I have two outlets in our kitchen, one on either side of the sink, where only the top plugs work. I've tried to do some trouble shooting and here is what I know:
- There is a red, white, black, and ground wire on both.
- The tabs are broken on the hot side (the side with the black and ride wire)
- They are run off two breakers on the breaker panel that are tied together
- I checked the panel with my multimeter and both wires at the breaker (red and black) give a reading of ~120v
I'm not sure how to troubleshoot further to figure out what's failing. It's an old house so I'm chalking it up to age.
Best Answer
Usually, a red and black wire connected to an outlet with a broken off tab indicates that one of the outlets is controlled by a wall switch somewhere. Typically this is used to control a light from the switch next to the door to the room. However, this is an unusual configuration for a counter-top outlet in the kitchen since usually the lighting is ceiling or cabinet mounted.
My next step would be to try to identify a wall switch that could be controlling these outlets.
Alternatively, just disconnect the dead wire, cap and tape it, and bridge the screws on the hot side of the outlet.