The most common reasons why you have no power to the outlet even when the circuit breaker is on include faulty circuit breaker, GFCI issues, bad wiring, and hidden switches. You can try fixing these issues yourself given you have experience. Otherwise, hire an electrician.
When you lose power to a room, you simply check the circuit breaker and flip it back to get things to normal. However, you would be surprised if you saw that the breaker is okay but there is no power to the outlet. Let’s check out what, probably, has happened.
Circuit Breaker on but No Power to Outlet
There could be several reasons as to why you would have the circuit breaker on with no power. In this section, we will discuss the probable reasons and how to solve them.
Faulty Circuit Breaker
Naturally, the first thing you should look into is whether you have a faulty circuit breaker or not. This issue is seen from time to time and there is nothing to panic about. Make sure your breaker is not tripped even if it looks like it is not tripped. To check that, unplug all the appliances that are running off of the breaker.
Once you are done with unplugging, you can do the resetting by turning the breaker off. After a few minutes, turn the breaker back on. If power starts flowing to the outlet, your issue is resolved. However, if it does not, you can flip the breakers and try again. If you feel like the breaker is not firm enough, then you will most likely need to reset it.
GFCI Needs to Be Reset
This one is a complex issue that even the best electricians find troubling. If the GFCI or “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter” is faulty, then the power will not go to the outlets even if the circuit breaker is functional. The GFCI acts as a mini circuit breaker that can cut off power.
The electricians use the GFCI outlets inline with a circuit to protect the appliances that could have contact with water. Check the GFCI reset button to see it is properly functional. If you do not have such outlets in your home, the issue could lie within the loose or damaged wires.
Loose Connection
Broken or damaged wires could be one of the issues if the other ones fail. The outlets could lose power if a neutral or hot wire becomes loose over time. This happens when you have recently done renovations or changed light fixtures but forgot to wire tightly.
There are three types of loose connections you might encounter. They include loose terminal screws, loose wires at wire connectors, and loose stab-in connectors. You can fix these issues by taking out the outlet and checking the outlet box for loose connections.
Replace the Circuit Breaker
If the aforementioned reasons are not causing the power issue to the outlet, then the most likely reason is that your breaker is busted. Simply replace the breaker with a new one to resolve the issue. If you do not know how to do it yourself, you can call a licensed electrician to do the job for you.
Conclusion
Although the reasons and fixes mentioned above are pretty common, it won’t be surprising if you face a more complicated issue. If you are having trouble getting your head around it, you can always get the help of a veteran or a certified electrician. However, if you are dealing with the issue yourself, make sure you have the safety measures covered.
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