I’ve seen it wired both ways in new construction. I would personally prefer outlet-to-outlet because the wires are screwed down instead of wire-nutted. I’d rather see the euro style screw buss splice but the closest thing in the states is a push-pin style buss splice.
Either way you splice it this appears to be a daisy chain problem. Somewhere down the line a connection is loose.
there are cases where you want to keep the neutrals for each circuit isolated. otherwise neutrals from different circuits can be get connected later.
I hate to continue this hijack, but… cite?
I’ll see your speculation and raise you an accusation.
We just had a similar problem, and the cuprit was push-in type recepticles daisy chained together. Push-in types, where the little molded diagram on the back encourages you to strip off 1/4 inch or insulation and just stuff the wire on in there are EVIL!! The springs wear out, they don’t adjust to different guages of wire well, and when you shove the whole mess into the box you invariably put stress on these push-in jobs.
Breaker off the circuit, verify each recepticle with a meter, and pull’em out. I’ll bet you a wooden nickel when you take the recepticle out of the box one of the wires will slip right out of its already tenuous connection.
Real electricians, real DIY’ers, USE THE SCREWS!
depends on the wiring method and techniques you can have shared neutrals or neutrals connected. you find it in the real world.
I think you will find that that it not up to NEC standards.
screw don’t push is right.
you don’t have easy means of checking your connections with push in connections. there are some push in devices that tighten with screws and not springs (more frequent on large wire sizes), while better they still can be some problem in the 12 and 14 gauges.
a bent/wrapped connection around a screw can be seen after the device is in place.
You didn’t mention the age or brand of the breaker panel…
I’m hoping it’s not a Federal Pacific “Stablok” one…