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Old 11-23-2017, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Louisiana
806 posts, read 877,785 times
Reputation: 1248

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany View Post
You keep on stating Voltage but you are not stating what the Amperage is at the outlet. Low Amperage signifies a open circuit (not short circuit). Disconnect everything on the same line and try the outlet by itself. If it functions then the problem is somewhere else and you may have to replace the entire line. Shut off the breaker to that line as wherever the open circuit is may lead to a fire.
How do you measure the AMPERAGE if the device plugged into the outlet DOES NOT WORK ? There is no current flow . No current flow means NO AMPERAGE .


What do you do for a living ?
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Old 11-23-2017, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Billings, MT
9,884 posts, read 10,981,966 times
Reputation: 14180
Is your voltmeter a "True RMS" meter? I once checked a wire under a workbench in the hangar with my Fluke 73 Multimeter, and found it had 440 volts. When the electrician came around to do some remodeling, he showed me that the wire was not connected to anything in the breaker box. It had enough induced voltage to register on the voltmeter, but it actually had no current capability.
It is obvious you have a similar situation. There is enough voltage to be read on the meter, but no current to actually do any work.
I can only recommend getting a competent electrician in to investigate.
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Old 11-23-2017, 01:48 PM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,707 posts, read 30,763,518 times
Reputation: 9985
Quote:
Originally Posted by selogic View Post
How do you measure the AMPERAGE if the device plugged into the outlet DOES NOT WORK ? There is no current flow . No current flow means NO AMPERAGE .


What do you do for a living ?
Maybe you should read from the beginning of the thread as his meter does work in the outlet and it reading 123.4 volts which is from a device with a very small load. I'll assume either you failed Physics or have no clue how to calculate voltage. So either there is a problem with the Amperage or a problem with Resistance.

https://www.thespruce.com/calculate-...pacity-1152739
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Old 11-23-2017, 01:58 PM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,707 posts, read 30,763,518 times
Reputation: 9985
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillbilly63 View Post
There was not an outlet in this location. Only two wires, clipped, with wire nuts on them. I installed two outlets, thinking the first was bad. The only switch controlling the power to these wires is the breaker in the panel. And I've tried both 2 and 3 pronged items. Same issue.
Try going in reverse. With the breaker switched to OFF, what no longer functions?
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Old 11-23-2017, 03:21 PM
 
13,005 posts, read 18,916,818 times
Reputation: 9252
Maybe bad connection in the wire nuts. That may be where the resistance is.
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Old 11-23-2017, 06:24 PM
 
Location: Texas
3,251 posts, read 2,555,288 times
Reputation: 3127
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany View Post
Maybe you should read from the beginning of the thread as his meter does work in the outlet and it reading 123.4 volts which is from a device with a very small load. I'll assume either you failed Physics or have no clue how to calculate voltage. So either there is a problem with the Amperage or a problem with Resistance.

https://www.thespruce.com/calculate-...pacity-1152739
There's no reason to measure ampacity here.

Also if there is no load on the circuit, you won't see any amperage readings.

My guess is there might be a poor neutral connection. This is common when the symptoms are that voltage is present but nothing works.
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Old 11-23-2017, 07:22 PM
 
Location: Louisiana
806 posts, read 877,785 times
Reputation: 1248
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany View Post
Maybe you should read from the beginning of the thread as his meter does work in the outlet and it reading 123.4 volts which is from a device with a very small load. I'll assume either you failed Physics or have no clue how to calculate voltage. So either there is a problem with the Amperage or a problem with Resistance.

https://www.thespruce.com/calculate-...pacity-1152739
You just continue to get more confusing . What do you mean " have no clue how to calculate voltage " ? His meter is doing that for him . You don't need CURRENT to have a voltage present . And since nothing works in that outlet , THERE IS NO CURRENT . And without current , you can't " calculate voltage " based strictly on the resistance . Ever heard of Ohm's Law ?
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Old 11-23-2017, 07:29 PM
 
Location: The Ranch in Olam Haba
23,707 posts, read 30,763,518 times
Reputation: 9985
Quote:
Originally Posted by selogic View Post
You just continue to get more confusing . What do you mean " have no clue how to calculate voltage " ? His meter is doing that for him . You don't need CURRENT to have a voltage present . And since nothing works in that outlet , THERE IS NO CURRENT . And without current , you can't " calculate voltage " based strictly on the resistance .
You have no clue on how a multimeter works.

V=IxR. What do you think the I stands for???

https://tezimagazine.com/2015/07/07/ohms-law-explained/
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Old 11-23-2017, 08:03 PM
 
Location: Texas
3,251 posts, read 2,555,288 times
Reputation: 3127
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany View Post
You have no clue on how a multimeter works.

V=IxR. What do you think the I stands for???

https://tezimagazine.com/2015/07/07/ohms-law-explained/
Doesn't matter.

Electrician would check neutral connections first. Toning out the circuit and checking for a loose neutral (commonly the white wire) would make the most sense. Most home owners won't have a toner, so he can isolate the circuit by turning the breaker off and identifying what turned off and checking the connections within the box, and leading away from that box first.

This can still be dangerous as depending on the age of the house, multiple circuits may be using the neutral as a return path so there could still be current present from other sources so much care should be taken when

Somebody had an issue before, as the OP said, the wires were just nutted off in the box. If it's an older house, this could lead to crawling in an attic, or under the house to find out where the other end is. I definitely suspect an open circuit.
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Old 11-23-2017, 08:17 PM
 
Location: Louisiana
806 posts, read 877,785 times
Reputation: 1248
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pruzhany View Post
You have no clue on how a multimeter works.

V=IxR. What do you think the I stands for???

https://tezimagazine.com/2015/07/07/ohms-law-explained/

Ok sport , let's try this another way . You plug in a fan to his circuit . It doesn't run . How much current is flowing through that circuit ? You yourself stated that there may be a problem with his amperage . Yeah , there is none . But that isn't the problem , it's the result .
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