Does removing a socket lower breaker amperage?

[TheBotman]

I tried removing a socket. I turned off the power, I snipped the wires off, covered with electrical tape, put those plastic twist nobs on the end each wire individually. Then tucked it all into the "socket hole. I have a plastic cover with no holes i'll be screwing over to cover the whole job.

When i turned the power back on the hallway had no power. I checked the breaker and it was in the tripped position and would not click off. So i assumed it was broken and went to the store and bought a 15 amp two pole breaker and replaced it. I turned the power back on then flipped the breaker and the red wire sparked and instantly tripped. I turned it off and came here for advice.

did i do something wrong with removing the socket? Does that lower the amperage so i need to switch the breaker size?
is there a certain method i need to follow to tuck the wires in the old socket? should i remove the whole socket compeltely and just plaster over the wall?

 

[Lister1987]

I tried removing a socket. I turned off the power, I snipped the wires off, covered with electrical tape, put those plastic twist nobs on the end each wire individually. Then tucked it all into the "socket hole. I have a plastic cover with no holes i'll be screwing over to cover the whole job.

When i turned the power back on the hallway had no power. I checked the breaker and it was in the tripped position and would not click off. So i assumed it was broken and went to the store and bought a 15 amp two pole breaker and replaced it. I turned the power back on then flipped the breaker and the red wire sparked and instantly tripped. I turned it off and came here for advice.

did i do something wrong with removing the socket? Does that lower the amperage so i need to switch the breaker size?
is there a certain method i need to follow to tuck the wires in the old socket? should i remove the whole socket compeltely and just plaster over the wall?

Did you take the time to take a picture of the 'before'? @Megawatt is one of our stateside members that may be able to advise.

 

[littlespark]

How was the original socket wired? Ie were both the whites in the same hole, and both the blacks in a separate terminal?

If so, you will need to ensure these are still connected white to white and black to black.

you’ll need to strip a short length of insulation off the cut end, and twist the copper off the two wires together, then screw the plastic thing onto them.
There shouldn’t be any excess bare copper showing that could inadvertently touch the metal box.
The bare ground wires should also be twisted together.

Agree with above that @Megawatt is the member to advise properly

 

[TheBotman]

How was the original socket wired? Ie were both the whites in the same hole, and both the blacks in a separate terminal?

If so, you will need to ensure these are still connected white to white and black to black.

you’ll need to strip a short length of insulation off the cut end, and twist the copper off the two wires together, then screw the plastic thing onto them.
There shouldn’t be any excess bare copper showing that could inadvertently touch the metal box.
The bare ground wires should also be twisted together.

Agree with above that @Megawatt is the member to advise properly

Thank you so much for the reply. I think i understand.

White to white, then top it. Black to black then top it. Then REMOVE the bare copper wire completely.

 

[TheBotman]

How was the original socket wired? Ie were both the whites in the same hole, and both the blacks in a separate terminal?

If so, you will need to ensure these are still connected white to white and black to black.

you’ll need to strip a short length of insulation off the cut end, and twist the copper off the two wires together, then screw the plastic thing onto them.
There shouldn’t be any excess bare copper showing that could inadvertently touch the metal box.
The bare ground wires should also be twisted together.

Agree with above that @Megawatt is the member to advise properly

the socket had 2 screws for each color in total 4 connected. 2 white 2 black

 

[TheBotman]

Did you take the time to take a picture of the 'before'? @Megawatt is one of our stateside members that may be able to advise.

this is a zoomed in bad pic but i'm 95%sure those are the white connectors.

I don't know if this makes a difference of not but another plug in my house has the same configuration. 4 plugs/screws 4 wires.

 

[westward10]

Were the receptacles wired separately and if so had the linking tab been removed from between the terminals.

 

[Megawatt]

I tried removing a socket. I turned off the power, I snipped the wires off, covered with electrical tape, put those plastic twist nobs on the end each wire individually. Then tucked it all into the "socket hole. I have a plastic cover with no holes i'll be screwing over to cover the whole job.

When i turned the power back on the hallway had no power. I checked the breaker and it was in the tripped position and would not click off. So i assumed it was broken and went to the store and bought a 15 amp two pole breaker and replaced it. I turned the power back on then flipped the breaker and the red wire sparked and instantly tripped. I turned it off and came here for advice.

did i do something wrong with removing the socket? Does that lower the amperage so i need to switch the breaker size?
is there a certain method i need to follow to tuck the wires in the old socket? should i remove the whole socket compeltely and just plaster over the wall?

Yes you should not have taken all the wires loose. Put the whites back together, blacks and red wires. Some how you have your live wire tied in with the whites. By removing that socket you failed to consider the loads down stream. Go to Lowe’s and buy a non contact voltage checker and find that live wire

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Then REMOVE the bare copper wire completely.

NOOOO! The bare copper wires are the grounds. They must be connected together as before. He meant don't leave any bare copper showing on the white and black wires where they enter the wirenuts.

 

[TheBotman]

Yes you should not have taken all the wires loose. Put the whites back together, blacks and red wires. Some how you have your live wire tied in with the whites. By removing that socket you failed to consider the loads down stream. Go to Lowe’s and buy a non contact voltage checker and find that live wire

Yes you should not have taken all the wires loose. Put the whites back together, blacks and red wires. Some how you have your live wire tied in with the whites. By removing that socket you failed to consider the loads down stream. Go to Lowe’s and buy a non contact voltage checker and find that live wire

Ok so this is what i'm dealing with right now. The yellow capped black wire is the live wire.

From what i understand you want me to connect the two white wires?
Then what after this?

Just so everyone knows i really appreciate the help and i will not be doing anymore work until i know 100% what to do.

 

[westward10]

See #7.

 

[Megawatt]

Ok so this is what i'm dealing with right now. The yellow capped black wire is the live wire.

From what i understand you want me to connect the two white wires?
Then what after this?

Just so everyone knows i really appreciate the help and i will not be doing anymore work until i know 100% what to do.

Tie your whites back together, then tie your blacks together and as @Lucien says do not get rid of your bare wires they are your equipment ground, just tie them together also

 

[Megawatt]

Ok so this is what i'm dealing with right now. The yellow capped black wire is the live wire.

From what i understand you want me to connect the two white wires?
Then what after this?

Just so everyone knows i really appreciate the help and i will not be doing anymore work until i know 100% what to do.

What is that tiring them 2 black wires together

 

[TheBotman]

What is that tiring them 2 black wires together

The black wires were seperate. I put black tape on the bronze ground if that is what you are refering to.



But i think i got this now. I'm basically just putting the original wire back together to complete the current so it can travel to the rest of the fixtures and then back to the box to complete a "circuit"?

 

[Megawatt]

The black wires were seperate. I put black tape on the bronze ground if that is what you are refering to.



But i think i got this now. I'm basically just putting the original wire back together to complete the current so it can travel to the rest of the fixtures and then back to the box to complete a "circuit"?

I’m proud of you, we all knew that you would get it eventually