My Outlets have 120Volts but Nothing Works?
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My outlets are reading 120V on my meter but when I plug something in they do not work. Why Electrical Outlets May Not be Working. © By: Dave Rongey |
Electric Outlets Not Working
Electrical Question: My outlets are reading 120V on my meter but when I plug something in they do not work.
In my house a series of outlets are reading 120V on the meter but when I plug something into any of them the device does not work. I thought it was the breaker so I turned it off then back on again, still, devices do not work. I went ahead and replaced the breaker with one that is 30amp. I am getting the same result. It is really beginning to frustrate me! I have used other voltmeters to test the plugs and all are reading 120V, but when I plug ANY device into ANY of these outlets I get nothing. What is happening?
Sincerely,
Dominick
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Dominick.
Why Electrical Outlets May Not be Working
IMPORTANT:
NEVER replace a circuit breaker with a larger size. This creates the potential to overheat the circuit wiring and which could cause a house fire!
Here are a few questions I have about the outlets that are not working:
How are you testing for voltage at the outlets?
If your testing hot to ground then make sure to also test hot to neutral.
There could be a problem where the neutral wire is open.
Did this just occur by itself, or has the wiring been altered or new wiring installed recently?
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