2 plug ins or 110 ac outlets not working, any ideas?

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RobinsBill

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Posts
290
Location
Oregon
1998 Beaver Patriot
We have 2 plug ins or 110 ac outlets not working, any ideas?  There are 2 in the bedroom, one on each side of the bed, the one on the passenger side does not work the other does.  And the one at the bathroom sink is not working (also on passenger side).  We have checked the breakers, all looks fine there.  There is a plug in on the passenger side basement and it works just fine.
 
It sounds like your GFCI breaker has tripped. Look at your receptacles for a small button in the middle and press it to reset the breaker. Should be the bathroom breaker or it could be the outside breaker.
 
SeilerBird said:
It sounds like your GFCI breaker has tripped. Look at your receptacles for a small button in the middle and press it to reset the breaker. Should be the bathroom breaker or it could be the outside breaker.

Already pressed the little tiny reset button in the middle of the outlet on the bathroom one that isn't working...  The bedroom one doesn't have one of those little reset buttons.

Where would we find this outside breaker?
 
SeilerBird said:
There should be an outlet some where.

The outlet in the basement does not have a GFCI reset button and it works just fine anyway...  I thought you were referring to some sort of breaker box outside that we weren't aware of.  I hope it ends up being something silly and easy like everything else so far has ended up being.  We are slowly getting to know this coach and how to make everything work.  It's been very fun  :)
 
Have you found the main breaker box? If so turn off each of the breakers one at a time and then turn them back on right away. Sometimes a breaker can look like it is not tripped when it really is.
 
SeilerBird said:
Have you found the main breaker box? If so turn off each of the breakers one at a time and then turn them back on right away. Sometimes a breaker can look like it is not tripped when it really is.

Yes, we turned the breaker off and back on, no luck  :-\
 
Look at the location of your breaker box. Look at the location of the dead outlet closest to the breaker box. Remove that outlet from the wall very carefully and check both pairs of wires with your multimeter and verify that both of the pairs are dead. If one of the pairs of wires is live then the outlet needs to be replaced. If both are dead then you need to find an outlet that would be located somewhere in between that outlet and the breaker box and try the same thing checking the power with a multimeter.

If you don't have a multimeter then go to Walmart auto section and spend $20 on a digital one. Every RVer should have one in their toolbox.
 
SeilerBird said:
Look at the location of your breaker box. Look at the location of the dead outlet closest to the breaker box. Remove that outlet from the wall very carefully and check both pairs of wires with your multimeter and verify that both of the pairs are dead. If one of the pairs of wires is live then the outlet needs to be replaced. If both are dead then you need to find an outlet that would be located somewhere in between that outlet and the breaker box and try the same thing checking the power with a multimeter.

If you don't have a multimeter then go to Walmart auto section and spend $20 on a digital one. Every RVer should have one in their toolbox.

we used the multimeter in the outlet, but didn't take anything apart and check the wires.  Might get to that tomorrow.  Getting moved out of our apartment this upcoming weekend, so need to take the motorhome to storage.  A lot going on  :D
 
Thanks SeilerBird, Bill says that makes sense to him...  I bet he will be out there in the morning  ;)  Won't be able to stop thinking about it if we take the motorhome to storage without testing that at least  ;)
 
It surely sounds like a GCI problem. There is only one GFCI in a circuit - it protects the rest of the outlets downstream from it. When you pressed the Reset button did it "click" into place? There should be a definite feel that a switch has engaged. The reset will not work if there is no power in the circuit, and sometimes the GFCI mechanism itself simply stops working.
 
If your outlet wires are "stabbed" in VS screwed down.  You likely have the issue mentioned above.
Check the wires in the back.  IF you find one that has power coming in but not going out.  THERE is you problem. 

This happens on a regular basis in Stick and brick houses.
 
The reset button does not "click", and Bill checked the wire (didn't have much time) and it seemed good.  Thinking its as easy as we just need to change out the plug.  Had to take the motorhome to a storage place.  We pick up the moving truck this Saturday and will be moving out of our Southern Oregon Apt. to our place in Turner.  It'll be a week or so before we can follow up on what we find the "fix" is.  Thank you!  :)
 
I encountered a circuit in a stick house once where there were multiple GFI plugs
in a single circuit.  The home owner had purchased them thinking a plug in is a plug in.

You might double check that a previous owner has not set up a problem for you.. . .
Just a thought.  Good luck, happy hunting.  The solution is out there, you just have
to see it.
 
My suggestion is based on my not being totally clear on your problem so... If you have 50 amp system, have you checked both circuits legs?  I know that if one side trips you will lose that side but other side will continue working.

Jennifer
 
Just a quick follow up on this thread...  we have discovered that if we use the adapter to plug in to 30 amp instead of 50 amp, everything works just fine.  We are curious as to why though?
 
Sounds like one leg of your 50amp plug in is dead. Your adapter is splitting the hot side of the 30 amp service to provide power to both legs of your power box. That will make all outlets hot, but you won't be able to run more than one air conditioner at a time. One split 30 amp just won't provide enough power without popping the 30amp circuit breaker.


Lee
 
Sounds like a dead leg to me. Have your hubby check the voltages at the outlet you are plugging into with a voltmeter to make sure both legs are hot.
 
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