What to do right now
- Look at the breaker panel for a switch in the off or middle position, and reset it once.
- Press the reset button on GFCI outlets in bathrooms, the kitchen, the garage, laundry area and outdoors.
- Check any wall switches in the room, since some outlets are switch-controlled.
- Unplug everything in the room before restoring power, then plug things back in one by one.
Common causes
Tripped breaker
The simplest cause. A breaker may only move part of the way, so it can look almost on. Push it fully off, then on.
Tripped GFCI upstream
A single GFCI outlet can protect other outlets down the line, sometimes in a different room. A bedroom going dead because of a bathroom GFCI is common.
Loose connection
One outlet with a loose wire can cut off power to every outlet after it on the same run. This is common with push-in wiring.
Failed outlet or switch
A worn device can stop passing power through to the rest of the circuit, even when the breaker is fine.
Switched outlet
Some rooms have an outlet controlled by a wall switch for a lamp. It is easy to forget, and it can look like the outlet is dead.
Signs it's more serious
- The breaker trips again immediately after reset
- A GFCI will not reset, or trips right away
- Scorch marks or a burning smell at any outlet
- Warmth at an outlet or switch
- Lights in the room flickered before the power went out
When to stop and call. If the breaker trips right back off, if a GFCI will not reset, or if you notice heat, buzzing or a burning smell at any outlet, stop and call. Leave covers and faceplates on and do not open the panel. If you ever see smoke, flame or heat that keeps building, leave the house and call 911. For a dead room with no other warning signs, call to connect with a local electrician when it is convenient.
Safe things you can check or note
- Map which outlets and lights in the room work and which do not.
- Check whether outlets in the next room also stopped working.
- Use a lamp you know works to test outlets instead of guessing.
- Note anything that was plugged in or running when the power went out.
Leave covers, boxes and the panel closed. Noting what you see is enough; testing and repairs belong to an electrician.
What an electrician typically checks
An electrician will trace the circuit from the panel, test each outlet and switch, and find where power stops. The fault is often a loose connection or worn outlet at the last working device or the first dead one. The page on electrical troubleshooting explains how that tracing usually goes.
Repairs typically involve remaking connections on screw terminals, replacing a failed outlet or switch, or correcting a GFCI that was wired so that it protects more than intended. If the trouble is a single dead outlet rather than a whole room, see outlet not working.
Preventing it from coming back
Label your panel so you can find circuits quickly, test GFCI outlets monthly, and replace outlets that feel loose or show heat marks. In homes of every age around Murfreesboro, from older houses to newer subdivisions, knowing which GFCI covers which rooms saves a lot of guessing. If the room keeps losing power, a breaker that keeps tripping may be the real issue.