Replaced a 2-prong ungrounded electricl outlet with a 3-prong grounded one, but when testing the voltage, the hot-ground only shows 50v, while the hot-neutral shows 120v. Any advice to fix this? [more inside]
posted by jmg967 on Jul 14, 2009 - 24 answers

2 outlets & a ceiling light stopped working at the same time. None of the circuit breakers were flipped. What would cause this, and how can I troubleshoot it? [more inside]
posted by designbot on Aug 30, 2007 - 15 answers

I need to add grounding to an outlet. How bad an idea is it to chain the ground to the ground of another outlet that is on a different circuit a few feet up from that one? [more inside]
posted by BrotherCaine on Jul 24, 2007 - 12 answers

I have a electric (220v) dryer, but my new house is set up for gas, and the outlet is only 110v. I think that I have a situation where it would be relatively easy for me to install a new 220v outlet next to the current one without having to involve a professional. Does the scenario (inside) appear workable for the average diy'er? [more inside]
posted by trivirgata on Feb 21, 2006 - 20 answers

Today the top half of a regular wall outlet stopped working. No pulling or pushing of plugs was involved, and the bottom half still delivers electricity without problems (AFAIK). As the bottom half is still powered, it doesn't appear to be a switch or fuse issue (None are tripped). How would this happen, and how difficult a repair is this likely to be? Is it likely a problem simply with the outlet itself, or the wiring in the wall?
posted by birdsquared on Jul 18, 2005 - 11 answers

My wife and I recently rented a house in the Phinney Ridge area of Seattle. When renting I saw that all of the outlets were 3 prong outlets and that there was a breaker box and not a fuse box, so I assumed it was all wired correctly. Now that we've moved in, I've found that 6 of the 10 outlets are coming up as "open ground" when using a grounding tester. [more inside]
posted by freshgroundpepper on Jul 4, 2005 - 13 answers

I have a closet in a converted basement (drywall). In the closet there is a light bulb powered by a switch so I assume there is electricity. My burning desire in life is to get a power outlet in that closet. What steps do I need to take? Is this a crazy young-person sort of dreamer's dream?
posted by xmutex on Feb 6, 2004 - 17 answers