Outlet Not Working? Check These Five Things Before Calling an Electrician

An outlet that suddenly stops working is one of the most common electrical calls, and most of the time nothing is broken. A safety device has done its job and needs resetting, or the outlet is controlled by a switch nobody remembers. The checks below go from most likely to least likely, and only the last one involves opening anything.

Diagnose before you touch anything

What you notice	Most likely cause
Several outlets in a bathroom, kitchen, garage or outside are dead	A GFCI outlet upstream has tripped
Outlets and lights in several rooms are dead	A breaker has tripped
One outlet works only sometimes	Controlled by a wall switch, or a loose connection
Only the top or bottom half of one outlet works	Split, switched outlet
Outlet is dead and was warm, discolored or smelled burnt	Failed connection: stop and see the safety section

Plug a lamp or a plug-in tester into the outlet first so you can see immediately when power returns.

Check 1: Look for a tripped GFCI

GFCI outlets have “TEST” and “RESET” buttons. One GFCI can protect several ordinary outlets wired after it, including outlets in other rooms. The Electrical Safety Foundation International notes that GFCIs are required in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors, so check every GFCI in those areas, plus basements and laundry rooms. Press RESET firmly on each one. If one clicks and stays in, test your dead outlet again.

Check 2: Check the breaker panel

Open the panel door and look for a breaker whose handle is in the middle position or pointed toward “OFF”. Push it fully to OFF, then back to ON. Some AFCI and GFCI breakers have their own test button and a trip indicator. If the breaker trips again right away, leave it off and read our guide to a breaker that keeps tripping. ESFI points out that a breaker that trips often is a sign of an electrical issue that should be found and fixed, not something to keep resetting.

Check 3: Find out if a switch controls it

Many living rooms and bedrooms have outlets controlled by a wall switch, often a switch near the door with no obvious light. Flip every switch in the room while your lamp is plugged in. Sometimes only one half of the outlet is switched, which is why a lamp works in the top and not the bottom.

Check 4: Test the outlet itself

With a plug-in tester, a working outlet shows a “correct” light pattern. No lights at all means no power is reaching it. If outlets on either side work but this one does not, the problem is likely a loose wire at this outlet or the one before it on the circuit. Many older outlets use “backstab” connections, where the wire pushes into a hole on the back, and these loosen over time.

Check 5: Replace the outlet if needed

If you have confirmed the circuit has power elsewhere and the outlet is still dead, a failed or loose outlet is likely. Turn off the breaker, confirm the outlet is dead with a non-contact voltage tester, and follow our guide to replacing an outlet. If you find more than one cable in the box and are not sure which wires go where, stop and call an electrician.

Safety first

Stop using the outlet and leave the breaker off if you saw sparks, smelled burning, or noticed the outlet or cover plate was warm or discolored. ESFI lists flickering lights, a burning smell, discolored switches and warm outlets as possible signs of a serious wiring problem. A mild shock or tingle from a switch or outlet can mean a device is failing.

Common mistakes

• Missing the GFCI in another room. A garage or bathroom GFCI can feed outlets far away.
• Resetting a breaker over and over. Repeated tripping means a fault or overload.
• Assuming the tester is right. Plug-in testers do not detect every wiring fault; they are a first check, not a guarantee.
• Working without testing for power. Breakers are sometimes mislabeled.

When to call an electrician

Call a licensed electrician if the breaker trips again immediately, if several outlets on one circuit are dead with no tripped device, if you find scorched or melted wiring, if your home has aluminum branch wiring, or if the outlet box contains wiring you cannot identify with confidence. A dead outlet with signs of heat is a fire risk and should not be put back into use until it has been inspected.