Dead Outlets

[OzzieO]

About a month ago 3 outlets in my house went dead. They are all on the same wall in 2 different rooms. I have checked all of the breakers at the box and all are good. This is in the original part of my house which was built in 1941 so as you might guess, this is is old wiring and I have no blueprints or plans for the house.
Being this old, there are many outlets and/or lights on each circuit. Everything else has power and is operating fine. There are working outlets in the rooms with the dead outlets so I suspect the the dead outlets are fed off of one of the working outlets.
My question is how do I hunt down where the feed is supposed to be coming from?
Or, how else should I go about attempting to solve this?

TIA

 

[Afjes]

The very first thing I would do is to check for a tripped GFCI receptacle.
This is your chance to test all of the GFCI receptacles in your house no matter their locations or how far they are from these dead outlets/receptacles. Many times in homes that old where there are no grounds to receptacles GFCI receptacles are used for personal safety. Press the "test" button with the very tip of your finger and then the "reset" button to reset them. They should be tested every month anyway.

If no GFCIs are tripped then the next thing to do is to find the receptacle closest to the receptacles that are dead. If you know the breaker that controls the dead outlets then turn off that breaker. Check all receptacles on that circuit by pulling them out of the box (don't disconnect them all together yet) and checking the wires going to them. If any are backstabbed move the wires to the screws. It is possible that a receptacle has gone bad and is not passing power downstream. Also if any are backstabbed it is possible that the connection is now loose causing a disruption in downstream power.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[OzzieO]

Thanks for your reply. The only GFCI I have is in the bathroom and that is working and on a different circuit.

I installed all of these receptacles (working & now non working) as replacements for very old ones years ago and always use the screw attachments for connection.

The possibility of a receptacle having gone bad is very real. One of the dead outlets at the end of the chain is controlled by a wall switch and I pulled that switch from the box and it fell apart. I know that wasn't the cause of my problem but it did show that components can fail.

I will do as you suggest and see if I can locate the cause of power not going downstream.

A thought I had was to, with the breaker off, check for continuity from a feed from a working upstream outlet to one of the dead ones. From the position of the panel, I can make an educated guess on the route of the wiring. Does this make sense?

 

[Fitter30]

Have a meter? Might of lost a neutral or a hot. All receptacles are 2 wire? Use a extension cord from a working receptacle check with a meter. One side metervto the other side. Total dead start at fuse/ breaker box to pulling switches and other dead devices.

 

[WorthFlorida]

1941 the original wires were Romex, a fabric insulation cable. Varmits loved to eat them. Open all outlets in the room, pull out the outlets and you may just find a broken wire. With power on, use a voltmeter or a non contact voltage tester.

 

[OzzieO]

Have a meter? Might of lost a neutral or a hot. All receptacles are 2 wire? Use a extension cord from a working receptacle check with a meter. One side metervto the other side. Total dead start at fuse/ breaker box to pulling switches and other dead devices.

Yes, 2 wire everywhere. Can you clarify the one side to the other side part? Thanks

1941 the original wires were Romex, a fabric insulation cable. Varmits loved to eat them. Open all outlets in the room, pull out the outlets and you may just find a broken wire. With power on, use a voltmeter or a non contact voltage tester.

Yes, original fabric insulation wires. I've pulled what I thought were the logical upstream outlets but haven't found any broken wires yet. Will continue.
Thanks

 

[Fitter30]

Need a meter can purchase one for under $25

 

[OzzieO]

I do have a meter. Are you saying to plug the extension cord into a working outlet and check the dead outlet by sticking one lead of the meter into the dead outlet and one side in the extension cord?
I appreciate your advice, just trying to clarify what "One side metervto the other side" means.

Thanks

 

[WorthFlorida]

Not sure about this procedure. If the live outlets and dead outlets are wired to the same breaker, OK, if not you could read 240v.

 

[Fitter30]

I do have a meter. Are you saying to plug the extension cord into a working outlet and check the dead outlet by sticking one lead of the meter into the dead outlet and one side in the extension cord?
I appreciate your advise, just trying to clarify what "One side metervto the other side" means.

Thanks

Yes then you can find out if the hot is dead or the neutral or both.