[kungfumasta]

Hi,
I am currently doing renovations and I had to move a wire that was in the way.
I found out the wire was not long enough to just move out of the way so I put in a junction box. Now that I have connected everything back together all the lights on this breaker work
but all the outlets don't. I tested them with a tester and they have no power. When I first turned the power back on lights were flickering and I could he popping noise seemed to come from the outlets.
The old wire that was in had three colour(black,white and red) I went to the hardware store and bought 14/3 wire ( but the new wire had a ground wire that the old wiring doesnt.
Any suggestions on what I should try next?

Thanks in advance

[cwwozniak]

It may be time to call in a professional licensed electrician to find and fix the problem. They are a lot less expensive than replacing a burned down house.

[Drabdr]

First thing, turn the power off to the circuit; something is not right.

How old is this house, and where was this wire? Typically, 14/3 is used on ceiling fans. However, it is also used for 240VAC.

If you want, you can take some pictures and post.

I do think the advice from cwwozniak may be well heeded also. It sounds like you may have more than one issue. When in doubt, call a pro.

[cwwozniak]

Originally Posted by Drabdr

However, it is also used for 240VDC.

Hoping that is just a typo. I thought most places stopped using DC and switched to AC power distribution back in the late 1880's.

[Drabdr]

Originally Posted by cwwozniak

Hoping that is just a typo. I thought most places stopped using DC and switched to AC power distribution back in the late 1880's.

Yes! Thank you. I stand corrected. Most typically it is 240 VAC.

BTW, thanks for the link. I didn't know all that.

Posted via Mobile Device

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by Drabdr

BTW, thanks for the link. I didn't know all that.

Ditto!

That was interesting.

[Koot]

14/3 is always used for 3-way lighting circuits - something that is commonly found in most all houses. Or he may have 14/3 because his receptacles are split "switched" by the light circuit. I am going to assume he does not have split switched receptacles and he has a 3-way lighting circuit... Thus, he has attempted to extend the wiring for [a set of existing] 3-way switches by adding a length of 14/3 romex and adding a junction box to make splices.

I'm guessing his 3-way light circuit is fed from wiring (at one of the receptacle boxes) that feeds the duplex receptacles (that no longer works). That said, the problem is most likely a bad joint or connection at the receptacle that feeds the lighting circuit. If he has played around with the one of the receptacles - that's where I'd look first - for a bad joint or bad connection on the receptacle itself...because he said he heard a popping noise (bad connection) coming from a receptacle and the lights flickered (bad connection), which would make sense that this location (the receptacle box that feeds the lighting circuit) would have the bad joint/connection he's looking for. The problem will be in the receptacle box that has the "extra" romex in it, which is needed to feed the lighting circuit...

As a long shot (doubtful) - I would be interested to know if the receptacles work if he switches the lights On (or Off) from the "other" three-way switch. If the receptacles do not work by trying this then the problem is almost certainly a bad joint/connection at the receptacle location that feeds the 3-way lighting circuit (as noted above). However, if the lights do work when the 3-way switch is switched opposite (down-up/up-down) then the wiring for the lighting circuit is feeding the receptacles (instead of the wiring for the receptacles feeding the lighting) and you are using the wrong wire (of the 3 conductors in the lighting circuit) to feed 120 volts to the receptacles. This is doubtful. Furthermore, since he has noticed flickering in the lights and a popping noise at a receptacle it tells me there is a 99% chance his problem is a bad wire joint/connection at the receptacle box which feeds the lighting circuit.

[kungfumasta]

Thanks for the advice.
i will certainly make sure again that all my connections are good.

Thanks!

[Koot]

Originally Posted by kungfumasta

Thanks for the advice.
i will certainly make sure again that all my connections are good.

Thanks!

Focus on the wiring connections in the receptacle box (where you heard the popping noise). That's where you'll almost certainly find your problem, not in your newly added light circuit wiring.

You never said whether you had played around in the receptacle boxes when you added the newly spliced wire - did you? Could you have pulled too hard on the romex going to the receptacle box when you were trying to make the original wiring work...or when you added the splice, which loosened a joint or connection in the receptacle box?

[Drabdr]

Originally Posted by Koot

14/3 is always used for 3-way lighting circuits - something that is commonly found in most all houses. Or he may have 14/3 because his receptacles are split "switched" by the light circuit. I am going to assume he does not have split switched receptacles and he has a 3-way lighting circuit... Thus, he has attempted to extend the wiring for [a set of existing] 3-way switches by adding a length of 14/3 romex and adding a junction box to make splices.

