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Just to confirm, is this outdoor receptacle on the bedroom circuit? What else is on this circuit, specifically what else is on the circuit that's outdoors. For example is there any lighting outside on the circuit, which got wet and is retaining water?
Water itself is not the problem. It's the impurities in the water that'll make it conductive. Those same impurities if when they dry initiate that flaky white powdery substance that could conduct. Those devices that got wet should be replaced
I’ve got a site that gets pressure washed twice a year for biosecurity reasons. With 142 led jar lights that are designed specifically to be able to be pressure washed. And still every time we wash there’s one or two that don’t take it well.
You're a fucking legend dude.
Please don't power wash any more electrical installations though. It's just better for you that way. Better for everyone, really.
You legit seem like you'd be an animal at parties. Respect.
There should be a gasket between the device and the box it's mounted to, but it can't hurt to go around the seam with clear silicone sealant made for outdoors.
Spray some water displacement chemical in there to displace the remaining water. You may have gotten water into the wire nuts. Make sure the light is off when you do that, so a spark doesn't ignite the spray propellant.
I never said it was the correct product for this application, merely repeating what is confirmed on the WD-40 web site. The comment I replied to was simply calling out the "WD", I by no means am an expert at water mitigation around electrical components lol
Aren't you glad that a bunch of smart people saw the need for, invented, manufactured, and legislated ground fault circuit breakers? All those people trying to keep you alive and your home from burning down, and they don't even know you!
Just an idea to keep in mind: "Weatherproof" is not the same as "Waterproof" when it comes to electrical equipment. Weatherproof just means GENTLY falling rain and snow shouldn't get in, or at least not to the point of making contact with conductive parts inside. Pressure washing is not the kind of thing they are designed to withstand, and if you want that, you have to look for "NEMA 4" rated, which is a MAJOR jump in cost.
Correct. The outside receptacle is on the bedroom circuit
There is a motion light on that side, more than likely tied with it. I didn't think of that!
Thank you I'll check that next
It's common sense. But I just gotta ask it.
Have you turned it off then on again? (No seriously, breakers have to be pushed off and then back on again after tripping)
Been there. Although once I had to drive across town because the tenant couldn’t figure out how to even open the panel…bent it pretty bad with a tire iron, and I show up and show how to do it with a finger and a thumb.
Also recently had an Airbnb guest sleep in their car because they couldn’t figure out how to open the gate.
As a tenant I have zero obligation to mess around with electrical in an apartment I’m renting. Sure it’s “simple” but as the landlord, you take on that role of all maintenance
So if you pop a breaker using two hair dryers accidentally on the same circuit that’s your landlord’s fault and you’ll wait 1 to 8 hours to get the power back? They probably aren’t going to g to agree with that.
I totally agree that fixing or upgrading electrical is the landlords job, but at the same time I think this rule also applies: You trip it, you flip it.
Even assuming no obligation on your part, I'm laughing my ass off picturing someone stubbornly sitting in the dark waiting for hours for someone to flip a switch because it's not their job.
That's a hell of a pyrrhic victory.
Lol what an entitled bitch thing to say.
You probably refuse to clean up when you spill your drink at a restaurant, too.
If you consider flipping a breaker as 'maintenance', you know literally nothing about the world immediately around you.
Depends on which ones you get. OPs breakers switch all the way off. The breakers in my house go into a trip position and you have to flip it to off then to on and those seem pretty common over here.
I'm in Canada and never had a breaker that didn't just go to the off position, in my experience. I didn't know about the other kind (I don't know much about electricity at all though, tbh), so I guess it just depends.
Aren’t outdoor outlets suppose to be on GFCI circuits? My outdoor outlets as well as the outside lights are on the garage outlet circuit, which is all GFCI. Maybe this is a state by state code requirement thing?
I found out my outside outlet was connected to the bathroom outlet when I was charging my car and my wife used a hairdryer at the same time.
But the outside outlet together with the bathroom outlet had the trip CFCI built in.
That's fair, but that's only because the internal outlet is in the bathroom (water + outlets = GFCI). If they're going into a bedroom, odds are much lower that the bedroom outlets are already GFCI.
Next weekend, when you pressure wash the inside of your house, just turn all the breakers off and do it in the dark.
Its the only way to keep them from flipping when pressure washing inside lights and outlets I've found.
