There is no logical relationship between my outlets and my circuit breaker

[S. Pupp]

I use one of these: circuit breaker identifier by Ideal

I got it for about $25 from Home Depot in 2008. You plug in the transmitter into the outlet, then run the receiver over the circuit breakers. When you hit the right circuit breaker, it beeps annoyingly. It is quite effective.

One of the outlets in my living room is on a different breaker than the others. Odd.

[mikebw]

Ombligo wrote:
If you don't want to spend the money on a tester, or want to get this done today and not wait for delivery -- plug a light of some sort into every outlet (even a power strip with a lighted switch or a charger with an indicator light) and turn on ceiling fans, overhead lights, etc. Then flip a breaker off and note which lights go off. Repeat until your done. Breakers that don't affect lights - check things like refrigerator, washer, garbage disposal, outside lights, etc.

In less than an hour you should have everything done.

This is basically what I wound up doing too. Fewer than half of the labels on the box were complete or correct, even though the whole box had been replaced in 2014. I guess they just hooked up the old wiring on most of the circuits and guessed at what they were for.

[testcase]

There ARE circuit testing tools available but, they are NOT cheap. If you'd really like to accurately map your entire system, it might be worth the money to have a professional electrician who already owns said tools and pay for a couple of hours of their time and expertise.

Another thought: is there a "trade school" that trains apprentice electricians nearby? If so, talk with the instructor. Perhaps you could arrange for a student(s) to do an extra credit product. You get your system mapped; they get some real world experience. If there's no trade school nearby, is there an Electricians' Local Union (IBEW) Hall nearby (again, looking for apprentices)? NOTE: on these options, the person(s) mapping the system would need FULL ACCESS to EVERY switch, outlet etc. in your house. BEFORE strangers come into your home, draw up DETAILED maps of EACH room / space in your house; it should speed things up. Don't forget to check INSIDE closets for anything electrical (which would need to be mapped. Try to think of ANYPLACE where there might be electricity (behind dishwasher, fridge, garage door opener etc.)and include them all in your drawing.

You and a helper could do this (or at least most of it) on your own without the expensive tools. One person at the electrical panel with pen, paper and appropriate labels. Helper has a test light or sound source (ie: radio) and plugs into EACH of the outlets and switches one at a time. Person at panel switches breakers on and on until the breaker that controls whatever the helper is checking shuts off. Note the breaker and what it controlled. WalkieTalkies (or cell phones) would be VERY useful here. The proper tools speed this process greatly (as does experience in mapping circuits). You could also break this project down into stages done over time (start with the area closest to the service panel and do one entire room or space and work your way out. You will find that some circuit breakers will cover more than one area; keep an open mind.

If you ever decide to buy your own test instruments, Fluke is the top dog ($$$$) BUT, Fluke also makes the less expensive Amprobe line of instruments. Amprobe instruments are still professional grade (accurate and reliable) but, cost MUCH less than their Fluke counterparts. Buy quality and, take good care of any tool you own. It will give you a lifetime of reliable service.

[freeradical]

Get one these. They're cheap, and they also tell you if you have any wiring faults such as an open ground, or a hot and neutral reversal.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-E.../206029154

[bazookaman]

S. Pupp wrote:
One of the outlets in my living room is on a different breaker than the others. Odd.

Same here. I have a breaker that I've titled "Front Wall". B/c all the outlets on the front wall are on one circuit regardless of which room you are in. I found that out the hard way when I was replacing all the outlets in my daughter's room. I plugged in a lamp and flipped the breakers until the lamp went off. Then I proceeded to swap out outlets. Imagine my surprise when I went to take off the outlet on the front wall and got zapped.

[Racer X]

Many relationships aren't logical. Remember that guy who got arrested for humping an exhaust pipe? He was in love with his car. Really.

[Mike Johnson]

I'd just turn off a circuit and move from outlet to outlet with an AC device. I'd write the breaker number on the backside of each switch and outlet cover.

Actually, that's not what I would do. I'd use an outlet tester that looks for reversed polarity and I would pop off all the outlet and switch covers and see where the cabling is coming from, and where it's going, and I'd crawl around the crawl space and attic taking pictures and sketching diagrams, so I'd have a map of all the AC wiring in my house, and then I'd replace any outlets that seem iffy and rewire any that were poorly wired and I'd update the switches with zwave dimmers and replace the old GFIs and add a couple outlets and enlarge some overstuffed junction boxes or just split them in a way that makes sense and properly secure the romex that was never properly secured and make sure there's fireblock foam where there should be fireblock foam.

[Bill in NC]

Junction boxes...the bane of my existence.

I'm getting the home of a recently-deceased relative ready for sale...built 1930s, most circuits upgraded in the 1970s, but now several of the upgraded outlets show an open ground (yes, they're attached to standard 3-wire Romex) including bath & kitchen.

Even called an electrician...he disassembled the old split-bus panel & checked there, noting many ground wires at the panel were connected together with nothing more than a narrow metal crimped collar.

So his theory is that one or more of those crimps has failed in junction boxes for those circuits.

But we can't find them...I suspect they were covered up during renovations done before my relative owned the home...most walls are still plaster & lath, of course with some type of textured wood siding instead of wallboard in the renovated areas.

So he fixed those outlets by using GFCIs marked "no equipment ground" which is to code, but still seems a kludge to me.