Help with Outside Garage Lighting

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Afrowookie said:
Maybe, but how can I find out without tearing down walls? Is there an inexpensive tool that can help me do this.

I did find some circuit tracers for around $200+, but I'm not sure if it'll help my case.

I am willing to spend about 200-250. I just want to get this resolved.
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Do you have an automatic garage door opener?
 
Maybe.

Should I get the Sperry Wire Tracer, it's $50? Maybe I can use to see if the switch wire goes to the dead receptacle? If that's the case maybe I just have to replace receptacle?
 
You said there is no 3 wire w/ground at the receptacle.

At the conduits it looks as if the homeowner caulked around or sprayed foam around the wire, I would see what that wire is IMO.
 
It won't help if you can't find the other end of the same wire.
I would be checking all the rental outfits to see if I could rent a unit.
Either that or open ever box in the garage to look for that red wire.
 
Kabris said:
You said there is no 3 wire w/ground at the receptacle.

At the conduits it looks as if the homeowner caulked around or sprayed foam around the wire, I would see what that wire is IMO.
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OK, you guys keep thinking that the ground wire is some kind of cable.

Let's prove this one way or the other.

Turn off the main for the panel in the garage and take the cover off the garage panel and find the wires coming in and the ground coming in and take pictures of both.
 
Ok, I am going to triple check every single switch and receptacle I can find inside/outside the house/garage.

Then I am going to remove the GFCI's to look for this red wire. I am also going to replace the one receptacle in the garage that I found isn't working. Cheap fix.

I am starting to think that receptacle is the culprit. Why? Just by looking at the suspect wire coming into the garage and where it enters is somewhat close to that receptacle. That receptacle's location is right at the front of the garage, and very close to the outside garage lights.

Could it be that the house switch's wires go from house to the garage receptacle and then from the receptacle it powers the outside garage lights?
 
Yes it is possible it went anywhere in the garage.

This video shows how the sub panel is wired, pay attention to what the wire conduits look like and that there is a ground wire for that sub panel
.[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suf9F2Hev50[/ame]
 
I will look for what you mentioned after work today. Can't watch video right now at work.
 
You have two of these going into the garage, the smaller one should be your light wire, take the cover off and confirm it contains a cable or just stranded wires.

electtric.jpg
 
When looking for the red wire, be real careful as it could have been cut off really short and hard to see..

Is the cable you are finding in the garage the same black cable with the paper wrapping in it?
 
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KISS Principal!

!3pg's of guesses.

Add an extension box to a knockout of either of the outside fixtures you are attempting to energize, run EMT or wire mold to a known power source, switch or receptacle, add an extension to the exterior fixture and a motion/darkness sensor.

Problem solved.

At the switch in question wirenut the suspect conductor, stuff the in the box and install a 2 switch/blank cover plate.

DONE!
 
Afrowookie said:
Maybe.

Should I get the Sperry Wire Tracer, it's $50? Maybe I can use to see if the switch wire goes to the dead receptacle? If that's the case maybe I just have to replace receptacle?
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When you found the bad outlet, did you make sure the power was on at the switch inside and the switch was turned on?
 
Yes I have a garage door opener.

Sorry haven't had a chance to look at anything else today. Very cold outside.
 
Honestly can't remember if the switch was on when I check the suspect outlet. But I will make sure it's on tomorrow when I check it.
 
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Afrowookie said:
Honestly can't remember if the switch was on when I check the suspect outlet. But I will make sure it's on tomorrow when I check it.
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You are using a little cheater to find if you have power.
Do you have to touch the metal or is it one that will work if you are just close?
 
"With one of these you can find power in the wall", actually they do not, they are the typical non-contact tester the OP has been using.

The SPERRY has a disclaimer referencing conduit, metal clad and grounded encl.
 
Snoonyb said:
"With one of these you can find power in the wall", actually they do not, they are the typical non-contact tester the OP has been using.

The SPERRY has a disclaimer referencing conduit, metal clad and grounded encl.
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Looking in the box where the switch is, there does not appear to have conduit.
The caps can be opened where the conduit comes out of the house and into the garage.

Yes no?
 
Yes there are caps. And yes I have a tester like that, but a cheaper version.

Sorry about not posting any results yet from findings in the garage. I haven't done it yet because I been a little under the weather. I probably won't get to it till the weekend.
 
Afrowookie said:
Yes there are caps. And yes I have a tester like that, but a cheaper version.

Sorry about not posting any results yet from findings in the garage. I haven't done it yet because I been a little under the weather. I probably won't get to it till the weekend.
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Not a problem, I was just thinking if you open those caps you might find wires instead of a cable or test there for power, if there is no power there, there may be a problem under ground or in the house. Instead of taking the garage apart looking for something that might not be there.
And that tester looked cheap enough.
Hope you feel better soon.
 
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