Have you recently tried to plug something in and the outlet not work? Whatever may be causing your malfunction, the solution may be simple to complete. Before you call someone out, spare yourself embarrassment and do these simple steps to make sure you do not have a major issue in need of repair. Here are the top five reasons an electrical outlet may not be working:
1. Tripped breaker/burnt fuse
If your outlet is not working, the first thing to check would be the breaker. In your home, there is typically one panel that has all your breakers or fuses. These breakers or fuses are part of your home electrical system to help prevent fires. In a home electrical environment there is a hot wire and a neutral wire. The electricity flows through an appliance or light fixture to complete a circuit. If there was something to happen where the hot wire and the neutral wire were touching they heat up, kind of like the coils in a toaster or hair dryer, and could cause a fire. The breaker is there to automatically cut off the circuit if there were to be any type of short, preventing fire.
The breakers can be in the off or on position. They are typically arranged in the same manner, so if you see a breaker that has been tripped it is very apparent. Simply flip the switch to the on position and check to see if the outlet now works. If it is an older home you are more likely to have fuses rather than breakers unless it has been remodeled. Check to see what fuse is burnt and make sure to check what amperage the fuse is rated for and replace with the correct type of fuse.
If for some reason the breaker continues to trip consider what you have plugged into the outlet. If there are too many things plugged in it could cause the tripped breaker because the circuit is being overloaded. Overloading a circuit can also be dangerous. When adding a new appliance to a circuit and it trips the circuit try locating different circuit in your home to plug in the new appliance. Try to avoid extension cords as they should only be used as a temporary use and not to be used as permanent wiring or to be fastened into place. One way to look for another circuit is taking a look at your panel (where all your circuit breakers are) and see how the circuits are labeled. This will save you the time of going through the trial and error of plugging in the appliance and tripping, then trying another outlet, etc. When in doubt, call a certified electrician to help.
2. Tripped GFCI
If you have any outlet that is near or around water it should be connected to a ground fault circuit interrupt outlet. A GFCI outlet provides extra protection from electrical shock because it will stop the electricity if there is a difference in current between the hot and neutral slots. On an outlet the hot slot is on the right, and the neutral slot is on the left and the lower middle slot is direct to ground. What makes a GFCI different is that it has two buttons; one that says "Test" and another that says "Reset." If you find an outlet with two buttons labeled in this fashion it is more than likely a GFCI outlet.
The GFCI outlet keeps track of the current flowing from the hot slot and the neutral slot. If there is any difference between the flow, the outlet trips the circuit and stops electricity from flowing from the hot. A GFCI is able to identify a mismatch of a little as four to five milliamps and can react as fast as one-thirtieth of a second. If electricity starts to flow through a person the outlet can sense this because not all of the current is going from hot to neutral - some of it is flowing through the person. Thus, as soon as the GFCI senses this, it trips the circuit and cuts the electricity.
If your outlet is not working it could because it has tripped. Press the button labeled, "Reset" and your outlet should now work. Note: if there is one GFCI outlet on a circuit it means that if the GFCI trips then it turns the whole circuit off. For example, if there are four outlets in your bathroom and only one of them is GFCI, you can still trip the GFCI even if the appliance that is tripping the GFCI is not plugged directly into the GFCI outlet. With that being said, if you have a non-GFCI outlet in the bathroom or kitchen that is not working, go ahead and press the "Reset" button on the GFCI outlet and test the outlet again. It is also worth noting that the GFCI outlet on a circuit may not be in the same room, so if you have an outlet that stops working check the breaker first, but then also check the GFCI outlets in the whole house.
3. Switched outlet
In some homes there are outlets called switched outlets. Often times this feature is used for bedrooms or living rooms so a light fixture can be controlled by the switch. There are different ways to wire a switched outlet however often times the outlet receptacles are positioned upside down to show the designation of it being a switched outlet. This may not always be the case but is a common rule of thumb. If you experience an outlet not working and have tried the first two procedures, double check to see if there are any switches in the same room. Also, if you know that you have a switched outlet and the outlet is not working and have checked the first two checks you should contact a licensed electrician to diagnose and repair the issue.
4. Broken connection
There are many different components to your home electrical system. Wires can be loose or pulled loose from a wire-nut or outlet or even from the panel. A wire can break or burn up if it is under a lot of strain. If there is a lot of load on one wire (like three space heaters) it can cause heat in the wire and could possibly be a fire hazard. This goes back to overloading the circuit. If the breaker continues to trip and there is nothing overloading the circuit this could be a sign of a short and should be diagnosed and repaired by an electrician.
5. Faulty outlet
Over time, outlets can go bad. Never take off any type of outlet or switch cover or light fixture without first ensuring the power is turned off for that circuit. If you do not feel comfortable moving forward and risking electrocution, it is best to contact a professional.
Whatever may be the issue do not hesitate to call Quality Electrical Contractors, 864-676-9477, or any of your electrical service needs.
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