I'm guessing his 3-way light circuit is fed from wiring (at one of the receptacle boxes) that feeds the duplex receptacles (that no longer works). That said, the problem is most likely a bad joint or connection at the receptacle that feeds the lighting circuit. If he has played around with the one of the receptacles - that's where I'd look first - for a bad joint or bad connection on the receptacle itself...because he said he heard a popping noise (bad connection) coming from a receptacle and the lights flickered (bad connection), which would make sense that this location (the receptacle box that feeds the lighting circuit) would have the bad joint/connection he's looking for. The problem will be in the receptacle box that has the "extra" romex in it, which is needed to feed the lighting circuit...

As a long shot (doubtful) - I would be interested to know if the receptacles work if he switches the lights On (or Off) from the "other" three-way switch. If the receptacles do not work by trying this then the problem is almost certainly a bad joint/connection at the receptacle location that feeds the 3-way lighting circuit (as noted above). However, if the lights do work when the 3-way switch is switched opposite (down-up/up-down) then the wiring for the lighting circuit is feeding the receptacles (instead of the wiring for the receptacles feeding the lighting) and you are using the wrong wire (of the 3 conductors in the lighting circuit) to feed 120 volts to the receptacles. This is doubtful. Furthermore, since he has noticed flickering in the lights and a popping noise at a receptacle it tells me there is a 99% chance his problem is a bad wire joint/connection at the receptacle box which feeds the lighting circuit.

Hello, Koot. As always, great post. I agree wholeheartedly with your thought process and problem areas.

Kungfumasta, I'm a little concerned with your situation, and would like to learn some more before you turn the power back on. Did you cut a wire, and try to make it back up? Or, did you take a bunch of wires out of a box? Koot (and the others) gave you some good advice. However, it would be substantially easier if we had some more information regarding your situation, and maybe a picture of where you made the wires up.

We love helping, and if we find out what's going on, we can make sure you get it fixed right, before turning power back on.

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by kungfumasta

Thanks for the advice.
i will certainly make sure again that all my connections are good.

Thanks!

I recommend and re-inforce cwwozniak's advice. Get a professional electrician in.

Without seeing the set up and having the possibility to measure currents, I offer no other advice.

You need to know what you are doing, otherwise you're playing with fire (literally).

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by Drabdr

Hello, Koot. As always, great post. I agree wholeheartedly with your thought process and problem areas.

Kungfumasta, I'm a little concerned with your situation, and would like to learn some more before you turn the power back on. Did you cut a wire, and try to make it back up? Or, did you take a bunch of wires out of a box? Koot (and the others) gave you some good advice. However, it would be substantially easier if we had some more information regarding your situation, and maybe a picture of where you made the wires up.

We love helping, and if we find out what's going on, we can make sure you get it fixed right, before turning power back on.

I'd rather he left it off altogether. See #11

It's one thing giving advice that may result in caramellizing a PC's assets, a house's juice wiring is totally another. Here little knowledge is more than just dangerous.

[Koot]

Originally Posted by buffoon

I'd rather he left it off altogether. See #11

It's one thing giving advice that may result in caramellizing a PC's assets, a house's juice wiring is totally another. Here little knowledge is more than just dangerous.

It's a simple do-it-yourself project. The OP obviously felt comfortable tackling the job, and it sounds like he did it correctly...but just has a bad connection that he now needs to find and correct.

It's not dangerous as long as he uses common sense. He has a circuit breaker that will protect against a short circuit...and it sounds like he has killed the power when he's actually working on the wiring - the former protecting the house and the latter protecting the worker. If it were me that was trouble-shooting this problem I'd do it with the power on. I rarely kill the power when changing out switches and receptacles.

As for giving advice on this topic - there are thousands of books and Internet sites available to anyone wanting to tackle such small jobs. It's not rocket science...and I certainly wouldn't consider it dangerous either. The advice you offer is obviously coming from someone that is not familiar with the topic!

[Koot]

Originally Posted by buffoon

I recommend and re-inforce cwwozniak's advice. Get a professional electrician in.

Without seeing the set up and having the possibility to measure currents, I offer no other advice.

You need to know what you are doing, otherwise you're playing with fire (literally).

If you saw the "set up" would you be able to offer any [good] advice?

Why would you want to measure "currents"?

Can you share with me how the OP is playing with "fire (literally)"?

[JohnWill]

Common wiring is a reasonable DIY project. OTOH, if you run into issues that are stumping you, then I'd be leaning to the folks that say get some help. You don't necessarily have to involve a "professional", but at least someone that's good at the task.

I've wired a complete house, including installing the main panel. All I needed the electrician for was to get the project signed off as inspected and the tie-in to the main feed from the power company. I stop at climbing up a ladder and connecting to the live feed, I'm willing to pay for that service. It really isn't rocket science, just basic electrical sense and good mechanical skills.