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adam9280
join:2005-01-02
Rochester, MI

adam9280

Member

[Electrical] Wires losing power when hooking up ceiling fan

A ceiling fan we used for a few years kinda sparked/popped when I pulled the light cord and wouldn't turn on (no fuses blew). Thought it was the fan so I purchased a new one. It does not have a wall switch controlling the power. I hooked up the new fan and it didn't work. I tested the wires with a small two lead tester that has a small bulb. It lights when the wires aren't connected to the fan wires but as soon as I touch the fan wires the tester light goes out. No fuses blow and all the other lights connected to that circuit still work. The electrician might be the next step but has anyone seen this happen?

davidg
Good Bye My Friend
MVM
join:2002-06-15
00000

davidg

MVM

yep, usually you have a splice that opened or this is part of a multiwire branch circuit and only one leg tripped on the short. you get enough voltage to light a tester but not enough to actually power anything. Unless you have easy access via attic I would let a pro trace it out. If you do have access then see where the wire goes into the wall and look for an outlet/switchbox below that. then just work back from there until you find the problem.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO

nunya

MVM

What he said. It sounds kind of like a dirty open to me. Hard for pros to find, even harder for non-pros.

adam9280
join:2005-01-02
Rochester, MI

adam9280 to davidg

Member

to davidg
Thanks for the reply. Fun part is it's on the 1st floor ceiling of a 2 story house in the middle of about a 10x30 room. Time to call the pro.
bbear2
Premium Member
join:2003-10-06
dot.earth

bbear2 to adam9280

Premium Member

to adam9280
Disclaimer, I'm not a pro. However, I did have a similar situation and it was with a feeder circuit as mentioned already. I looked at the outlets along the branch. They were passing the current from the breaker to the trouble spot.

All I did was remove the face plate and shine a light in there. In one case I could see a rusty screw (that was eventually cleaned up and replaced the outlet). In another case there was some obvious black charring (that outlet too was replaced and the wire cleaned up). After that, all was back to normal.

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro to adam9280

Premium Member

to adam9280
Looks like a fried switch.

adam9280
join:2005-01-02
Rochester, MI

adam9280

Member

said by cowboyro:

Looks like a fried switch.

What switch?

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro

Premium Member

The one at the end of the cord you pulled.

adam9280
join:2005-01-02
Rochester, MI

adam9280

Member

on both old and new fans?

cowboyro
Premium Member
join:2000-10-11
CT

cowboyro

Premium Member

Missed the new fan part, my bad.