What should you do if you have replaced the socket outlets but they still do not work?

Answer 1

Assuming you have checked the main supply panel to be sure that the circuit's breaker has not tripped out, it is possible that a special protection device called GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor) has been fitted between the panel and the outlets. If so, that may need to be reset. It could have tripped when a fault occured in one of the socket outlets, which is why you decided to replace them. If there is a GFCI and it keeps tripping every time you reset it, then there are 2 possibilities: 1) There is something plugged in to one of the outlets, such as an electric kettle, that has a neutral-to-ground short circuit called a "neutral-to-ground fault". Any plugged-in appliance which has a neutral-to-ground fault will always cause the GFCI to trip even though the appliance's own "on-board" on-off switch may be off. So remove all appliances from the outlets and try to reset the GFCI. If all is well, plug in each appliance in turn until you find the one with the neutral-to-ground fault. (Old metal-bodied electric kettles are the worst offenders!) 2) Even if you have replaced the socket outlets there could be a neutral wire touching a ground wire because there is a nick in the insulation. *** (See Note below.) This sometimes happens when the cover is screwed down because the wires are pressed hard against each other to get them into the wall box. The PVC insulation around the wires is very soft so you have to be careful this does not happen. If there was no GFCI protecting the circuit - as in the old days when GFCIs did not exist - it did not matter if a neutral wire touched a ground wire or the metal box itself. But when you have a GFCI protecting a circuit which has that type of fault - probably left over from the days before the house had any GFCIs put in - it will always trip immediately you put power onto the circuit! The reason for that type of neutral-to-ground fault with GFCI-protected circuits is not known to everyone, especially if they have not had to find and fix one before. Speaking from hard experience, neutral-to-ground faults that are in the supply wiring to the socket outlets can be a real pain to find! *** Note: Neutral wires are colored White in USA, Canada and other countries which use similar 60 Hz mains supplies. In Europe and other countries which use 50 Hz mains supplies, Neutral wires are colored Blue for all new work. (Older wiring circuits may still have Black wires for neutral wires.) What is your method for testing the live wires? Just because a wire is a certain color doesn't mean it was installed correctly. Line-to-ground and line-to-neutral are the two tests you should make to read ~120 volts. Buy an inexpensive receptacle tester (about $5) if you're uncertain. It can diagnose several scenarios. IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

If you do this work yourself, always turn off the powerat the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND always use a meter or voltage indicator to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.