My daughter’s bedroom has 4 outlets. 1 of the outlets is connected to a wall switch. All 4 outlets are currently out and each is an open neutral (ground-hot=120V; neutral-hot=0V). I checked the breaker and it appears to be fine (ground-hot=120V; neutral-hot=120V). The switch is also functioning properly I think (I get the same voltage readings in the on/off positions as I do for a different bedroom with an identical 4 outlet + switch setup).
What could be the issue that’s causing all four outlets to fail and be open neutral, and also how did this even occur given that 1 is on a switch? I’m basically going to replace all four outlets and the switch and hope for the best.
I’d love to hear any ideas you have on how to identify the culprit.
Best Answer
Most likely the outlets are all wired together in a "daisy-chain" fashion, so an open neutral from one would affect all others farther downstream. I'd recommend opening up the first outlet (or all of them, if you don't know which is which) and check if the neutral has come loose. In particular, if these outlets are wired with so-called backstabs where the wire is only held in by a spring clip, that's a likely culprit. When you re-wire, it's highly recommended to use the screws since they're much more reliable.