what to do next. New breakers didn't seem to solve the problem.

I was told by another source to check/change the fuses in the utility box with the lead stamp on it. Should I try that?

In the meantime I am going to try musical breakers as I think that will clarify why only 3 of 8 are working. I will send an update soon.
 
B

bmiquet

Member
NEEDforWEED said:
its VERY unlikely that all three breakers are bad. very unlikley. and if you replace a breaker, always use the same size(if its a 15 amp, use a 15.......), never replace it with a LARGER one, unless you want to burn your house down. lol.........
im confident i can help you, if you post an update of your situation. .......ill watch for it all day....
Click to expand...
Thanks again for the help. I am off to play musical breakers and will report back when I have results.
 
C

CanadaGrass

Member
Does the main panel feeding your 100 amp sub have a circuit breaker or fuses?

Residential electrical services are a three wire system. (HOT-NEUTRAL-HOT) or (RED-WHITE-BLACK), you will have 120volts measured Red to White, or Black to White, 240volts Red to Black.

One of your hots (red or black) is out. If it is a breaker feeding the sub panel turn it all the way off(both sides of the 2pole breaker) then turn it back on.

If it is fuses, one of them is blown.

If you have an electrical multi meter test one lead to Red, one to black. Should read 240. If not, test red to white, should be 120. If not, test black to white, should be 120.

Sometimes the power authority can lose a leg(hot), this is usually corrected promptly.

Most often breakers don't go bad from a short. They are built to withstand a short circuit and be reset. When I say "most often" I mean HARDLY EVER.

Hope you get your problem fixed soon, for the greater good of all!

Be SAFE.
 
turtledurtle

turtledurtle

Well-Known Member
bmiquet said:
Thanks again for the help. I am off to play musical breakers and will report back when I have results.
Click to expand...
whats feeding this 100amp box? is it old? did a qualified electrician install this? is the bus fried? overloading heaters ie lights, fans, ect... will fry your shit, buying breakers will not fix this, buy an electrical tester thats tests continuity and voltage
test your shit, follow proper load requirements for wire size,
14 wire - 15amp, 12 wire - 20amp...
 
B

bmiquet

Member
See notes below

CanadaGrass said:
Does the main panel feeding your 100 amp sub have a circuit breaker or fuses?

I am in a building with lots of electrical going on. Very old building. There is a main breaker by the electrical meter. I goes to my 100amp pony panel and to a separate fuse box with the old school circle fuses. Those fuses (as I understand, feed different circuits throughout the building) and seem to be fine.

Residential electrical services are a three wire system. (HOT-NEUTRAL-HOT) or (RED-WHITE-BLACK), you will have 120volts measured Red to White, or Black to White, 240volts Red to Black.

I have figured out that in my panel, set up

1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8

That 1,2,5,6 are working and I am currently running off those to keep business moving. The others are out. I am guessing your idea about black or red being out is correct.

One of your hots (red or black) is out. If it is a breaker feeding the sub panel turn it all the way off(both sides of the 2pole breaker) then turn it back on.

There is no such breaker.

If it is fuses, one of them is blown.

I will double check the fuses that also sub off the breaker, but I think they are all fine.

If you have an electrical multi meter test one lead to Red, one to black. Should read 240. If not, test red to white, should be 120. If not, test black to white, should be 120.

Sometimes the power authority can lose a leg(hot), this is usually corrected promptly.

Most often breakers don't go bad from a short. They are built to withstand a short circuit and be reset. When I say "most often" I mean HARDLY EVER.

My breakers are fine. I have screwed something up with half the box not working. Any ideas on next step from here?

Hope you get your problem fixed soon, for the greater good of all!

Be SAFE.
Click to expand...
 
B

bmiquet

Member
CanadaGrass said:
Does the main panel feeding your 100 amp sub have a circuit breaker or fuses?

Residential electrical services are a three wire system. (HOT-NEUTRAL-HOT) or (RED-WHITE-BLACK), you will have 120volts measured Red to White, or Black to White, 240volts Red to Black.

One of your hots (red or black) is out. If it is a breaker feeding the sub panel turn it all the way off(both sides of the 2pole breaker) then turn it back on.

If it is fuses, one of them is blown.

If you have an electrical multi meter test one lead to Red, one to black. Should read 240. If not, test red to white, should be 120. If not, test black to white, should be 120.

Sometimes the power authority can lose a leg(hot), this is usually corrected promptly.

Most often breakers don't go bad from a short. They are built to withstand a short circuit and be reset. When I say "most often" I mean HARDLY EVER.

Hope you get your problem fixed soon, for the greater good of all!

Be SAFE.
Click to expand...
NEEDforWEED said:
its VERY unlikely that all three breakers are bad. very unlikley. and if you replace a breaker, always use the same size(if its a 15 amp, use a 15.......), never replace it with a LARGER one, unless you want to burn your house down. lol.........
im confident i can help you, if you post an update of your situation. .......ill watch for it all day....
Click to expand...
Need for Weed

After playing musical breakers I determined all the breakers are fine. My box has 8 outlets for breakers set up as follows:

1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8

1,2,5,6 are working fine and the others are out. I have managed to rig my op with those four but it is a very temporary solution and I would like to put something more permanent in place like fixing the four that don't work.

What would you advise from here?
 
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