Matt2050
New Member
I have a circuit that has 5 different outlet boxes on it, 2 work just fine 3 show both white and black as hot using a pen like voltage tester but when tested with a multimeter show 0 voltage. The two that work are connected through a junction box. A hot wire comes in and then the two other wires go to a corresponding outlet box. The three that don't, all have two wires in each box. I think that means I should have another outlet somewhere that would be the end of the line. I figured that there must another junction box that splits the initial live wire from breaker into the 3(maybe 4th) outlets line and the 2 outlets line. When I initially was trying to troubleshoot, I guessed that a neutral was wired wrong, but when there was no voltage on all of the wires that go into the outlets, I got stumped. I'm creating too many holes in the walls tracing wires and I'm getting to close to having to get behind a backsplash and a transom. That is going to get me into a lot of trouble. What would cause the 3 outlets to show hot with the pen voltage tester and then not have voltage?