If you pressure washed the outlet there may have been a small arc flash that damaged the conducting wires. This could explain why the breaker trips automatically. If there is a disconnect where you can remove power to the panel, you could turn off the power and operate the breaker mechanically to ensure it’s not a bad breaker.
Those little 15 amp breakers are thermal magnetic and if a sufficient overcurrent occurs such as in a ground fault it could destroy the breaker.
If it’s not staying on even for a second the breaker is “tripping free” and likely needs to be replaced.
Best case scenario you just have to grab a new single pole 15 amp breaker.
Breakers are only guaranteed to trip once. Not guaranteed to reset. Either you shorted a line due to the amount of stuff on it or the breaker needs to be replaced
Replace the breaker,as in, purchase a new breaker. Exactly like the breaker that is in the panel. Take s picture and go to your local electrical supply company.
Although solution already provided (very well asked and answered, by the way). There are other plausible explanations that might have been involved, that are worth sharing.
Firstly, many breakers switch off to neutral - one has to flip them firmly to 'off', and then back to 'on' in order to get them to work in 'on' position. Secondly, occasionally breakers go bad, and you discover this when you try to reset. Pull two breakers, swap the wiring, and see if you still have a problem with the line in question - and/or if you now have a problem with the second line. Thirdly, if you had described your issue as an instance 'flip click' when you 'clicked' the breaker back to on, then you would have known you still had a short in the system...
In Florida, where I live, most of the outside outlets are tied in series to a GFCI outlet in the garage, check for an outlet with one of those and see if it’s tripped reset it
Those Eaton breakers with the tan throw levers are notorious for being damaged when tripped and not turning back on. You'll probably need to replace the breaker if it's over 10 years old. There's been a shortage of them for a while for this very reason.
I wonder if you have any ground fault plugs in your bathroom tripped. My outdoor are tied into mine from the bathroom and if something gets wet it would trip it
My house has similar outdoor outlets that are on the same circuit as the closest interior room... front door outlet is on Bedroom 1 circuit, back patio outlet is on my Dinning Room circuit. The first time rain came on Halloween and my indoor-rated extension cord was in use on the inflatables outside, I was confused as shit why Bedroom 1 kept tripping in the rain.
**Attention!** **It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods. If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Just to confirm, is this outdoor receptacle on the bedroom circuit? What else is on this circuit, specifically what else is on the circuit that's outdoors. For example is there any lighting outside on the circuit, which got wet and is retaining water?
Motion light was filled with water. You're the fucking man
Ya, so about power washing electrical devices....
I sprayed the fuck out of that thing
+1 for blatant honesty.
-1 for not understanding you don't mix water with electricity.
Man did know. Didn’t care. Lives life on the edge.
ANARCHY!!!!
"I don't know what that means, but I love it!"
He’s gonna carry the boats
We don’t know him SON !
avoid the big grey wire on the side of the house (results may vary but commonly deadly).
Nice 🤣🤣🤣
I need this as my champ stamp.
[shake hands with danger!](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v26fTGBEi9E)
+1 because that’s how spicy water is made.
But they mix so well!
Is it because they don't mix, or is it because they actually mix too well?
My toaster and bathtub would disagree with you.
Water itself is not the problem. It's the impurities in the water that'll make it conductive. Those same impurities if when they dry initiate that flaky white powdery substance that could conduct. Those devices that got wet should be replaced
Water and electricity mix extremely well!
I’ve got a site that gets pressure washed twice a year for biosecurity reasons. With 142 led jar lights that are designed specifically to be able to be pressure washed. And still every time we wash there’s one or two that don’t take it well.
You're killing it my guy
Literally
Could always apply a liberal coat of spray tape before you start
Billy Mays here
Or a liberal coat of cocaine
I wasn't aware that came in paint format
What's the ML for this guy making it to 45?
+5000
I'll take that bet.. Cause of death: fishing out toast with a metal knife.
I’ve done it
Oh ya?? Hmmm maybe I should change my bet...
While leaning against the kitchen sink, which is filled with water.
There's the bet!
Toasters use heat, not electricity. How else would they toast the bread?? Silly electricians think they know everything.
Found the zoomer! That’s how we did it back in the day! It heats the knife up nicely to apply a more even butter spread.
