# New electrical outlet won't work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966 "2015-07-12T19:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/1 "2015-07-12T19:39:08Z")
Continuing the saga. I found the old outlet was home for a nest of ants and spiders. I removed that, and inserted a new one, wired as shown: [Photobucket | Make your memories fun!](http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/dauerbach100/library/?view=recent&page=1) I know the wires are live, but the outlet does not work. I am sure I am doing something fundamentally wrong, but it is so fundamental that I have no idea what it is. This is downstream of a GFCI outlet, and on that circuit. Any help will be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/2 "2015-07-12T20:19:48Z")
Hard to see the actual wire connections. There’s a little tab on each side that bridges between the top and bottom outlets. If those tabs are unbroken, then I don’t see what could be wrong other than the outlet being bad. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/3 "2015-07-12T20:24:49Z")
I thought of that and this is the second outlet I tried. Both new. I don’t believe both could be bad. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/4 "2015-07-12T20:30:25Z")
Was the previous outlet non-functional, or just unacceptably infested? If the latter, try reinstalling it and testing. If it doesn’t work, it’s probably your technique. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/5 "2015-07-12T20:34:36Z")
Is the new outlet tripping the upstream GFIC? What is the voltage between the white, black and bare (ground) wires? Black to white and bare should be 110-120VAC White to bare should be 0. Next thing I would try is directly powering something from the black - white wire pare, such as a test light socket. If that lights I would also try black/ground, that should trip the GFIC upstream outlet. IF those check out It appears to be the outlet. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/6 "2015-07-12T22:07:03Z")
How do you know the wires are live? What voltages do you get. I would start by checking the GFCI outlet. I can not determine what you have with the pictures. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/7 "2015-07-12T22:24:11Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > How do you know the wires are live? What voltages do you get. > I would start by checking the GFCI outlet. > I can not determine what you have with the pictures. Next I’d check all the other outlets on that circuit to see if they have power. I’m assuming that red wire nut has three black wires in it; if so then it is correct, but give the nut a twist, maybe corrosion got in there and opened up the pathway. A piece of 220 grit sandpaper would shine up all the copper wire where the connections have to be made, for an outdoor installation this is something that should be done. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/8 "2015-07-13T16:08:10Z")
The other outlets on this circuit do have power. I know it has power because, well, I saw it spark. I thought I had tripped the GFCI, but had not, and found out. The GFCI worked great, shut off the current immediately. The old outlet was rusted and chewed up beyond possible use. I wonder if one of the white wires was broken it would behave like this. ---
**Author:** ![Khendrask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@Khendrask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khendrask)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/9 "2015-07-13T16:28:21Z")
Why on earth are you working on this live? And as long as it is, do you have a multimeter? What is the AC Voltage from black to white? From black to green? From white to green ON the actual outlet? ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/10 "2015-07-13T17:06:21Z")
You have 2 white wires connected because the circuit continues from here, right? Why is there only 1 black wire connected? Stupid question, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/11 "2015-07-13T17:21:15Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > You have 2 white wires connected because the circuit continues from here, right? Why is there only 1 black wire connected? Stupid question, I know. Possibly because the connected hot is a different circuit (breaker) than the tied-through ones, with the two just sharing the neutral. If so, good practice would have the neutrals tied together and then tailed to the receptacle here. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/12 "2015-07-13T19:09:04Z")
I wondered myself about the solitary black. There is a second black wire which is connected to a red wire twisted together and secured with a wire nut. I tried using the multimeter but got screwy numbers. As simple a device as it is, I do not really know how it works. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/13 "2015-07-13T19:20:22Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > I wondered myself about the solitary black. There is a second black wire which is connected to a red wire twisted together and secured with a wire nut. Right, so perhaps the red wire there and the black on the device are different circuits, on separate single-pole breakers. The black tied to the red is carrying the other circuit on to other locations. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/14 "2015-07-13T19:24:02Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Any help will be greatly appreciated. You need an electrician. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/15 "2015-07-13T20:09:20Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > The other outlets on this circuit do have power. I know it has power because, well, I saw it spark. This is providing you no information. The information is that - the socket gets no power - other sockets do. Therefore there is a problem in between and its unusual. It is vital that the wiring be inspected by a trained professional. The fault may be hazardous . It may be hazardous in a way that you do not expect, eg aging or incorrect insulation , or an issue with the different colour codes in use. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/16 "2015-07-13T20:11:30Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > I wondered myself about the solitary black. There is a second black wire which is connected to a red wire twisted together and secured with a wire nut. > > I tried using the multimeter but got screwy numbers. As simple a device as it is, I do not really know how it works. My swag is you got screwy numbers because the line is not truly live. You may be getting an induced line voltage that decays under a slight load. Sparking is not a good method to see if a line is live. Sounds like the safest thing you could do is walk away and call an electrician or have the paramedics on stand by. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/17 "2015-07-14T16:14:02Z")
I think that what I will do is call an electrician. As always, the advice from this forum is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-electrical-outlet-wont-work/724966/18 "2015-07-14T16:56:18Z")
I think that what I will do is call an electrician. As always, the advice from this forum is excellent.