A home’s electrical system is among its most critical infrastructure. However, we’ve all had electricity at home for so long that it’s easy to take it for granted. It doesn’t help that electrical systems themselves are so deceptively simple. For the end-user, it’s as easy as plugging a device into a wall outlet, and presto—you have power. That is, except when one of your outlets fails to work. That’s when a little bit of knowledge about how residential electrical systems function comes in handy. To help with that, here are some outlet failure causes in your home might stop working while others continue to work fine.
1. You’re Dealing With a Lamp Outlet
Here at Dream Team Home Services, we’ve lost count of how often perplexed homeowners have called us to report one or more outlets in their homes behaving strangely. They typically tell us that the top receptacle of an outlet works fine while the lower receptacle seems dead. To them, this seems like a certain case of an internally-malfunctioning outlet. To us, there’s another obvious cause—the homeowner has stumbled upon a lamp outlet.
Although not as common in newer homes, it used to be common for some rooms to contain half-hot outlets, otherwise known as lamp outlets. They’re wired in such a way that the lower receptacle connects to a wall switch that controls the flow of current to it. The idea is to allow you to plug a lamp into that receptacle and control it from the wall switch. So, if you ever come across an outlet that seems only half-powered, you should check to see if a nearby switch can fix the problem.
2. A Tripped GFCI Outlet
Another common reason an outlet in your home might stop working is if it’s connected to a tripped GFCI outlet. GFCI, or ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, contain circuity designed to detect short circuits and cut the power before they can lead to a shock or a fire. They’re often found in bathrooms and kitchens or elsewhere in your home where water might be present. They’re easy to spot because they’ll have buttons on their face marked test, and reset.
However, ordinary outlets are sometimes wired to draw power from a GFCI outlet, so they receive the same protection. That means a tripped GFCI outlet somewhere in your home could cause a non-GFCI outlet somewhere else to stop working, too. So, if you come upon an outlet that seems dead, try looking for any tripped GFCI outlets and press their reset buttons. If your dead outlet starts working again, you’ve located the problem.
3. A Tripped Circuit Breaker
Just as a tripped GFCI outlet can be the root cause of another outlet’s failure, the same is true of a tripped circuit breaker. The circuit breaker’s purpose is to protect your outlets and the wiring that feeds them from damage caused by power overloads. So, if you plug too many high-wattage devices into one or more outlets on a circuit, the circuit breaker will interrupt the power to prevent damage.
To find out if a tripped circuit breaker is the cause of a failed outlet, you’ll have to look at your home’s electrical panel. Circuit breakers only have two positions—on and off—making them easy to diagnose. If you find a circuit breaker that’s off, turn it on and see if it fixes your problem.
And if you find no tripped breakers, don’t give up. Look at the panel door to see which circuit breaker serves the outlet in question. When you find it, turn the breaker off and then on again. Sometimes, the breaker could trip without the switch appearing to reach the off position. Flipping the switch could reset it and fix your faulty outlet.
4. A Burnt-Out Outlet
Although it doesn’t happen often, an outlet can burn out due to a short circuit or another external issue. However, it’s rare for this to happen without it leaving some telltale signs in its wake. For example, you might notice a black scorch mark on the outlet itself. That could signify that a short has evaded the protection of your circuit breakers and damaged the outlet. If you see such markings, don’t try to use the outlet. If you can, locate and turn off the circuit breaker that serves the outlet. Then, call us at Dream Team Home Services to send one of our electricians to diagnose the issue and fix it for you.
5. Loose Wiring
Loose wiring is another issue that can render an outlet in your home powerless. Each outlet has wiring that connects it to your home’s main electrical panel. Those wires usually connect to the outlet via side-mounted screw terminals or rear-mounted push-in terminals. In either case, it’s always possible for those wires to come loose over time. This often happens when the outlet isn’t mounted securely in its box or sitting flush with the wall. That allows the outlet to move a little bit every time you plug something in or take a plug out of the outlet.
It’s important to realize this isn’t a problem that you should try and diagnose yourself. However, if you notice that the outlet itself feels loose when you try to plug something in, there’s a decent chance its wires have loosened enough to cause a failure. If you suspect this is the case, you should turn off the relevant circuit breaker and contact our experts at Dream Team Home Services for help.
6. A Faulty Outlet
The final and least common reason an outlet in your home could fail is an intrinsically faulty mechanism. This means something inside the outlet has failed, leaving the outlet inoperable. This is also the trickiest thing for a homeowner to diagnose on their own. The reason is simple. The outlet will look as though it’s in perfect condition. You won’t find a problem with a circuit breaker, and none of the other conditions mentioned above will apply, yet the outlet has stopped working.
The only way to figure out if this is the case is for an electrician to open the outlet cover and test the wiring coming into the outlet. If the wires are supplying the correct voltage and aren’t loose or damaged, the outlet is the only remaining failure point. In that case, the electrician will replace the outlet, which should restore everything to good working order.
Trust the Electrical Experts to Help: Outlet Failure Causes
Now that you know why an outlet in your home could fail, you should have an easier time figuring out where the problem lies when encountering a dead outlet. However, as you also know, some of the causes of outlet failures aren’t things you should try to fix yourself. Instead, you should call on the expert electricians here at Dream Team Home Services to handle the job for you. We offer comprehensive electrical services like repair, rewiring, and inspections. We also offer comprehensive plumbing, heating, and cooling services to customers throughout Media and the surrounding area. We’re the one name to know whenever any part of your home’s critical infrastructure needs repair.
So, the next time you encounter a failed outlet and can’t figure out why it’s happened, call Dream Team Home Services and leave the detective work to us!
