You're going about your daily routine with the lights on in every room, television blaring, air conditioner blasting away, oven fired up…and all of a sudden, you lose power in one room or one specific outlet. No problem, you've experienced power outages before, and you know just what to do. You head to your circuit breaker panel—but the breaker in question is not tripped. What now?
When the power is out in one room and the breaker isn't tripped you may assume that your power company is to blame, but the frustrating problem of partial power outages can be caused by a number of different electrical issues within your house or commercial building. In this guide, we explain some of the related scenarios and their probable causes, along with some troubleshooting advice to help you pinpoint the problem so you can call your local electrician to get it resolved.
You don't have to deal with that aggravating electrical issue by yourself, and in many cases, it's not safe to do so. The team of professional electricians at your local Mr. Electric has the training, experience, and expertise to take care of any problem your system can throw at us safely and efficiently. We have the power to make things better!
Lights Flicker Off and On But Circuit Breaker Doesn't Trip
If you've noticed one particular light flickering, the first thing you should do is double-check to make sure its bulb is screwed in tightly enough and isn't burning out (remember that fluorescent and LED lights sometimes flicker when they're first turned on, but should quickly "settle"). But if all lights in one room or one part of your house are flickering, it’s clear your problem isn't with any individual bulb or fixture. That's when most people would assume there's a tripped breaker. But if your lights are flickering and the circuit breaker isn’t tripped, it’s easy to assume your power is out. In truth, something else is going on, and you will probably need help from a qualified electrician to figure out exactly what it may be. Turn off lights that are affected and cut power to them entirely by flipping that breaker manually.
There are a couple of potential causes for this problem. The most likely cause is a bad connection or faulty wiring issue that does not allow an adequate flow of electricity to certain fixtures. That's why it's important to cut power to those fixtures when you discover the problem—loose wires are a leading cause of house fires, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Wires deteriorate over time, and connections can be loosened by your house settling and just normal wear and tear damage. It could also be that your switch itself is faulty, which is a not-too-serious problem that requires your electrician to swap out your switch for a new one. Don’t let a broken wire become a safety hazard.
Another possibility is that your system does not have enough voltage to supply electricity to all your outlets, fixtures, and appliances. That's likely the case if you notice lights start to flicker when you turn on a major appliance that draws a lot of power. This can actually be very dangerous, and it needs to be taken seriously. If it happens, turn off your appliance and lights and call the professionals at Mr. Electric right away.
No Power to Light Switch But Breaker Not Tripped
You stroll into a room and flip your light switch—but your light doesn't come on. Your first assumption is a burned-out bulb, but it looks fine. Next, you assume the power is out, or the breaker has tripped…but it hasn't. So what's going on? When your light's out, and the circuit breaker’s not tripped, our first thought as professional electricians is to check if there's a GFCI outlet that has tripped.
GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter, and these types of outlets are found in most new homes in the United States (though you may not have them if your house has an older electrical system). GFCI outlets offer increased protection against the risk of electrical shock, and you'll know if you have them because there are "test" and "reset" buttons on the face of the outlet. They monitor the current of electricity and "trip" or cut power to themselves when they detect a power imbalance or excessive current on an unintended path. They are very sensitive because they are designed to react to a power surge faster than it could affect a person's heartbeat. That's a good thing, but it’s frustrating if you're not sure what's happening. It's worth noting that the tripped GFCI may not actually be located anywhere near the outlet or fixtures they are controlling. A tripped outlet could occur in a completely different part of your house from the affected fixtures or outlets, or it may even be located outdoors.
How Do You Reset a GFCI Outlet?
To restore power to ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, the GFCI needs to be reset. As we mentioned above, GFCIs have "test" and "reset" buttons on them. If it has tripped, the reset button should be sticking out further than the test button. Here are the steps to follow to get it safely reset:
- Unplug or turn off everything on that circuit (the fixtures and appliances that are not getting any power). Remember that the GFCI outlet can control "normal" outlets and switches, and it may not be physically close to affected components.
- Press the test button on your GFCI firmly. If it does not click, your GFCI has tripped.
- Press reset firmly until you hear it click. Check to see if an affected fixture is now getting power.
- If your power is back, plug items back in or turn them back on one at a time. If your GFCI trips again when you plug in a certain item, that indicates that there's a problem with that specific fixture or appliance and it needs to be repaired or replaced.
- If you get everything plugged back in and turned on and it all seems to be functioning as usual, that's fine—your GFCI may have been tripped by a power anomaly or a surge from a storm and should be back to normal.
