Electrical outlets

[dana22]

We have a 2016 Heartland Landmark Ashland. We have no power to the outlet in the bathroom or the outlets in the island. The ground fault plug which is near the sink in bedroom area has power. Would appreciate any ideas as to what to do as we have exhausted ours.

Thanks

 

[danemayer]

Hi Dana22,

The outlet in the bathroom and those in the island are likely downstream from the GFCI in the bedroom. If the GFCI outlet has power, I'd suggest examining the wires on the backside of the GFCI outlet to see if something is not making contact.

If the GFCI outlook looks ok, do the same for the bathroom outlet.

Sometimes a non-contact voltage tester is helpful. If you pull the outlet away from the wall, the non-contact tester will quickly tell you which wires are hot, and which are not. Get the $20 tester. The $10 testers are not nearly as good. Most hardware stores carry them.

 

[wdk450]

Hi Dana22,

The outlet in the bathroom and those in the island are likely downstream from the GFCI in the bedroom. If the GFCI outlet has power, I'd suggest examining the wires on the backside of the GFCI outlet to see if something is not making contact.

If the GFCI outlook looks ok, do the same for the bathroom outlet.

Sometimes a non-contact voltage tester is helpful. If you pull the outlet away from the wall, the non-contact tester will quickly tell you which wires are hot, and which are not. Get the $20 tester. The $10 testers are not nearly as good. Most hardware stores carry them.

You can also stick the Non Contact voltage tester probe in the Hot slot of the outlet. If wired correctly, the HOT side of the AC outlet should be in the shorter of the 2 slots.

You DID test trip and reset the GFCI outlet, didn't you? Good GFCI outlets will have "test" and "reset" buttons on the front, and maybe a green "Power On" indicator LED.

The Non Contact AC voltage tester is also a valuable electrical safety device to have on hand to help prevent accidental trailer frame to ground shocks from bad RV park pedestal wiring, or bad shorepower cord connections. Safety experts suggest that you check the park outlet BEFORE PLUGGING IN, and hold the non contact AC voltage tester to exposed metal on your plugged in RV BEFORE touching anything on the trailer. I have personally had a bad RV park outlet that put live voltage on my trailer frame.

 

[mlpeloquin]

All except, at least I think except for the GFI socket, are insulation displacement wire connectors. They are daisy chained and if one wire popped out the rest of the sockets down stream are dead. To find it is a process of elimination. I have a very sensitive non-contact tester and can follow the wires through the walls so long as the wire is within four inches. After five years, I just lost power to two sockets. The same two that were dead before. I suspect the open connection is where it was before. In a socket with three romex connections. These sockets were not meant for three. The third wire just makes it so long as the first two are fully seated. I am replacing the socket with a shallow retro fit box and home stile socket. So one at a time starting with the first working socket in the chain, you will have to open it up and take the back of the socket off to find the disconnect. Do turn off the power before doing so. I used a good pair of needle nose pliers to seat the wires all the way down into the contacts.

 

[wdk450]

All except, at least I think except for the GFI socket, are insulation displacement wire connectors. They are daisy chained and if one wire popped out the rest of the sockets down stream are dead. To find it is a process of elimination. I have a very sensitive non-contact tester and can follow the wires through the walls so long as the wire is within four inches. After five years, I just lost power to two sockets. The same two that were dead before. I suspect the open connection is where it was before. In a socket with three romex connections. These sockets were not meant for three. The third wire just makes it so long as the first two are fully seated. I am replacing the socket with a shallow retro fit box and home stile socket. So one at a time starting with the first working socket in the chain, you will have to open it up and take the back of the socket off to find the disconnect. Do turn off the power before doing so. I used a good pair of needle nose pliers to seat the wires all the way down into the contacts.

Or replace the outlets with GOOD CONTACT home screw connection types.