electrical socket problem

[redsilk]

i turned on my central vac, and had suction for like 2 seconds then i had no power. When i went to check out why, it appears that the socket that the central vac was connected too no longer works. I tried connecting other electical items to it, and nothing works fromthis socket. I tried turning on and off the main fuse box, but it did not help. can anyone tell me what happened and how to fix this. thanks.

[IoannI]

Get an electrical outlet tester and check to see if there is any power going to it. Is it a GFCI? If it is reset the GFCI. Go back to you panel and check that any of the breaker have not fallen, maybe you flicked the wrong one on and off.

[Dustbunny]

If it does turn out to be a dead outlet, just go buy another and install it (assuming you are handy with minor electrical work). Sometimes the outlet or even half the outlet can just burn out and go dead. If that still doesn't work then you have other problems that probably extend into the wiring and that is best be left to an electrician to fix.

[Pete_Coach]

You said that you tried the "main fuse box". Can I assume that you re-set the circuit breaker for that plug or do you in fact have fuses?
Did you try any other plugs in the area? Normally there is more than one plug in a circuit. It is very unusual for one outlet to "go dead". It would have to indicate that there is a loose wire somewhere.

[BuildingHomes]

The vac was plugged in, it ran for a couple of seconds and then stopped. We plugged it into another outlet in the garage and it worked fine.

I'm guessing it might be a loose connection on the outlet. But this is a new house and it's covered under warranty. Just really annoying.

[deep]

The vac was plugged in, it ran for a couple of seconds and then stopped. We plugged it into another outlet in the garage and it worked fine.

I'm guessing it might be a loose connection on the outlet. But this is a new house and it's covered under warranty. Just really annoying.

Are you paraphrasing the OP, or are you the OP????

It does indeed sound like a loose connection or bad outlet. I wouldn't call in the builder. It should take 5 minutes for the homeowner to resolve, assuming you own a screwdriver. If you don't own a screwdriver, 7 minutes.

[BuildingHomes]

Are you paraphrasing the OP, or are you the OP????

No, I was the vac installer.

I was paranoid that I may have cut a wire when I drilled into the house, but I hand cut the drywall and there was 6" of spray foam behind that that I removed by hand until I hit the wood and then drilled into the house. No wires.

If I indeed nicked a wire there would have been a lot of sparks

[Drthorne]

I would think it's a faulty circuit breaker in the panel if it only works for a few seconds

[redsilk]

thanks for the response. i've used the vac before. This was maybe my 4th time using the vac.

it was the circuit breaker that i checked and not the fuse box and i did chekc the appropriate one. I tried the other sockets in the area, and they all work. Like building homes, i connected the vac to another socket and it worked fine.

I have no skill or knowledge of how to see if there is a loose wire.

Would this really be under builder's warranty even though it worked before. Can they say that by installing the central vac, that we may have caused damage to it somehow?

[sunnybono]

Has anyone pulled the plug out of the socket yet. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the plug itself. I had the builders electrician replace the outdoor GFCI's twice, until I go fed up and bought a good brand from an electrical store!!!!

sk

[telman]

If you cannot find another plug or light that is not working, then the fuse/circuit breaker is okay, there are more than one plug on the circuit. I have nicked wires before and you don't always see sparks, usually the drill bit is sorched though. It could be a faulty receptacle, loose wire attaching to the recpt. and if you are uneasy about working electrical wire, do yourself a favour, get a pro!

[BuildingHomes]

Would this really be under builder's warranty even though it worked before. Can they say that by installing the central vac, that we may have caused damage to it somehow?

It would be covered under the builders warranty. If it is a defective outlet then it will need to be replaced.

[chrome_boy]

Did you try any other plugs in the area? Normally there is more than one plug in a circuit. It is very unusual for one outlet to "go dead". It would have to indicate that there is a loose wire somewhere.

Central vacs usually are on their own circuits. Not sure if this is because of code though.

[BuildingHomes]

Central vacs usually are on their own circuits. Not sure if this is because of code though.

They should be, but they aren't always. Vacs draw anywhere between 8 to 15 amps while running. Many manufactures actually recommend 20A circuits, but I've never seen a builder install a 20A circuit (even though I ask for it on the houses I work on)