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Question:

How can I trace electrical wire?

I have two electrical outlets in my bathroom, one feeds the other. They do not work.The lights work and the surrounding outlets work. I've checked every GFI outlet in my house but cannot find a source.

Answer:

When all else fails, call a qualified professional electrician. Since the outlets do not work, you need to use the proper test tools to try to locate the problem. A receptacle tester, an inductive probe and an analog voltmeter and a solenoid type tester. Know how to use all of these items. Do not use a digital voltmeter, they are too sensitive and may give false readings of voltage present. After you are familiar with how to use all of the equipment, locate the nearest receptacle to the dead ones and secure that circuit ( turn it off), then open the receptacle and do a physical inspection of the connections. Then do the same in the bathroom boxes. Make any repairs needed. If the receptacles are the quick connect push in the back type, replace them. If all of these steps do not repair the circuit, call a qualified professional electrician to do the work.
Look in your panel and see if there is a GFCI breaker in it. The receptacles may be on a different circuit than the lights and other receptacles in the area. Hope this helps.
it is best to map out your entire electrical system by putting letters on each breaker and matching it to the switchoutletlight. i would test the wires to see if they are hot first. take out and replace both GFI outlets. Have you been doing electrical work latley? you can press the reset switches on the GFI. did you check your breaker box yet for a tripped breaker?
the one that is out may have a built in breaker, check for a red button, and reset. or it may be on a seperate circuit, so check the fuse/breaker panel. hope this helps.
Some newer homes do not have GFI outlets; the Ground Fault Interruption protection is provided by the breaker switch on the panel -- and these specialized GFI breakers can sometimes appear not to be tripped when, in fact, they are. Look on your panel for any single breakers that look slightly different from the others, especially with an extra button. Turn such breakers firmly off, then firmly on again to reset them. I suspect this will resolve your problem. Regarding your original question: Home Depot, Rona, and Lowes sell a cool electronic stud finder with a feature that lets you trace electrical wires. Check it out.

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