What to do right now
- Plug a lamp or phone charger you know works into the outlet to confirm it is really dead.
- Look for GFCI outlets (the ones with test and reset buttons) in nearby bathrooms, the kitchen, garage, basement or outside, and press reset.
- Check the panel for a breaker that sits in the middle or off position. Switch it fully off, then on, one time.
- Check whether a wall switch controls the outlet. Some outlets are half switched for lamps.
- If the outlet is warm, discolored or smells burnt, stop using it and do not reset anything further.
Common causes
Tripped GFCI upstream
One GFCI outlet often protects several regular outlets downstream. A garage GFCI can control an outlet on the porch, and a bathroom GFCI can control an outlet in another bathroom.
Tripped breaker
An overloaded or faulted circuit trips the breaker and cuts power to everything on it, sometimes in more than one room.
Loose or backstabbed connection
Many outlets were wired using push-in holes on the back. Those connections can loosen over time and fail, taking out that outlet and others past it.
Worn-out outlet
Outlets that have been plugged into thousands of times lose grip and can fail internally.
Switched outlet
In many bedrooms and living rooms, one outlet is controlled by a wall switch meant for a lamp.
Signs it's more serious
- The outlet or its cover plate is discolored, melted or warm.
- Several outlets went dead at once and resetting did not help.
- The outlet worked on and off before it quit.
- You heard a pop or saw a spark when it stopped working.
- The breaker trips again as soon as you reset it.
When to stop and call. If the breaker trips again right away, do not keep resetting it. If you saw sparks, smell burning, or see melted plastic, leave the outlet alone and call an electrician. See the page on a sparking outlet for more. Any smoke, flame or heat coming from a wall means get out and call 911.
Safe things you can check or note
- Test other outlets in the room and nearby rooms and note which ones are dead.
- Write down what was plugged in when it stopped working.
- Check whether nearby lights still work, which helps show where the circuit breaks.
- Leave the cover plate on and do not probe the outlet slots.
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 traces the circuit to find where power stops. That often means checking the last working outlet before the dead one, since the failed connection can be there rather than at the outlet that looks broken. They tighten or replace connections, replace worn devices and confirm GFCI protection is working where it belongs.
If outlets are old, loose or two-prong, outlet and switch replacement across a room or the whole house can make sense. For a whole room without power, see no power in one room.
Preventing it from coming back
Avoid heavy plugs and adapters that pull on the outlet, and do not run space heaters or high-draw appliances through worn outlets. Replace outlets that no longer grip a plug firmly. In many Murfreesboro subdivisions built quickly during growth years, backstabbed outlets are common, so if one fails, an electrician may suggest checking others on the same circuit.