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Started By
Message
Mystery 110 volt Outlet
Posted on 2/5/22 at 5:47 pm
Posted on 2/5/22 at 5:47 pm
My son bought his house about a year ago. He's trying to install a simple 110v device in the attic. There is only one available outlet up there. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. It's got a mind of its own. No rhyme, reason, or pattern that he can tell. Had a device running great yesterday, then today there's no power to the outlet. He has no idea what the 2 outlets in the photo are for or where the wires lead to. When it does work, it's independent of the attic light. The house was built in the early 70's and has been added on to. Checked and re-checked the breakers. I asked if he and/or his wife might be doing something inadvertently that could be causing it. No joy.
Hoping someone could mention possibilities about what might be causing the on-again, off-again nature of this outlet. Thanks in advance...
Hoping someone could mention possibilities about what might be causing the on-again, off-again nature of this outlet. Thanks in advance...
6
Posted on 2/5/22 at 5:53 pm to tigerpawl
The power control in the outlet could be connected to a light switch.
Posted on 2/5/22 at 6:12 pm to Tiger022
Posted on 2/5/22 at 6:15 pm to Tiger022
quote:I asked both my son and his wife about this. It doesn't add up.
The power control in the outlet could be connected to a light switch.
quote:Not sure if this would help me - especially if the circuit is dead to begin with. Or does this device send its own signal back to the breaker box?? Even if it's not energized?? I checked and double-checked all the breakers. EVERYTHING was full on....
Outlet signal tracer. $20 at harbor freight.
This post was edited on 2/5/22 at 6:26 pm
Posted on 2/5/22 at 7:01 pm to tigerpawl
quote:Surely he can follow the wires and at least see where they're headed, right? Maybe something with the HVAC? Figuring that out might give a clue to what's controlling the outlet.
He has no idea what the 2 outlets in the photo are for or where the wires lead to.
Posted on 2/5/22 at 7:11 pm to Korkstand
quote:You can see the general direction for a couple of feet - then they just disappear under the floor. It's really strange.
Surely he can follow the wires and at least see where they're headed, right?
Next time I'm there, I'll connect a radio to the outlet with vol full-on and then go around to every light switch in the house and see if I can find a connected switch.
Posted on 2/5/22 at 7:22 pm to tigerpawl
quote:Just to be clear, we're talking about the two things plugged into the outlet, right?
You can see the general direction for a couple of feet - then they just disappear under the floor. It's really strange.
How about the brown romex running to the outlet? Is there one or two, and can you see where it goes?
Posted on 2/6/22 at 2:05 am to Korkstand
Make sure the outlets are not back stabbed.
Posted on 2/6/22 at 7:22 am to rexorotten
Sounds like the outlet maybe tied into a thermostat. Is there a powered
attic fan? A previous owner may have jumped power over the wrong side of a thermostat ( output instead of input).
attic fan? A previous owner may have jumped power over the wrong side of a thermostat ( output instead of input).
Posted on 2/6/22 at 7:48 am to tigerpawl
Check the plug itself to make sure all of the connections are tight. Expose the wire and test it to see if it’s hot. You might have a bad receptacle. Also, check to see what other outlets are tied to the breaker. If it’s on its own circuit, you can change out the breaker.
Posted on 2/6/22 at 8:29 am to Tiger022
Replace the outlet and see if that fixes the problem if you can’t trace it to some sort of switch.
If that doesn’t work, you can always add another outlet using the line that feeds the attic light.
If that doesn’t work, you can always add another outlet using the line that feeds the attic light.
Posted on 2/6/22 at 8:57 am to Beachtiger
quote:There is an HVAC fan a couple of feet away. Hmmmm??
Sounds like the outlet maybe tied into a thermostat. Is there a powered
attic fan? A previous owner may have jumped power over the wrong side of a thermostat ( output instead of input).
ETA: At some point, the house was added on to. Could that outlet be energized when the blower comes on? Could those 2 plugs go into the new section to sync the old with the new? A dehumidifier in the new section, perhaps?
This post was edited on 2/6/22 at 11:30 am
Posted on 2/6/22 at 4:21 pm to tigerpawl
Check for a loose connection inside the box?
Posted on 2/7/22 at 10:29 am to kywildcatfanone
plug in a radio, start flippin breakers.
I fought with an issue similar once. It was a switched outlet in the attic...
I fought with an issue similar once. It was a switched outlet in the attic...
Posted on 2/7/22 at 11:06 am to tigerpawl
I had a similar one that was daisy chained behind a GFCI outlet. If the GFCI tripped, the outlet behind it stopped working.
Posted on 2/7/22 at 1:08 pm to tigerpawl
I have one of these. If you want to find the circuit you just plug it into the outlet and press the button on top. It will trip the breaker and all that is on that circuit and help identify the rest of outlets and lights on it.
Posted on 2/9/22 at 7:57 am to BruslyTiger
I’ve got a couple of circuits that are activated by turning on a combination of switches at the same time. Just a possibility. Let us know what you find!
Posted on 2/10/22 at 9:15 am to Tiger022
quote:
The power control in the outlet could be connected to a light switch
Posted on 2/12/22 at 1:01 pm to tigerpawl
Any update to this?
Posted on 2/23/22 at 10:37 am to Wiseguy
I guess we'll never know....
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