Electrical Question

[VladtheImpaler]

For any electrician or otherwise handy individual...

I swapped out an unsightly plug for a new one I bought at Home Depot, hooked it up exactly the same wiring-wise, but now I cannot reset the fuse switch on the electrical panel to the "ON" position - it just "blows" everytime I try to switch it on. What gives?

[Nage Waza]

Vlad, undo what you have done and start over. There is a live wire touching something that shouldn't be. I assume you have breakers as well not fuses?

Make sure what you are trying to install is appropriate for the situation, and be safe. Make sure the breaker is off and test before continuing.

[jeffh]

Try this: Pull the receptacle out of the box but leave all the wires attached to the receptacle, murretts, and the ground to the junction box. Then try and flip the breaker. If it stays on, then you probably had a short when you packed the wires back in the box previously.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by jeffh

Try this: Pull the receptacle out of the box but leave all the wires attached to the receptacle, murretts, and the ground to the junction box. Then try and flip the breaker. If it stays on, then you probably had a short when you packed the wires back in the box previously.

Hmmm. No dice - same result with the receptacle out.

[DuffMan]

is it an afci breaker?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

is it an afci breaker?

Is that the one with the button, like in the bathrooms? No, just a standard one. There are two different plus that run off this breaker.

[psyang]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Hmmm. No dice - same result with the receptacle out.

Most receptacles have a tab that you have to remove, that connects the top and bottom outlets together.

Sorry, I'm not an electrician, but I remember having to do this when I switched out an outlet a few months ago.

Compare the new with the old outlet, look for an extra piece of metal along the side or back that looks like you can break off.

See this link: Remove Hot Tab on the Outlet

[Northendzone]

I am assuming that you have black to brass and white to silver.

Are you using the screws on the side of the outlet to attach the wire, or pushing the wires into the back of the outlet?

Lastly, what happens when you hook up the old outlet.

[DuffMan]

Is it a fuse or breaker in your panel? I was talking about the breaker being an afci.

Do you still have the box the receptacle came in. You shoul make sure it is nothing weird

[stampsx2]

You've got a short somewhere. If it's only the recepticle you replaced then you likely either hooked something up wrong to the recepticle or possibly screwed down the marette too much. The wire may have poked through the marette and be shorting against the recepticle housing.

Pictures of what you did would help.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by psyang

Most receptacles have a tab that you have to remove, that connects the top and bottom outlets together.

Sorry, I'm not an electrician, but I remember having to do this when I switched out an outlet a few months ago.

Compare the new with the old outlet, look for an extra piece of metal along the side or back that looks like you can break off.

See this link: Remove Hot Tab on the Outlet

You only do this if you want to have separate hot wires to the upper and lower plugs. This is usually only the case with kitchen plugs or bedroom plugs where half the outlet is controlled by a switch.

As mentioned above you should have the black connected to the gold post on one side, the white to the silver post on the other and the green connected to the small screw on the bottom. What you have now is a dead short.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Jacks

You only do this if you want to have separate hot wires to the upper and lower plugs. This is usually only the case with kitchen plugs or bedroom plugs where half the outlet is controlled by a switch.

As mentioned above you should have the black connected to the gold post on one side, the white to the silver post on the other and the green connected to the small screw on the bottom. What you have now is a dead short.

I have a red, a black, white, and the ground. I think the tab in the middle might be the problem. I will try to break it off and see what happens.

[VladtheImpaler]

Eureka - thanks psyang! You solved the puzzle.

[Jacks]

Glad the house didn't burn down.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Eureka - thanks psyang! You solved the puzzle.

have you confirmed you have power to the upper and lower sockets? That's an odd solution. Normally in a situation like that, you should have 3 wires, not 4. That red one is odd, only ever seen them in 3 or 4 way circuits.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

have you confirmed you have power to the upper and lower sockets? That's an odd solution. Normally in a situation like that, you should have 3 wires, not 4. That red one is odd, only ever seen them in 3 or 4 way circuits.

Not really. If it's a half switched plug they might have used a 3 wire (red/black/white) to feed the plug from the switch. The black would be the regular hot wire and the red would be the switched hot.

If it's in the kitchen then it would be a 3 wire straight from the box since the top and bottom are separate circuits.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Not really. If it's a half switched plug they might have used a 3 wire (red/black/white) to feed the plug from the switch. The black would be the regular hot wire and the red would be the switched hot.

If it's in the kitchen then it would be a 3 wire straight from the box since the top and bottom are separate circuits.

It's in the kitchen.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

It's in the kitchen.

ah, makes sense. kind of.

I have split plugs on both sides of my sink, ie I think tops are on one circuit and bottoms on a different. Split plugs are common in kitchens are common because of the appliances using a lot of power. microwaves, toasters, blenders.

Is your breaker a 20 amp?

I still don't know how yours works now that you took the tab off, but then again I'm no electrician either.

[DuffMan]

duplicate post replacement

[DuffMan]

triplicate post replacement

.