- If it does not reset when you press its button, try flipping your circuit breaker off on your electrical panel and repeat the process, then turn your breaker switch back on to see if it worked. If it didn't, or it immediately trips again, there may be a more serious issue at play, or you have a set of dead outlets that need attention from an experienced electrician.
Outlet Stopped Working, Breaker Isn’t Tripped
If you've got a specific electrical outlet that is not getting power, but once again, the breaker is minding its own business in your breaker box and has not tripped, the issue is likely similar (or the same) as the ones we've described above. The lack of power could be related to faulty wiring, a loose connection, a tripped GFCI outlet, or even a blown fuse if you have an aged electrical system that features a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker box. If you're not sure where the issue is originating, give us a call. Our expert team of electricians can diagnose the problem and get it solved effectively and efficiently so you can get back to your regular routine with the full assurance that your system is operating safely in perfect working order.
Can a Circuit Breaker Fail Without Tripping?
The short answer is yes. When you encounter a situation where the power is out in one room, but the breaker isn’t tripped, that doesn't necessarily mean the breaker isn't causing the problem; it could still be a circuit issue. This occurs for reasons such as:
- The circuit breaker is faulty and needs to be replaced
- Electrical wiring issues with your breaker box, such as overheating or exposed, loose wiring
- Mechanical issue where your breaker actually has tripped, but its switch didn't flip
Determining the true cause of this type of situation is difficult, so it's a job best left to a qualified electrician who has the experience and training to inspect your system and provide a reliable diagnosis. Handling a bad circuit breaker or fiddling with a circuit component can be dangerous if you’re unsure of what you’re doing.
Signs of a Faulty or Deteriorated Breaker
Wondering if your breaker could be the source of all this frustration, even though it hasn't tripped? Here are the signs that indicate you're dealing with a faulty, damaged, or deteriorated breaker that needs to be replaced:
- Trips Frequently: If your breaker does trip frequently (but not this time), that's a clear sign that it is experiencing some type of difficulty that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
- Scorch Marks: If the switch in question has scorch marks on it, or near it on your panel, or it has suffered some other type of visible damage, that's a huge red flag. It could be related to the switch itself or other serious power issues.
- Hot to Touch: If you like to keep your house cool, a breaker switch may feel a little warmer than room temperature—but it shouldn't be hot or noticeably radiating heat. That poses a risk of fire, so the best course of action is to turn off power to your whole house with the main breaker switch right away and call Mr. Electric.
- Burning Smell: Most people have smelled that hot, metallic scent of frying electrical components before, and it's never a good sign. That's doubly true when it's coming from breaker boxes. This dangerous problem could be related to a circuit overload or wires shorting out. Again, turn off all power with the main breaker switch and call your electrician.
The situations we described above can quickly worsen and spiral into a huge problem that could put your property and household at risk of serious damage or injury. We mentioned a couple of times that you should turn off the power with your main breaker, but please only do this if it looks safe to do so. If the panel is smoking or sparking, or there's excess moisture nearby from a plumbing leak or basement flood, don't approach the panel. Call your electric company to have the power shut off remotely, then call an experienced professional electrician who can restore your home to safe, livable condition.
Troubleshooting the Problem
When the power is out, but your breaker isn't tripped, the best course of action is typically to get a licensed electrician to troubleshoot the issue, diagnose it, and come up with a plan to get it working again as safely and quickly as possible. That being said, there are a few things you could try first to narrow down the probable cause.
First, take a good look at your electrical panel for signs of damage or other types of trouble like sparks, scorch marks, burning smells and so on. If everything looks normal there and you have GFCI outlets in your house, try the steps we outlined above to reset your GFCI. If the GFCI won't reset or the buttons don't seem to be working, test other outlets and fixtures around your house so you’ll be able to tell exactly which ones are affected, and make sure you're trying to reset the correct GFCI. When the reset doesn't go as planned, the next step is to bring in the big guns by calling the team of professional electricians at your local Mr. Electric.
Power is Out, But Breaker isn’t Tripped? This Sounds Like a Job for Mr. Electric!
You need to use your electrical system for so many tasks every day, so it can be especially frustrating when part of it doesn't work as intended. You don't have to struggle alone—just call the friendly team at Mr. Electric to put in an electrical service request. Our team provides service for everything from light switch wiring and electrical panel upgrade service to ceiling fan installation and hot tub installation.
We'll show up promptly for your appointment, in uniform and driving a company vehicle, so you know who you're letting into your home. We'll then take the time to answer any questions you may have and explain our recommendations clearly so you can make an informed decision about the care of your power system.
