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Recently I lost power to several outlets in the kitchen. I read voltage across the outlets until I put a load on (any) one of them.When I put a load on, voltage immediately drops to zero. Disconnect the load and voltage is back. I traced all affected oputlets to a 4 gang breaker in the panel. I still have power on the output of all 4 breakers when a load is applied. I believe I am losing the common side rather than the hot side.
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David,
Sounds like you lost your netural in that circuit.
You mentioned you read voltage across the outlets?? Between what, Ground and Hot, Netural and Hot? What type of tester did you use and how much voltage did you read?
Your problem may be found in a "Working" outlet somewhere between your breaker and the outlets that are not working properly (most likely near the area you have the problem, but don't count on that).
This could be a lose splice or a lose screw on another outlet, sometimes just plugging in a lamp to the affected outlets and then walking around banging on other outlets (working ones) in the area might help you find your problem. (If you bang on one and the lamp comes on, the lose connection is in that box).
Do you have any GFCI's in the kitchen?
Let me know.
Philly -
This sounds like a problem we had in our barn. An EE I know called it a 'resistive open'. It seemed like voltage should be there, but with any load applied it vanished. I don't exactly understand the physics behind it, but you've got a loose wire or connection somewhere.
~Jonathon Reinhart
~Jonathon ReinhartComment
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