Testing outdoor speaker wires.

[Cliffyskogs]

I bought a house last year and the builder ran stereo speakers cables outside so you can have music on the deck. The only problem is there is a stereo receiver upstairs and downstairs, and he had every room wired without labeling any of the wire. It would make sense if the cables were connected to the upstairs receiver, but I can't trace any cables because he has the speakers wired from the stereo to a wall plate, and then from the plate through the wall. I suppose I could take off the wall plate to see, but I'm afraid the whole thing will be green wire the same as what is sticking out under the deck. I've tested a speaker on both outdoor cables, and nothing has worked so in afraid there is a short or disconnect somewhere. I do have a volt meter if there is a way to at least tell if they are good that way. Any other ideas?

 

[soundguruman]

Touch a 9 volt battery to each pair (+-) of speaker wires.
This will cause a POP in the speaker that the wire leads to.
No pop: the wire is broken or the speaker is disconnected / blown.