Four socket in old house not powering devices

[bob_villain]

Fat, bald, color-blind, left-handed, single, Mormon, lived in a trailer...n o wonder your dead! ?(×?×)?

[clare]

So all of the outlets are the 20 amp type??? 15 amp outlets on 20 amp breaker doesn't meet code.

[clare]

But Southwire doesn't make ALL the wire used in North America There was orange jacketed cloth covered Romex 40 or more years ago. It was 14 guage IIRC - definitely no more than 12 guage - and it was used for baseboard electric heaters. On a 240 circuit it was good for 3500 watts of heat on a 15 amp breaker - generally used on 3000 watt (2

1500 watt units)

If it was 12 guage it was good for 4500 watts - or 3 units.

I know it wasn't "10 because I pulled several hundred feet of it. Thinking back - likely closer to 45 years ago - when I worked some with my dad - an electrician.

The plastic stuff is likely more standardized

[clare]

Not dead. Undead. Zombie

[gfretwell]

Maybe in Canada but not in the US unless it is a single receptacle with no other outlets.

[gfretwell]

Perhaps you missed the "defacto industry standard" part. Find me someone who has made orange 14 gauge romex since the Eisenhower administration. (about the time plastic NM cable appeared) Most of the paper asphalt NM was silver but it might have had red or orange writing on it.

[DerbyDad03]

Doesn't it suck that we have to keep qualifying all mentions of "backstab" receptacles?

[DerbyDad03]

This reminds of the wonderful story you told about the Harbor Freight employee and your "humorous" use of the N-word.

Once again, you bring race into situations that have nothing whatsoever to do with race and then you claim that you are not a racist.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

[clare]

Up here it was brown, black, orange, and occaisionally silver. Our early plastic stuff was black, white, brown, or orange.

[Robert Green]

Why not call them what they are? It's scary that there's no realization that wire labeling scheme is dangerous: Hot, Neutral and Ground are the proper terms. Labeling one as "black" is bound to lead to confusion because electricians sometimes mark white wires with with black tape in 3 or 4 way switch setups, etc.

[trader_4]

Wrong again. 15 amp receptacles on a 20 amp circuit are permitted, in US NEC.

[Stormin Mormon]

Ah, well. So the last guy used the wrong wire gage.

What I found was in between the socket romex and the romex at the panel is about 40 feet of metal pipe, with two conductors which are probably cloth wrap. Certainly, they are ancient. The metal pipe acts as the ground. Not very efffectively so.

[Stormin Mormon]

I've not looked at the backs of the socket. Who knows? May very well be backstabbed. I hope not, those are a PIA to release the wire.

[Stormin Mormon]

They do have a large flat, but it's plugged into outlet strip, then to the outlet. The large flat sits on a piece of furniture.

[Stormin Mormon]

There's back stab, and back clamp.

[Stormin Mormon]

I do not protest too much! That's a false accusation, and I want you to take it back! You're too sensetive. Might that indicate you have some hidden guilt?

[Scott Lurndal]

You don't have a wire cutters? Cut them, discard the cheap receptacle and replace it with spec-grade.

[Stormin Mormon]

Might work, if there is enough wire in the wall. At present, looks like I'll be taking out some steel pipe section of wire, and put in new Romex, so I should have some wire to work with.

[DerbyDad03]

We all want something. We don't always get what we want.

Nope...I'm not the one that keeps bringing race into situations where no one but you would have thought of it.

When I hear "BTW, I'm not being racist..." my first thought is always "No one thought you were...until you said that."

[bob_villain]

The underlying (note: "lying") is that Mormon believe blacks are inferior and can never enter heaven. He *is* a racist of the lowest order...