Short answer
Most dead outlets come down to three things: a tripped GFCI somewhere upstream, a tripped breaker, or a loose or failed connection at that outlet or one before it on the circuit. Check and reset GFCI outlets in bathrooms, the kitchen, garage, basement and outdoors, then check the panel. If the outlet is still dead, or it's warm, discolored or smells burnt, stop and call an electrician.
What's Probably Happening
Outlets on a circuit are usually wired in a chain. Power passes through one to get to the next. That's why one problem can knock out several outlets, and why the one that's dead isn't always the one that's broken.
A Tripped GFCI Somewhere Else
GFCI outlets, the ones with TEST and RESET buttons, protect themselves and often every outlet after them on the circuit. A GFCI in a garage might protect the outdoor outlets. One in a basement might protect a bathroom. When a GFCI trips, everything downstream goes dead. This is the first thing to check, and it's the fix more often than not.
A Tripped Breaker
A breaker may have tripped without anyone noticing, particularly if the circuit only feeds a few outlets. It will sit in the middle position or off.
A Loose Connection
If an outlet is dead but the GFCIs and breaker are fine, a wire may have come loose at that outlet or at one earlier in the chain. Outlets wired using the push-in holes on the back, instead of the side screws, are especially prone to this. Loose connections can arc and overheat, so this one needs a repair, not just a reset.
A Worn-Out Outlet or GFCI
Outlets wear out. Contacts lose their grip, and GFCIs eventually stop resetting. In older housing, common in Bay City, Saginaw and Essexville where most homes were built before 1960, many outlets are simply decades past their prime, and some are still two-prong with no ground.
A Switched Outlet
Some outlets are controlled by a wall switch, often meant for a lamp. Flip nearby switches before assuming anything is broken.
What You Can Safely Check Yourself
- Flip any wall switches in the room. One may control the outlet.
- Find every GFCI outlet in the house: bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, garage, basement and outdoors. Press RESET firmly on each one.
- Check the panel for a tripped breaker. Reset it once, fully off then on, without opening the panel cover.
- Plug a lamp or phone charger you know works into the outlet to test it.
- Feel the cover plate with the back of your hand. It should not be warm. Look for browning, melting or scorch marks.
When to Stop and Call
- The outlet is still dead after you've reset every GFCI and checked the breaker.
- A GFCI won't reset, or trips again as soon as you reset it.
- The outlet or cover plate is warm, discolored, cracked, or smells burnt. Stop using it. If there is smoke, get everyone out and call 911.
- You heard a pop or saw a spark when something was plugged in.
- Several outlets in a row are dead, or outlets work on and off.
- Plugs fall out of the outlet on their own.
Don't take the outlet apart or poke into it. If the simple checks don't bring it back, call Select Electric at (989) 835-3587 and tell us which outlets are out and what you've already reset. That saves time on the visit.
Common Questions
Why won't my GFCI outlet reset?
A GFCI won't reset if it has no power coming in (check the breaker), if it senses a fault that is still there, such as moisture in an outdoor box, or if the device itself has failed. GFCIs do wear out. If it won't reset with the breaker on and nothing plugged in, it likely needs replacing.
One GFCI shut off outlets in another room. Is that normal?
Yes. One GFCI can protect every outlet wired after it on the same circuit. In many homes, a GFCI in a bathroom or garage also protects outlets outside or in another bathroom. Reset the GFCI and the others should come back.
Can I replace an outlet myself?
We don't recommend it. A dead outlet is often a symptom of a loose connection somewhere else on the circuit, and replacing the outlet won't fix that. Wiring mistakes at an outlet can also leave it working but unsafe.
My outlet works but plugs fall out. Is that a problem?
Yes. Worn contacts make poor connections, and poor connections make heat. A loose-gripping outlet should be replaced, especially if it feeds a space heater or other heavy load.