4 wire failure

Did you install an accesible junction box as required by code?
What did this wire go to?
Gauge?

Junction box has been installed. Looks like it goes to the three swich in the basement and came up to the top of the stairs as to connect the two switches.

etrain said:

It is pulling 35 amps at this time. What could have gone wrong???

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It's pulling 35 AMPS ??? That's 4200 watts
How did you measure this?
What color wires were cut...ground, white, red & black?
Any sparks while cutting that you noticed?

Scuba_Dave said:

It's pulling 35 AMPS ??? That's 4200 watts
How did you measure this?
What color wires were cut...ground, white, red & black?
Any sparks while cutting that you noticed?

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Opps not amps A/c volts on my multimeter. The rest of the outlets are pulling 127 give or take Yep cut the red black white and ground. Had the power off to the entire home at that point. I just re attacher and all lights from that wire are working now. Wall light and switches still not working but im not seeing a red in that box leading me to think that it does not come from the wire I cut. I recently installed all new switches in that box so I am going to rewire all switches. Still pulling 36-38 volts

Just rewired all switches to the original locations and remeasured. With all switches in the om position I am reading 7 volts at the outlets. When all switches are in the off position I am reading 39 on one and 40 volts on another outlet. Any ideas??

Did you reset the breaker? If you spliced the wires together matching the colours then it has to work. Are you sure all the connections are good? How did you gain enough wire to have 6 inches from each end in the junction box?

How hard can it be? Open up your junction boxes and check your connections.


Or, unwrap the tape, install junction boxes, use the proper cable and make proper connections.:laughing:

Junction box has been installed

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So....you had a couple feet of slack?

Yes 4 wire is working now but wall switch is a mess inside, cant see where it is all coming from. wires are everwhere. I cant see anything thayt was different then before when it was installed with the other switches. I removed some track lighting taped and caped and shoved the wire through the roof and am going to go look at that next.

etrain said:

I am reading 39 on one and 40 volts on another outlet.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_voltage

You need to load your voltmeter with an incand. bulb.

is it common practice to strip the middle of the wire to attach as the hot then go to the next to strip in the middle then go to the next and strip in the middle to get three switches power?

etrain said:

is it common practice to strip the middle of the wire to attach as the hot then go to the next to strip in the middle then go to the next and strip in the middle to get three switches power?

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Yeah, more or less. Cheap way of doing that, but you will find many switches wired in this manner.:huh:

cant seem to find why I have no power or not that much. Breaker is good rewired all switches and still pulling small load. Not sure what the next step is....

etrain said:

cant seem to find why I have no power or not that much. Breaker is good rewired all switches and still pulling small load. Not sure what the next step is....

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You need to check your wires compared to a known good ground. Maybe there is a receptacle on the wall near where you are working. Use that receptacle's ground for one probe of your meter. Check the wires with the other probe and see what you come up with.