I have a situation that puzzles me so if anyone has had a similiar situation I'd sure appeciate the help. One lighting zone in my home, (both wall switches & ceiling lights) flickered and went out. All GFI circuits are working and have been tested and reset. All breakers in the main control breaker box were in the on postition. I have flipped all 22 breakers off and on as well as the main OFF/ON switch at the panel. NO help. Any thoughts?? Anyone? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
And I've only had one circuit breaker go bad, but one was enough to cut power to that zone until I replaced it. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
George, you can isolate the problem to the breaker or the wiring by measuring the voltage on the load side of the breaker. If that's Ok I would guess the problem is wiring at one of the outlets. I suspect the outlets and lighting are "daisy chained" from outlet A to B to C to lights etc. Outlets which are not screwed to the wire but are poke in the hole compression connection are prone to this failure mode. Remove the cover plates and inspect and measure at each outlet. The plugs with the three neon light between the three wires is very helpfull. I work these probems "hot" if your not OK with this, pop the breaker and make a lot of trips or get a helper.
If you have a voltage meter....you will need to check for output of all the single pole breakers from the wire terminal of the breaker to ground..while that breaker is in the On position...(you won't need to do this with the main or any double pole breakers)..even if you have flipped them all to the full off - then back on positions...this will not show an internal problem with the breaker - only the voltage out test will.
If you find one of the breakers shows no voltage to ground...you've found the faulty breaker and it will need to be replaced with an exact replacement (or aftermarket breaker made to fit your panel with the same specs and connection configuration). In my 30 years in the field...I've seen several dozen breakers go bad...they are no different then any other electro-mechanical device and subject to wear and defects.
If you find all single pole breakers are indeed putting out ~120 volts to ground...then you will need to trace out your circuit from the nearest light switch or ceiling box backwards...follow it all the way to it's corresponding breaker...and shut it OFF.Once you have positively identified the correct breaker for this lighting circuit...try to identify the corresponding white that goes with it's black wire at the neutral bar - check to see if it has come loose. (Excercise extreme caution while working in this panel...if you are uncomfortable with it...you may want to hire an electrician to troubleshoot this problem for you) With the correct breaker confirmed and OFF - start opening all the boxes along that wiring path...starting with the closest to the panel and work your way outward. You are looking for any signs of an OPEN...and this could be on either the hot black wire or the neutral white wire...it can be a loose wirenut in the back of a wall box (or ceiling box) or a loose connection at the switch.
If you end up hiring an electrician to help find this problem...this should be a quick fix...less then an hour.
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