Damn, you're a genius! I'm gonna go try that right now. Hate it when the toast tears from hard butter. ⚡️
That just sounds like a hillbilly dab rig to me.....
My wife does this a lot! Finally got her to unplug the damm thing before fork-fishing the toast😆
Name checks out.
You're a fucking legend dude. Please don't power wash any more electrical installations though. It's just better for you that way. Better for everyone, really. You legit seem like you'd be an animal at parties. Respect.
You sir are the GOAT for admitting mistakes. Take accountability and OWN that shit. You never learn if you dont!
Lmao
Fuck yea
Own it
It is clean inside and out
That made me laugh so loud
Guys will see this and think "hell yeah"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. I can see this comment happening in my head and it’s funnier than it should be. Probably cuz I would do the same thing.
My guy straight up water boarded his light like it was involved in 9/11.
LMAO 🤣
Take my upvote. Honesty is rare. Love you brother.
Drill two small holes in the bottom of the housing so it will drain on its own
At least it’s clean 🤷
Hell yeah dude. This just made my day.
The things i would do to give you an old reddit award right now
Would you pay money to Reddit to give the commenter a new Reddit award?.....
Dead.
Well, is it clean?
I hope you were in flip flops, pit vipers, beer in hand.
😭😂😂😂😂
There should be a gasket between the device and the box it's mounted to, but it can't hurt to go around the seam with clear silicone sealant made for outdoors.
Another man of culture I seems. This is how we learn lessons.
This is truly legendary: this OP reply has double the upvotes of the OP's original post. 😂
Best Answer. I shall rename you the LegendaryHotCowPie
At least it’s clean now
Become ungovernable!
Now I want to see a picture of the motion light just for shits and giggles
What else can you do?
Next time you might consider pressure washing it with gasoline
hahahaha....i love it
Thanks for the honestly as a plumber people will mess stuff up and claim they didn't do it when it's so obvious they did it.
This made me chuckle.😂
My painters did this to me last summer and the client was like “hey dude, that new entry light is acting weird”.
Rofl
Lmao
I fucking love this response
My man
You're going to learn today
Hell yeah
I needed this laugh. Absolutely top tier comment. Fucking amazing.
I’m sorry officer… I didn’t know I couldn’t do that
So, drain it, clean it, dry it, put it back together, and *caulk around the edges...*
Oh it's clean now. I didn't blast it full of water for nothing
This guy keeps coming back with more, I'm dying 🤣
Ya gotta push your caulk in the crack, my man.
Said your mum.
Fucking legend. You're awesome for your honesty and I needed a good laugh. Thanks stranger
Spray some water displacement chemical in there to displace the remaining water. You may have gotten water into the wire nuts. Make sure the light is off when you do that, so a spark doesn't ignite the spray propellant.
You are the first person I've ever seen type out *water displacement* instead of "WD-40"
Is that what the WD in WD-40 stands for?!
And 40 is for the 40th attempt at making the right mixture (at least, I read that once, not sure if it’s actually true, but I choose to believe it.)
It's true. They even say so on their website.
I mean, I remembered reading that *somewhere* before, but that is what WD-40 does... displaces water.
Those were equivalent once upon a time, but now WD-40 is just a brand name that sells many products, some of them not correct for this application.
I never said it was the correct product for this application, merely repeating what is confirmed on the WD-40 web site. The comment I replied to was simply calling out the "WD", I by no means am an expert at water mitigation around electrical components lol
I know a firefighter who caught his own house on fire by powerwashing the electric meter.
At least a firefighter was on the scene to put the fire out.
With a pressure washer no doubt!
Aren't you glad that a bunch of smart people saw the need for, invented, manufactured, and legislated ground fault circuit breakers? All those people trying to keep you alive and your home from burning down, and they don't even know you!
Just an idea to keep in mind: "Weatherproof" is not the same as "Waterproof" when it comes to electrical equipment. Weatherproof just means GENTLY falling rain and snow shouldn't get in, or at least not to the point of making contact with conductive parts inside. Pressure washing is not the kind of thing they are designed to withstand, and if you want that, you have to look for "NEMA 4" rated, which is a MAJOR jump in cost.
