Circuit breaker question

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While I was testing a power outlet, the live wire side of the outlet touched the metal boxing and some sparks flew and knocked out the power for the entire house. Both the breaker for the outlet and the main breaker were tripped. After resetting both the breakers I got the power back up.

I would like to know if that could of caused any potential damage to the electronics in the house that are on different circuit breakers in the breaker panel. All the rooms in my house have properly grounded outlets except for one I just discovered where the grounding wasn't working properly. That one room has two desktop computers, computer networking equipment that are all plugged into a surge protector. So far all my electronics turn on fine. Since the room isn't grounded properly I am concerned if outlet accident would have caused any damage to the equipment in that room. I have no electrical background so if any certified electrician could answer my questions I would greatly appreciate it.

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@OldmanJames,

Jim you're probably okay
But let's hear from more-nearly expert parts

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@OldmanJames,

Sounds like a regular (overload) breaker or a ground leakage breaker tripped, or maybe both. The kind of surge that damages electronics is usually an overvoltage caused by something outside, such as lightning striking overheard wires, or a fault in a substation or a pole-mounted transformer. If all equipment is working fine, I would not worry too much.

However, I would worry about your safety. If you could let such a thing happen, you aren't really safe to work on AC wiring, and you could hurt or kill yourself or someone else.

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@Tes yeux noirs,

As a retired electronics writer, designer, inventor, and ham operator I am impressed by your technical abillity

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

Father was a power distribution engineer, (and I mean a real engineer) and I have been a electronics and computer hobbyist since about 1965.

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@Tes yeux noirs,

Quote:

However, I would worry about your safety. If you could let such a thing happen, you aren't really safe to work on AC wiring, and you could hurt or kill yourself or someone else.

What he was trying to tell you was kill the circuit breaker. Dont work it hot.

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I turned off the power and checked the wiring in the room with malfunctioning grounding, the outlets have the ground wires connected tightly and the ground cable is connected at the breaker panel end as well. I have no idea why it stopped working.

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@Tes yeux noirs,

Quote:

...and computer hobbyist since about 1965.

And I go back to about 1945

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Hmmm say if the hot and neural wires were reversed, would that cause the grounding to not work?

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@OldmanJames,

I recommend you get an electrician out there yesterday.

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@OldmanJames,

Quote:

if the hot and neural wires were reversed, would that cause the grounding to not work?

Why do you think the grounding isn't working?

1 Reply

@Tes yeux noirs,

My surge protector grounding led no longer turns on for that room, I also have a new surge protector with the same feature showing the same thing. I tried both surge protectors in other rooms and they all show working grounding since the led turns on. I will be purchasing an outlet tester later today to test all the wiring in the outlets.

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@OldmanJames,

I figured out why the surge protector was displaying no ground for my outlets. The contractor that finished that room a few weeks ago apparently reversed the hot and neutral wires in the original outlet while adding the additional 4 outlets. After correcting the wires in the original outlet, all of them are working fine now, I bought an outlet tester and tested all the outlets just in case.

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Circuit breaker question

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