How to Identify Old Home Wiring Problems
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How to Work with Old Electrical Wiring: Repairing Old Electrical Wiring, Old Electrical Wiring Problems. |
Identifying and Repairing Old Electrical Wiring Problems
Electrical Question: I have a 110 year old home that always has odd electrical challenges. Much of the electric has been updated or modified through the years but multiple owners have left a variety of quality to the fixes.
The current issue that has me stumped:
- I have one Breaker (200A service) that feeds most of the ceiling lights and a few wall outlets. This breaker also feeds all electric to a small kitchen that was added on 50 years ago.
- Last week, all of a sudden ALL of the electrical in this add on kitchen went dead. All lights and receptacles. But, the rest of the items on this breaker are still good.
- I looked around for a hidden old fuse panel (there are still 1 or 2 in this house that serve small areas but they are downstream from breaker box). I Cant find a fuse box issue related to this issue.
- Today started digging a little deeper and find that all receptacles in this add on kitchen are not DEAD but are showing as “double positive” – that is to say that both sides of my receptacle are showing positive voltage. No neutral service at all?
So this has me stumped, and these are my concerns and questions:
- How dangerous is it for these lights and receptacles to be sitting as a double positive element?
- What could have happened along the line to cause this?
I cant imagine how “out of the blue” this section of electric could end up like this. A break in the neutral, OK- I could see that. But, to end up with both lines as positive. I Need help with that one. Any ideas?
This electrical wiring question came from: Chris, a Handyman from Virginia.
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Chris.
Application: Repairing Old Electrical Wiring
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced – Best performed by a Certified Electrician or Electrical Contractor.
Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience and ability to work with tools.
Precaution: Identify the circuit, turn it OFF and Tag it with a Note before working with the wiring.
Important: Burnt or damaged wiring and circuit components should be replaced with new electrical materials of the same voltage and amperage rating.
Notice: Repairs to Home Electrical Wiring should be done according to local and national electrical codes and installing new or replacement electrical parts or equipment may require a permit and inspections.
How to Work with Old Electrical Wiring
- Electrical Wiring in Older Homes
- The electrical wiring that is still found in older homes can be a challenge to figure out, especially if additional electrical wiring has been installed.
- The best way to begin is to identify all of the know electrical circuits and what they control in the home which will allow you to map which devices have been wired to each identified circuit.
- Old Electrical Wiring Problems
- From the information that has been provided there must be another electrical panel that is served by the 200 amp breaker. It also appears that there may be a lost neutral or hot leg which would explain why there are unusual voltage readings.
- The best thing to do is positively identify all the electric panels and the circuit that they are supplying power to. A careful inspection must be made of all the main connections at these panels and voltage checks should be made at the circuit breakers and fuses to verify the components that are working correctly and identify those that are not.
- Through this process of elimination the problem will be discovered. based upon this discovery repairs will be needed to be made.
More about Home Electrical Wiring
- Electrical Junction Boxes
- Electrical Code for How Many Wires in Junction Boxes
- House Wiring Circuits and Circuit Breakers
- Kitchen Electrical Wiring
- Electrical Panel Circuit Listing
- Electrical Codes for Services
- Wiring Electrical Codes
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Wiring Electrical Outlet for the Home
Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done.
Electric panel
House Wiring Circuits and Circuit Breakers
This article looks at common 120 volt and 240 volt house wiring circuits and the circuit breakers that are installed identifying the types and amperage sizes used in most homes.
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Electrical Wiring Protection using Circuit Breakers
A guide to home electrical circuit breakers and how they work to protect your electrical wiring. When properly installed, your home electrical wiring is protected by a circuit protection device.
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Kitchen Electrical Wiring
Fully Explained Photos and Wiring Diagrams for Kitchen Electrical Wiring with Code Requirements for most new or remodel projects.
For more information about Home Wiring
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Basic Home Wiring Diagrams with Pictures
This link is helpful as a Handyman
Do-It-Yourself Electrical
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Be Careful and Be Safe - Never Work on Energized Circuits!
Consult your Local Building Department about Permits and Inspections for all Electric Wiring Projects.
The Safest Way to Test Electrical Devices and Identify Electric Wires!The Non-Contact Electrical TesterThis is a testing tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and is the first test tool I grab to help identify electrical wiring. It is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.
The Quickest Way to Check for Faulty Electrical Wiring!The Plug-In Outlet TesterThis is the first tool I grab to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring. This popular tester is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring. It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect Very handy and easy to use.
Strip Off Wire Insulation without Nicking and Damaging the Electric Wire!The Wire Stripper and Wire CutterMy absolute favorite wire stripping tool that I have had in my personal electrical tool pouch for years, and this is the tool I use to safely strip electrical wires. This handy tool has multiple uses: The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation. The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets.. The wire stripper will work on both solid and stranded wire. This tool is Very Handy and Easy to Use. |
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I had a strange case last month where we had a dead short that melted piece of old BX Cable at the insulated bushing which melted right at the box clamp connector. It tested white neutral to ground downstream,where there was found burned jumpers in two boxes, not directly connected to each other, but the same circuit. I was able to pull the cut-in boxes and get unburned conductors on the existing wiring, and replaced the maxed 8/16 box with 20/40 and put all receptacles on AFCI breakers. AFCI found a mis-wired light with return from another circuit.
This was originally discovered when the customer had plugged in a space heater, but has always used that plug for a space heater. No visual damage on the wiring to the heater plug, though it is spliced to the same circuit upstream. Could this be cumulative overload on a possible bad anti-short makeup? In the past at one of the burned receptacles they had a plasma TV for awhile, but has since been replaced with an LCD TV. So the overload condition might have occurred up to 3 years ago, and been lighter loaded ever since. Would it be worth testing all the wiring with megger? Do you have to un-wire all junction boxes before doing so, or just unplug all the equipment, TVs lamps dimmers?
Thanks Chris
Hi Chris,
Various tests can be conducted on the circuit, starting with unplugging and disconnecting all of the loads, and then checking the polarity as well as amperage on both the hot and the neutral. If there is a voltage leakage between the two that is not causing a tripped circuit then the test will show, however sometimes the leak will not show unless there is a substantial load. I recently discovered a similar situation where the metal cable clamp of an old metal box was tightened so much that it scored the neutral which arced across but did not trip the circuit. Testing with a megger will be much more accurate for detecting possible faults within the circuit wiring. As you have stated, placing the circuit on an AFCI breaker is a very good safety measure as well.
I hope this helps,
Dave