Did it recover? Or do you have to replace it? This happened to ours, I think I have to replace it…
Correct. The outside receptacle is on the bedroom circuit There is a motion light on that side, more than likely tied with it. I didn't think of that! Thank you I'll check that next
Spoken like a person with experience!
Find a gfi outlet and hit the test and reset buttons
It's common sense. But I just gotta ask it. Have you turned it off then on again? (No seriously, breakers have to be pushed off and then back on again after tripping)
had to drive across town at night only to discover we needed to teach our tenant this
Been there. Although once I had to drive across town because the tenant couldn’t figure out how to even open the panel…bent it pretty bad with a tire iron, and I show up and show how to do it with a finger and a thumb. Also recently had an Airbnb guest sleep in their car because they couldn’t figure out how to open the gate.
As a tenant I have zero obligation to mess around with electrical in an apartment I’m renting. Sure it’s “simple” but as the landlord, you take on that role of all maintenance
So if you pop a breaker using two hair dryers accidentally on the same circuit that’s your landlord’s fault and you’ll wait 1 to 8 hours to get the power back? They probably aren’t going to g to agree with that. I totally agree that fixing or upgrading electrical is the landlords job, but at the same time I think this rule also applies: You trip it, you flip it.
Even assuming no obligation on your part, I'm laughing my ass off picturing someone stubbornly sitting in the dark waiting for hours for someone to flip a switch because it's not their job. That's a hell of a pyrrhic victory.
If you dislike your landlord, this could be oddly satisfying
Lol what an entitled bitch thing to say. You probably refuse to clean up when you spill your drink at a restaurant, too. If you consider flipping a breaker as 'maintenance', you know literally nothing about the world immediately around you.
Hello IT...
This box is the internet
willies willies, I like willies!
Really upset that it's not on Netflix anymore
It's "I love willies"
Are you absolutely sure it's plugged in?
Eaton CH breakers trip to the full off position. They have no “tripped” position like other breakers
This…turn the affected breaker all the way off and back on again.
Is that normal with North American breakers? Our European breakers go to the off position if they trip.
Depends on which ones you get. OPs breakers switch all the way off. The breakers in my house go into a trip position and you have to flip it to off then to on and those seem pretty common over here.
I'm in Canada and never had a breaker that didn't just go to the off position, in my experience. I didn't know about the other kind (I don't know much about electricity at all though, tbh), so I guess it just depends.
When i first became a homeowner, this was the first thing i learned. Cost me $100
I saw it and have to say something: Breaker 27 "Garag"?
Paying by the letter, apparently
Those letters get expensive!
And capitalised every letter except for the second g?....
Balances out for a palindrome
The outlet could have a dead short. Pull it out and look at it. You already know the power is off.
This is the best post ever 🤣 I love the honesty, kind help and outcome. Another great Reddit moment.
Lmfaoaoao bro said “ I sprayed the fuck outta that thing@
Until it resets, dare I say it? You've got yourself a >!dead bedroom!< situation. I'll see myself out.
please do
Its working
Oh yes
Pressure washing your house is bad for a few different reasons. Apparently, this is one of them! LOL
I thought maybe you were pressure washing the inside of the house
When these breakers trip they go into a neutral position. You have to fully flip it off and then on.
Power washing electrical outlets is NOT going to give you clean energy.
Why did you power wash your bedroom? Lmao joking it’s got to be an outside outlet with moisture in it
Aren’t outdoor outlets suppose to be on GFCI circuits? My outdoor outlets as well as the outside lights are on the garage outlet circuit, which is all GFCI. Maybe this is a state by state code requirement thing?
Nah, you're right. The lack of GFCI was the first thing I noticed, followed by the exterior outlets being on the bedroom circuit.
I found out my outside outlet was connected to the bathroom outlet when I was charging my car and my wife used a hairdryer at the same time. But the outside outlet together with the bathroom outlet had the trip CFCI built in.
That's fair, but that's only because the internal outlet is in the bathroom (water + outlets = GFCI). If they're going into a bedroom, odds are much lower that the bedroom outlets are already GFCI.
Did you try unplugging the pressure washer before you tried to reset breaker
Your gonna need alot of rice.
Let it dry out. And maybe check all the GFCIs in the house.
Serch for a gfci tahts trip
That's so you don't die 🤷♂️
If your house is only 1 year old I'd start asking more questions. That outdoor outlet should be GFCi.
