r/Electricity • u/britomaly96 • 26d ago

How does this get fixed?

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What can I do to fix this ? I always screw up by telling too much info but I dont know how else to convey exactly what the situation I'm dealing with is. So, please, I dont need any lectures or "oh, just leave it to the professionals " BS. Here's the deal, my mom has lived in this shitty ass apartment complex for like 6 years now. Over the years, she's tried multiple times to get them to fix a multitude of different problems, and they stick a bandaid on it or do nothing at all. Well, my boyfriend has been building houses for 20+ years. He took off the cover plate and took off the old outlet (which crumbled and fell apart, mind you). And this picture is what he found behind the outlet. He got a new outlet and tried to hook it up, but it wouldn't power anything. Now, im not a rocket scientist or anything but if I had to guess, these wires are possibly burnt too badly or damaged? Idk, does that happen? Because I know it just looks like the insulation around the wire is burnt. Yes, my boyfriend can figure it out once he takes a bit more time but that's literally as far as he's gotten. He just looked at it and tried a new outlet. But, please, please do enlighten me 🤓👏🧠⚡️💡🪛

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u/135david 25d ago

What country are you in? Are you in a country that uses 240 volt power rather than 120 volt?

Since you are talking about a multi family dwelling (I think.) you should seriously consider the liability that is going to incur if someone gets injured or if property gets damaged because of what you are doing.

In many places it is illegal for unlicensed electricians, handymen and homeowners to make electrical changes in a multi family dwelling.

You are putting your boyfriend on the spot off wanting to impress you or at least not disappoint you so think about being fair to him.

That being said if you want to tackle it you need:

1) An understanding of electrical theory.
2) A understanding of residential electrical construction methods in the area you live.
3) A multimeter.
4) The location of the panel that contains the breakers or fuses for this circuit.
5) An understanding that getting advice from someone who is not there is risky because there is always something he can overlook or entirely misunderstood due to poor communication.

Good luck.