Why Does That Wall Outlet Keep Losing Power
No one enjoys the annoyance of dealing with an wall outlet that keeps losing power. Figuring out what’s going on, however, can get complicated. It is important to take a structured approach for the sake of safety and determining what’s happening. Here is how you find out why an outlet keeps losing power.
Safety First!
Safety is always important when dealing with electricity. Always be sure to:
- Completely dry your hands before beginning
- Clear the area around the outlet
- Use a proper voltage tester
- Stop if you have any doubts about what you’re doing
Check and Turn Off the Circuit Breaker
In many cases, the circuit breaker will trip at the same time the wall outlet quits working. Locate your home’s electrical panel and the circuit for the outlet that is losing power. It is unlikely that more than one breaker will be off, so you can usually assume the one that’s off is the culprit. If the breaker is still on, flip it off. In either case, try flipping the breaker on and seeing what happens when you use the outlet. If there continue to be problems, turn the breaker off. It is important to kill the power while you inspect the outlet.
Also, it is best if you can’t locate the specific breaker for the room in question to quit at that point. Picking and sticking isn’t an effective strategy, and you might turn off something important by trying all the breakers. Our electricians can trace your home’s circuits and properly label each breaker before proceeding with a more thorough diagnostic.
Opening Up the Wall Outlet
After turning off the breaker, the first thing to do is to visually inspect the outlet that is losing power. There is a good chance that something is overheating in the outlet if you see that the outlet is:
- Discolored
- Melted
- Burned
If the wall outlet isn’t burned, then unscrew the plate and gently remove it. Also, be aware that very old outlet plates may be lightly yellowed from decades of UV exposure.
Before you remove anything or touch any wires, use your voltage tester to check if the line is still live. Follow the instructions that came with your tester. If it says there’s no electricity in the line, you can then gently remove the wall outlet itself. If any of the wires appear to be loose, reconnect them and screw them into place tightly.
This is also a good time to check the wires for signs of melting. If they have any visible melting, then stop the project, turn off the breaker, and call us. There could be a fire hazard due to something like an amperage mismatch in the wiring or an electrical fault.
Note the color of the exposed part of the wiring, too. Ideally, it is a shinier brown, indicating that the wires are copper. If the wiring is silverish, then it’s aluminum. Aluminum wiring is outdated and causes lots of problems, and you should probably ask us to rewire the circuit if aluminum wiring is present.
You may also notice that the wires are too long. Many times, people doing DIY work just jam the extra wiring into the gap behind the wall outlet. If you see metal sticking out from the wires at the edges of the terminals, unscrew the terminals and trim the excess wire away from the outlet. You can then reattach the wires to the terminal.
Once everything is tightened up, place the outlet back into the wall where it belongs. Put the plate back on and screw it securely. Turn the breaker back on and test the outlet. If everything continues to work properly, then you’ve likely solved the problem.
Note What’s Running When the Wall Outlet Quits
Your outlet might not be the culprit. The circuit could be overloaded. For example, many Florida homeowners use electric heaters or fireplaces to take the chill off during cooler days. These are high-draw devices that can cause a circuit breaker to trip due to an overload.
Homeowners might not be able to do much with this information, but it helps us significantly if the problem becomes a service call. We benefit from knowing whether the whole circuit quit working or just the wall outlet.
One thing you can do is disconnect other systems on the circuit. Particularly, disconnect anything that’s running on an extension cord or a power strip. The system may be overloaded by those devices. If that’s the case, the best solution is to rewire the circuit. Typically, we add a circuit to support appliances or devices that need the extra power.
Checking GFCI Outlets
If you’re dealing with a GFCI outlet, there will be some additional steps. A ground-fault circuit interrupter is a special outlet type that turns the outlet off if nearby water has shorted the circuit. A GFCI will have a light that comes on if it’s in a fault state, meaning it tripped. There will also be a reset switch that allows you to restart the outlet after a fault. You can reset it, but make sure the nearby area is completely dry before doing so.
If this doesn’t resolve the problem, follow the steps from earlier. Remember to reset the GFCI once you’re ready to test the outlet. In many cases, the problem goes away with a reset. However, persistent GFCI trips without an obvious sign of a water spill are a problem for our electricians.
Testing the Outlet with the Power On
If there seem to be continuing problems, you should use the voltage tester to carefully check the wall outlet. The reading for a standard outlet in a Florida house should be between 110 and 125 volts
When to Call an Electrician from Mr. Sparky
It is always wise to play it safe with outlets. Gainesville, FL, residents should call Mister Sparky if there seems to be:
- Burn marks or smells at or near the outlet
- Several outlets failing on the same or multiple circuits
- Out-of-spec voltage readings
- Aluminum wiring
- Loose wires that won’t reconnect tightly
- An outlet that’s older than 20 years
- Household wiring that’s older than 40 years
Don’t put up with any malarky, call Mister Sparky. If you believe you have an electrical emergency, we are available 24/7. Contact Mr. Sparky right away and tell us what seems to be wrong with the wall outlet.
