The Circuit Detective

Appreciation for The Circuit Detective's Website

Kudos, Stories and Other Responses to the Site's Information and Diagrams

Ahh, it's so refreshing to see a web site such as "The Circuit Detective". It is so "above board"... Love the site, the advice, honesty... I even love the trenchcoat. Thanks for creating / maintaining such a helpful resource in a sea of rip off artists and scams. -Scott, WA

What a great idea and a great way to help people. -Dave, OR

I am impressed with your throughness and candor. A very MUCH needed site and information center. - Larry B, TX

I went to bed thinking, "Geeez, it would be great if someone, ANYONE, had a website that dealt with situations like this.." Well boy do you have that site! In spades! It's perfect! I love it! One Google search under "Troubleshooting home wiring" and bingo! Thank you so much. I'll tell all my friends about it... Keep up the good work! Nicely designed site. -Tom, NY

More Stories

They were all telling me things that did not seem to make sense (put bigger breakers, change the whole panel and so on) because my whole house was flickering , dimming and/or getting boosted when appliances were starting... There was no way I could trust one of them and pay hundreds to have them probably not fix my problem and may be even creating more problems! I felt like a was living like a cave woman unpluging everything everytime I needed to use a power tool so I would not take a chance to zap my fridge... I went on your site last Sunday and found out within about 15 to 20 minutes that the main neutral from the power company could be bad and I called them. They came within 45 minutes and fixed the problem at no charge... I am so glad I waited and found your website! You make it so easy to understand electricity! -Sandy, AZ

Your site was PERFECT for helping me troubleshoot. Following your guidelines, it took about 20 minutes to find/correct the problem. Problem solved, fast and easy *PLUS* now my girlfriend thinks I'm a handyman/electrical genius!!! Thanks so much for sharing your experience & knowledge in such a great way. -Tom, WA

Had (or caused might be more appropriate) an electrical problem that my wife had warned me about. Your site saved me from a week long "I told you so" speech. -Ray, MD

I was really torturing myself with an electrical puzzler when I finally came across your clear and concise explanations. -Hugh, CA

We found you through my friend's iPhone. Worked out for us really well as I'd thought I'd have had to pay a bunch of $$$. -Bob, UT

I thought I knew a thing or 2 about wiring... I guess I was wrong... I was battleing this for 3 hours madder than a no legged kangaroo!! Anyway, after studying your schematics on your website, I sat back in my computer chair and said OHHHHHH!!!! Thats how it works!! And I jumped up and fixed my problem before my wife got home!!! Thanks again for such a great website! -Steven

Fantastic web page, hat's off on a rarely logical page as well as process. An entire circuit died months ago, tried the beaker swap to no avail and other futile efforts... finally it dawned on me to try the net, after 10 minutes of reading your page I went outside and found some creative wiring 3 feet of wire hanging on the ground with an exposed box, no idea how many years that was there. It was completely corroded, cut it off secured the wiring and bingo. The wife is going to be so pleased. -Albert, AZ

Your site walked me through my problem... Thanks for providing a great resource. Note that before this project I didn't even know what "line", "load", "GFI", "neutral" or "hot" even meant. -Keith

GFI Stories

Your simple guide got me searching through my house and I found it!!! My bathroom outlets are on a GFI in the garage! The breakers are OK, the suspect outlet replaced, but no juice! Thanks to your brief discussion I searched and searched until I looked at the one in the garage, and Voila!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved me a bundle and then some!!! In time, money, and frustration! -Mark

I did a little research and found your site to be the most valuable! I had a problem with a GFI outlet that would not reset. Apparently, when I weed-wacked the lawn the other day, I left the outside outlet open and it rained. Your site was the only one that had the information to fix the problem - as simple as it was. -Suzanne, FL

Excellent and clear guide on diagnosing (in my case) a random GFI issue. -Mark, UK

Thanks for the great website. But more importantly, thanks for saving me about $90 and a bit of embarrassment. I had what I thought was an open one of my home's circuits. Within five minutes, of troubleshooting the problem on your site, I had the problem diagnosed AND fixed. It turned out to be a tripped GFI in the circuit. -Manny, OR

I haven't installed a GFCI receptacle since 1994 and boy have they changed! Nowhere else on the internet could I find the information you had about Leviton GFCI's and how hard they are to reset and how they have to be ON to reset. I would have gone all over the circuit making a fool of myself looking for the problem in all the WRONG other places!... Really, thanks a TON! You're the Best! -Ogn, WA

Thank you Larry!! Today you saved my night and probably half of tomorrow. One of my GFI plugs kept tripping even after everything in the series was unplugged. I was freaking out because I know very little about electricity except the fact that it could kill me. Anyway googled GFI plugs and found your web site. Within ten minutes I had found the problem. My daughter had been watering plants and had soaked an outdoor outlet (the waterproof cover was open). -Lanny, TX

Informative

You've probably helped zillions of folks just with your diagrams - they are better then I ever recall in my study guides. -John, CA

Yours is absolutely one of the best websites I've ever visited. Seriously, you know what you're talking about and you communicate both solutions and concepts clearly and understandably, even for a layman, even for me! Thanks again for the great site! -Stuart

Your website was very helpful and I've referred several engineers to it who also were impressed. -Lyss, CA

Thank you for the information found on your website! I was completely baffled by my problem... I was reminded of the old adage - "when in doubt, follow the directions." You provided the directions. -Ron, AK

Greetings-I am a home improvement person that has always had a profound interest and recent passion for electrical work. I have spent some time perusing your website and have enjoyed it very much. Your explanations, illustrations and links are very well thought out and succinct. -Steve

It is not often you find a website with such vast knowledge. -Shaun

Compared to Books and Other Websites

The information you provide on your website is beyond anything I would ever expect to see on the internet. I'm a frequent "internet troubleshooter" and often go to the web for clues. When I came upon your site I was blown away - what a fantastic job you've done! -Jonathan, NS

When the Internet was new, there was a utopian vision the Internet would be primary populated by good people like you who would put up really great content more for their love of the subject matter than with the expectation of getting rich. -Loren, IN

You have, by far, the most comprehensive site on practical residential electrical I have found anywhere. -"ISP"

Your explanation was THE MOST easily understandable of everything I came across, and you really saved my tail. -Brent

"Unbelievable"...Spoke with several people, read my reference books and searched the web but with no success. Luckily, I found your site and after about two minutes I found the clue to my problem. -Bob, ON

Best residential web site on the web! I ordered your book. Good job. -Rain

This is an awesome site I just discovered tonight. You definitely have gone way beyond the typical things that something like my Home Depot Wiring book goes into. -Derek, CA

From Electricians, Handymen, and Engineers

I ran across your website and just love it. I'm a Master Electrician also and teach at a local college in the evening and I will be sharing your website with the students. -Dave

I am a maintenance technician for an apartment community and I really appreciate all the information on your website. -Sean

I am the president of ... Electric corporation and will remove the info as requested asap. We will call on our web designer to handle this... I have scoped out your website and appreciate your desire to equip people with practical ways to trouble shoot everyday electrical problems , and really love the fact that you are allowing people to overcome their presuppositions that they have had handed down to them over the years in regards to electricity in general. Very informative. That must be the reason the people who created our website used your material. Again we apologize and hope that you continue your good work!

Your site is so well written and complete would you mind if I used links to various pages in your site for the different subjects? -Rick, WA