[masraum]

Originally Posted by DWBOX2000

it all works fine until I connect the wires in outlet that go to fireplace even though the wires at the fireplace are not connected to anything (I disconnected).

If I understand correctly, you've got the situation that I have rudimentarily drawn below. Wires disconnected at the FP, and wires disconnected at a box with several sets of wires. If you connect the wires to the fireplace in the red circle without connecting the FP, then the break trips. To me that means that you've got a short in the wires in the wall between the FP and the junction box in the red circle. So the short is somewhere in the long red cigar shaped area.

I think you could check for continuity between the wht & blk or wht & gnd or blk & grd in the red circle while leaving the wires disconnected at the FP. My guess is that you'll have continuity between 2 of them that shouldn't have continuity. Maybe someone at some point put a nail or screw in the wall that got into the wiring, and took some time and or movement of the house or wires to eventually short. Maybe a rat chewed a wire somewhere.



Based on my understanding of your description, the short is somewhere in the dotted wires inside the wall.