brax71
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 147
Loc: Lorton, Va
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We had a storm a recently, and since that time, i've had no power to the outlets in my garage and front porch. I've tried what (little) I know and am stumped for a next step. Help!!!
Here's what I know and what I've done:
- after storm, no power in garage outlets.
-- checked breakers in basement, none tripped
- one garage outlet has sticker saying GFCI, but no buttons.
-- checked "whole" house for GFCIs and all outlets with test light... I found no GFCIs popped and only the front porch and garage are affected.
- Pulled cover off of weather-proof box on porch
-- Wiring seemed dirty/corroded/yucky, but since i hadn't cut power anywhere, i didn't go digging any deeper.
All of that leads me to the following:
1. I tend to believe that the gunky front porch outlet has something to do with the problem, but shouldn't i have some indicator (tripped breaker, popped GFCI, etc)?
2. What's my next step? Even if the outlet is the problem and I replace it, if there's no tripped breaker, why would the power come back on once I have a good outlet installed?
Thanks,
Andy
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ferrari
TOTAL Noob
Registered: 09/28/10
Posts: 9779
Loc: Kansas
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Did you actually plug something in to test the GFI outlets?
There could also be one somewhere that you didn't know existed.
Old neighbor had one in the basement next too the outlet for the dryer. He just happened to see it the day he got a new washer/dryer.
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brax71
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 147
Loc: Lorton, Va
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I walked room to room and around the entire exterior with a test light (and later with a radio to verify the test-light results). A previous home had thegarage outlets tied to a rarely used basement bathroom and it took me half a day to figure out, so i tried to be dilligent about finding the outlets this time -- but i'll climb around the dryer tonight... 
Edited by brax71 (09/10/12 12:11 PM)
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daveferg
member
Registered: 02/19/02
Posts: 39816
Loc: Cloverdale, CA, USA
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In my experience, the GFCI will trip before the breaker on that circuit. Seems you still need to do some hunting. The label on the garage outlet is probably there just to meet code requirements---doesn't mean that its the controlling outlet. A real GFCI will have a test and reset button. Keep looking. Ours was in an unlikely place----an outdoor outlet off the back patio----but check obscure places in your kitchen and bathrooms as well as walk around the house to see if there are any other outdoor outlets. Until the actual GFCI is reset or replaced, you will not get power to the entire circuit.
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Dave
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ferrari
TOTAL Noob
Registered: 09/28/10
Posts: 9779
Loc: Kansas
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I have seen them in closets and under overhangs outside.
Good luck!
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TDKPE
Poindexter
Registered: 10/15/02
Posts: 9178
Loc: Rochester, NY, USA
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Just because a breaker doesn't have a trip indication doesn't mean it isn't tripped. Cycle it off then on to be sure, if you know which one it is. If you don't, you'll have to try all of them. Sometimes, depending on brand, if you try to move the handle to 'off' gently, you can tell which one is tripped because it moves easily relative to the others that aren't tripped.
The "GFCI Protected", as Dave suggested, is probably because it's downstream of a GFCI receptacle or blank face. It may not actually even have a ground (even though it's a grounded receptacle) if the house is very old, though it should have another sticker stating so if that's the case.
Let the search begin.
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Tom
And now, back to The Mickey Bitsko Show!
 
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blindrid
Member
Registered: 11/07/03
Posts: 4786
Loc: Castle Rock CO
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ferrari said:
I have seen them in closets and under overhangs outside.
Good luck!
Isn't that the truth. They are normally put in a place easiest for the electrician, not the homeowner.
When mine goes, I always have to remember which is where  .
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ferrari
TOTAL Noob
Registered: 09/28/10
Posts: 9779
Loc: Kansas
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I saw a tip in a mag once that suggested writing what circuit breaker number and location of GFI on the back on the outlet/switch plate.
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DaveD
Member
Registered: 04/17/04
Posts: 2058
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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You haven't found the actual gfci outlet yet. Check all sides of the house outside. There is one somewhere. I found one hidden behind a loose stone in a interior stone wall. Made the stone wall look a lot nicer but took countless hours and a call to the previous owner to find it.
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Bob10
Sir Member
Registered: 04/03/07
Posts: 17941
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area
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This is how I deal with the situation you are in. I kill all the circuits, find the outlet I believe is closest to the main panel and likely the beginning of the runin the offending stretch. Pull out of wall and tug wires to see which wire moves in the panel. Hopefully you will find the start of the run. Also allows you to switch that breaker off and power up the rest. You probably have a bad GFI tripped or failed. In any case you can follow along until you find the problem. I power up after the wires are free so easy access is possible with a test light. If you have a bad connection or failed receptacle you can't normally test for hot. I had a wire fall out of the back of a receptalce just last month so the receptacle showed no power but there was a live wire in the box.
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Know what, Bob? You win. CharlieD, 4/21/2008
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