Why Are My Outlets Not Working?

Swan Electric, Plumbing, Heating & Air

Unsecured Connection Or Old Wiring

burning outlet An unsecured outlet is when your outlet is not sealed correctly. This can cause a space between two conductors for the electricity to break free. This can more than likely cause overheating and in some cases even start a fire. The electrical term for the outlet overheating would be known as arcing. Another reason for this can be old, worn or strained wiring. This happens when wires get old and start to expose, breaking free from its circuit and making immediate contact (arcing) with the outlet. It would be best to have a trained and licensed electrician come and do an electrical inspection on the home’s wiring if you feel that you may have this problem.

Over Charged or Overloaded Circuits

An outlet can cease to work if a fuse is blown out and or your circuit breaker has malfunctioned. This happens when you have too much power running through a wire. This will make it too hot and cause your fuse to melt off leaving the outlet not working. The fuses are made to do this so that there won’t be any further damage. The breaker itself will also cut off that circuit and stop the outlet from working if it senses that there is a problem or too much electricity running through. You can always reset your breaker but a fuse may have to be removed and replaced.

What If It Is A GFCI?

A white electrical outlet with a green light on it on a white background. If it is a GFCI outlet then there may be hope. This outlet self-tests itself to make sure that nothing is wrong. There is a light on the GFCI outlet to show you the status of it. When the light is green, it means the outlet has passed its self-test. If the light is blinking red or is solid red then you need to press “TEST” and “RESET” to reset the GFCI. If it continues to blink or stay solid then you need to replace the outlet. If it is blacked out and there is no light then it is a tripped outlet and you will have to try and press “RESET” to get it back working. If it does nothing then it is a dead outlet and has no power and may need to be replaced.