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I've got a nearly full panel in my detatched garage and I've verified all lebeled breakers. However, there's a breaker labeled 'projector plug' that seems to power nothing. There is attatched romex. After testing every plug I could find with that breaker off, inside and out, up and down, I found nothing that was obvioulsy on that circuit. I used a circuit tester and plugged it into all plugs I could find while the appropriate breakers were on/off.

Is there a trick that doesn't take special (expensive) tools for tracing this circuit? I have a studfinder with electric sensing but rubbing it around the whole garage including the ceiling and above apartment just isn't feasable. Had an electrician out for other work as well as a trace, but he half-assed the trace when he was finished with the primary job (but dint't charge me for the trace).

Makrel Johnson
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  • There are some tools for home owners, but think they find the breaker for a outlet. Plug it in to an outlet and then check with breaker it is for. Did you check if top and bottom of an outlet had power or just top or bottom? Some outlets might be powered by two breakers as in a MWBC circuit. Projector sounds like it would be in a TV/media/entertainment type room instead of a kitchen/bedroom. – crip659 Oct 01 '22 at 15:41
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    Did you look UP? Very carefully? 99% of outlets installed specifically for a projector are on or near the ceiling for ceiling mounted projectors. – Ecnerwal Oct 01 '22 at 16:49
  • the projector could be the outdoor Christmas light projector – jsotola Oct 01 '22 at 21:49

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"Special expensive" tools is too subjective. Cable Tracers can be bought for under $30 and into the thousands but for around $50 you can buy one that will help you tone out this cable. Especially since it's a detached garage, you'll hopefully be able to trace it all the way without ever being more than an inch away through the inside or outside walls.

Disconnect the cable from the breaker, attach the toner, and use the probe to follow the cable to its end.

If it ends at a junction box you may be able to determine what it was once for. Maybe a back yard movie projector? If it ends in a wall, just taped or nutted ... you've found a hazard and can correct it.

jay613
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  • Thanks for the info - initially the tracers product info made me think they were for data lines, etc. only. Being within an inch may be tough as the structure is totally finished down to the molding, even in the garage. I'll see what I can find. – Makrel Johnson Oct 04 '22 at 18:18
  • Look for one with adjustable sensitivity on the receiver. A cheap one that is not adjustable is probably calibrated, as you say, for data cable use so that you can touch the probe to a bundle of wires and determine which wire is the toned one. You want the opposite ... wave it in the general direction of a wire and get a signal. – jay613 Oct 04 '22 at 19:01