Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

I'm n an apartment with fuse box of 6 fuse 3 of my sockets in same room stopped working I checked all the fuse they all look fine. HELP!?

8 Answers

Relevance
  • KMA
    Lv 6
    6 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The problem is at one of the receptacles. A Very Common Problem. Code allows the use of push in connections via little holes in the back of the receptacles. These connections aren't very good to start with and fail eventually. The cure is to replace the receptacles with side wired type. But you still have 4 connections on all but the last one on the circuit, and the possibility of a loose connection some day. The best way to cure the problem is to take the hots and twist them together, add a short (6") piece to that splice and then attach that piece (we call it a pigtail) to the receptacle. Then do the same thing for the neutrals. Now the circuit passes through the box regardless of what goes on with that particular receptacle. A Much Better Connection, but it adds several minutes per receptacle to cost of installation and a result isn't done by low bidders. An experienced Electrician can (if there isn't any furniture in the way) make the change in less than 10 minutes per location.

    Anytime I'm called out for such problems I always make the change to all receptacles on the effected circuit. Often I am able to convince the customer to let me make the change to all of their receptacles in order to avoid another service call some day.

    Source(s): licensed electrician
  • 6 years ago

    I have another socket in the same room and it works fine. What could be wrong with the 3 sockets? I check all the fuses, I unscrew them 1 at a time so that I can see the power cut off for each of them and screw them back and see the power return for each. It seems the 3 sockets are on the same line because everything else and all the other sockets seem fine. What should I do next besides having someone come in and checking it out. I want to see if it is solvable on my own. Any Suggestions. Thanks

  • ?
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    You can likely get to where you you can fix it yourself, but not today. A bit of that would be to buy a continuity tester to actually test the fuses with - a visual inspection can still miss a blown fuse, and there may still be one. Also can't assume you know what a GFCI receptacle is or what it looks like (with a little "test" button and a little "reset" button on the front). You might find one that needs a reset, and it may not even be in that room.

    As Lediy99 notes in a comment, have maintenance handle the rest. 'L's answer details the sort of work that ought to be done, and that might be a goal to learn about, but not today. That in no way says you're stupid, and there are many people who won't touch wiring, often for very smart reasons.

    Source(s): 32 year homeowner, 19 with Ace Hardware
  • 6 years ago

    If the fuses are OK, there could be a GCFI outlet in the series, that tripped, and needs to be reset. Or, there's a broken connection somewhere, which will have to looked at by a pro.

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    Unplug the fuses and plug them back in, if that doesn't work, call an electrician. It could be bad/old wiring. Also check other rooms to see if something similar happened.

  • 6 years ago

    If it's rented, call the landlord and insist that they get it fixed. If it's your property and you want to try mend it yourself, the most important thing is to make CERTAIN the circuit is dead before you start. Don't trust fuseboard labels, they can be wrong, trip ALL power breakers or the main switch and make sure nobody else in the apartment can switch them back on, like put some red tape over them. Unless you are CERTAIN of working safely, don't start.

  • Jim W
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    Talk to the manager or landlord. It's their property and their responsibility. The problem is probably a bad connection in one of the outlets.

  • 6 years ago

    the wiring problem in that socket, call the technician to help you

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.