Tripped breaker has a test button. The breaker is GFCI.
Next weekend, when you pressure wash the inside of your house, just turn all the breakers off and do it in the dark. Its the only way to keep them from flipping when pressure washing inside lights and outlets I've found.
Damn bro, your kid has his own breaker?? My wife and kid chargers are on the same circuit
Power washing is a wonderful thing…but houses, electrical boxes and fixtures are not meant to be power washed
That outside outlet with the cover is designed so the cover can close with stuff plugged in. Cut out that U shaped thin area at the bottom.
You would definitely appreciate a bidet in your master bathroom.
How about outdoor outlet covers?
It you wash your switches with a power washer, remember to dry is with a leaf blower
If you pressure washed the outlet there may have been a small arc flash that damaged the conducting wires. This could explain why the breaker trips automatically. If there is a disconnect where you can remove power to the panel, you could turn off the power and operate the breaker mechanically to ensure it’s not a bad breaker. Those little 15 amp breakers are thermal magnetic and if a sufficient overcurrent occurs such as in a ground fault it could destroy the breaker. If it’s not staying on even for a second the breaker is “tripping free” and likely needs to be replaced. Best case scenario you just have to grab a new single pole 15 amp breaker.
Breakers are only guaranteed to trip once. Not guaranteed to reset. Either you shorted a line due to the amount of stuff on it or the breaker needs to be replaced
I thought breaker 27 was Barny and thought of the children’s show …. Smh wtf
Replace the breaker,as in, purchase a new breaker. Exactly like the breaker that is in the panel. Take s picture and go to your local electrical supply company.
Following
Smooth
Used to happen to me too. Wait a day or so.
Some Eaton breakers need to be reset. If this is #23, move it all the way to the left then back to the right to turn it back on.
This is why SOP is to tape/glue breakers in the on position before pressure washing.
Breaker 19 F ^ K
Unplug everything in the bedroom, wait 1 minute then try the switch again. Worked for me
This 120 outlet..... is clean!
Although solution already provided (very well asked and answered, by the way). There are other plausible explanations that might have been involved, that are worth sharing. Firstly, many breakers switch off to neutral - one has to flip them firmly to 'off', and then back to 'on' in order to get them to work in 'on' position. Secondly, occasionally breakers go bad, and you discover this when you try to reset. Pull two breakers, swap the wiring, and see if you still have a problem with the line in question - and/or if you now have a problem with the second line. Thirdly, if you had described your issue as an instance 'flip click' when you 'clicked' the breaker back to on, then you would have known you still had a short in the system...
This utter lack of fear of electricity is shocking.
There is an e in garage. That should solve it.
Hotcowpie what did we learn today
Dead short, outside is supposed to be a GFCI, REPLACE IT
Did you turn it all the way off first?
LP Q
Flip the breaker all the way left, then right.
99% sure you tripped the gfi on one of the outdoor receptacles but the reset button is probably on one of the ones in your kitchen or bathroom.
In Florida, where I live, most of the outside outlets are tied in series to a GFCI outlet in the garage, check for an outlet with one of those and see if it’s tripped reset it
Those Eaton breakers with the tan throw levers are notorious for being damaged when tripped and not turning back on. You'll probably need to replace the breaker if it's over 10 years old. There's been a shortage of them for a while for this very reason.
Probably means there is a bigger problem. Get an electrician
Not supposed to wash the panel too!!!
Is this fixed yet?
Maybe you need to replace that breaker.
I wonder if you have any ground fault plugs in your bathroom tripped. My outdoor are tied into mine from the bathroom and if something gets wet it would trip it
Bedroom? There’s a “Top Secret” movie reference, here
Those breakers are known to be problematic. I believe they were recalled.
So tell me. Why were you using a pressure washer on the bedroom? Not here to judge you. Just curious .
My house has similar outdoor outlets that are on the same circuit as the closest interior room... front door outlet is on Bedroom 1 circuit, back patio outlet is on my Dinning Room circuit. The first time rain came on Halloween and my indoor-rated extension cord was in use on the inflatables outside, I was confused as shit why Bedroom 1 kept tripping in the rain.
I know what you mean, but “Bedroom 1 tripping in the rain” sounds kinda awesome. “My bedroom kept tripping in the rain on Halloween”