5 reasons my outlet isn’t working

1) Tripped breaker 2) Outlet is wired to a switch 3) Lose connections on outlet 4) GFI outlet is tripped 5) Bad outlet

1)     TRIPPED BREAKER. The most common reason your outlet is not working is because your breaker has tripped due to an oversized load.  When determining the cause of your outlet your first step should be to identify the breaker that feeds that outlet.  After you identify the breaker that is feeding the outlet, examine the breaker.  If the handle of the breaker is half way between on and off then you have a tripped breaker.  Next step is to unplug everything from the outlets that the tripped breaker feeds and then reset the breaker.  In order to reset your breaker you will need to move the switch to the off position there will be a click and then move it to the ON position.  If you try to move it directly from the tripped state to the On position the breaker will not reset.  If the breaker holds after turning it back on, you can one by one start plugging things back into the outlets until the breaker trips again.  This will tell you what was the cause of the trip.  Things like microwaves draw a lot of power, there is a good chance that if you have a microwave plus other electronics plugged into a circuit it will overload.  Another common reason is an old lamp or another old electronic, those can have the internal wiring go bad causing a fault in the wiring and a tripped breaker.

2)     OUTLET WIRED TO A SWITCH.  In order to deter main if your outlet isn’t working due to a switch you will need a outlet tester.  If you do not have an outlet tester you can plug a lamp or another electronic item that will turn on when you flip the switch.  Once you plug in your tester or other item, you can flip the switch that you believe is controlling the outlet.  If after you turn the switch on there is power then that outlet is controlled by a switch.  If you don’t want the outlet controlled by the switch you may need to contact a qualified electrician to rework the wiring for the outlet to be always hot.

3)     LOSE CONNECTION ON THE OUTLET.  If you hear buzzing around your outlet there is a strong chance this is due to lose wiring.  Having strong secure connections on your outlets is vital for having a properly working outlet.  If the connection is lose then the outlet will not be getting the consistent power it needs in order to function properly.  In order to check this, first turn off the breaker that is feeding the outlet and check the outlet to make sure there is no power going to it.  After you shut off the power,  unscrew the screws holding the outlet to the box and pull it out of the box.  If you give the wires a light tug and they pull off then this is most likely your issue. 

4)     GFCI OUTLET TRIPPED.  This is commonly the case when in kitchens or near a water source.  GFCI outlets are required by code to be installed where there is power within 6’ of a water source. Outlets are sometimes wired in series with a GFCI outlet, meaning the GFCI outlet gets power from the source then feeds the regular outlets.  The reason for this is, when your regular outlets are fed from a GFCI outlet they act like GFCI outlets, they will trip out the GFCI if there is any short. You can determine if a GFCI outlet is tripped simply by looking at it.  If there is a red light on in the middle of the outlet then it is tripped.  In order to reset it, unplug everything from the outlet and press the reset button on the outlet.  You will hear a click then the red light will turn to a green light.  Once the green light is on your outlet should be back to functioning properly.  You can now plug things back into the outlet one by one until you determine the cause of the trip.  NOTE: GFCI outlets are much more sensitive and will trip out much quicker than a normal outlet or breaker.

5)     BAD OUTLET.  If you are in an older house the outlets could be old and worn over time.  If the outlet is cracked or visibly broken you should contact a qualified electrician to change out the outlet.  Another way to determine if an outlet is bad if it is not obvious from looking at it is first turn off the power feeding the outlet.  Then pull the outlet out of the box,  you will want to check the connections of the wires on to the outlet.  If there is black around the screws of the outlet there is a good chance that the power burnt out the connections.  You will need to change out the outlet and possibly strip back the wires to get a new solid connection.

These are the five most common reasons to why your outlet is not working.  If you have gone through all five steps and your outlet is still not working, there could be a bigger issue at hand.  You should always have a qualified electrician work on your electrical system.  Even something as simple as a bad outlet can be dangerous.