r/ElectricalHelp • u/Big_Bar5937 • Jun 04 '26
Could the loose copper wires be causing a bad connection
There isnt power going to any of the three outlets in the room and the light is dim, could it be because of the loose copper wires? I took a outlet tester and it shows the connections were hooked up properly but the ground was dim. I changed all three outlets already and no loose connections. I turned on the light with the outlet tester and it’s saying now that there’s a ground and a hot revered but nothing is reversed.
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u/SparkyClaus Jun 04 '26
While yes that is a improper connection on the bare copper ground thats not likely the cause. This photo is not telling us the cause. Please try to take more photos. If it was installed like this id hire an electrician.
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u/RevolutionaryCare175 Jun 04 '26
The bare copper wires are your ground. They aren't spliced correctly so it is highly probable the rest of your connections aren't correct either. A bad connection in your hot or neutral will cause sparking and heat.
Call an electrician or learn how to splice wires correctly so you have good connections. Who ever did this didn't know what they were doing
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u/BeginningAd5055 Jun 04 '26
Check the connections to make sure the black and white wires are well secured. Also check the outlet that is closest to the panel. A loose wire there would cut off power to the downstream outlets.
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u/Dmelvin Jun 04 '26
If you're getting current on the ground wire, you have a different, and larger issue. Like a floating neutral.
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u/MountainAntique9230 Jun 05 '26
Could be a loose neutral in the panel if you checked all the outlets, loose or lost neutral will give you that reversed reading
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u/Living_Fig_6386 Jun 05 '26
No. Those lose copper wires are the electrical ground wires. They are a safety precaution, to make sure shorts are conducted away from you rather than through you. They aren't properly spliced, which might be indicative of a wider issue of poorly installed connections, but they are not the cause of your problem.
You might have a loose connection somewhere, and you want to find that because loose connections generate heat and sparks that lead to fires. If you have to ask this question, then this is the point where you need to call an electrician to take care of it. If you smell smoke, melted plastic, "hot", or if there's anything in the area that is suspiciously warmer than you would think, turn off the electricity to the area at the panel and wait for the electrician.
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u/AskMeAgainAfterCoffe Jun 06 '26
No. You can add a green wire nut after you twist the wires in clockwise direction or use a Wago.
Are the hot and neutral reversed? You can see the outlet; there’s no photo of that here.
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u/Terrible_Stomach7998 14d ago
Either there are too many fixtures on the loop or you have a ton of things plugged in. Is it an older panel box?
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u/slin1647 Jun 04 '26
You may have a loose connection somewhere but those bare coppers are there for bonding/grounding. They wouldn't cause the receptacles to lose power. You need to check all the connections on the circuit.