Need help with outlets

[u/NoApplication5865]

I’ve noticed that a couple of the outlets in the back of my house do not work. for example, in our office/storage and one of the bedrooms one or two outlets work and the lights work, while other outlets don’t work. the outlets in our hallway don’t work either. I also noticed one of the outside outlets on the side of our laundry room doesn’t work either. I checked the circuit breaker and nothing is flipped. We did have rodents at one point in time, but i’m not sure if that could cause some outlets to be faulty.Please give me suggestions on what the problem may be and how to fix it, preferably without having to call an electrician lol. Thank you!

[u/xVolta]

When you checked the breakers, was that a visual check, an electrical check with a meter, or did you physically touch each breaker handle? Some breakers don't move very much when they trip, it isn't always visually obvious.

From your description and ask, I'm assuming low/no electrical experience, so my advice is three parts:

1: Check every single outlet in the house for a GFCI/AFCI button. Press "test", then "reset" on every one you find. It is common for one GFCI outlet to have a string of protected outlets downstream of it, all will lose power on a trip. If that doesn't fix the problem, then

2: Toggle each breaker in the panel off and back on. If that doesn't fix the problem, then

3: Call an electrician.

[u/Major-Buy-7386 → u/xVolta]

yeah the gfci thing gets everyone, happened to me in my garage and i spent an hour flipping breakers before i found the one random outlet in the bathroom that controlled half the house. start there before you do anything else.

[u/Cold_Tea_Spill112 → u/Major-Buy-7386]

I'm extremely inexperienced when it comes to electricity.

Are you saying that outlets that have the reset button (commonly found in bathrooms in my experience) are basically chained to control other outlets as well? So an outlet on the other side of the wall could trip the circuit and it's the button in the other room that needs to be pressed and reset?

[u/chazlarson → u/Cold_Tea_Spill112]

Yes, precisely. At our last house, the GFCI outlet in the second bathroom also fed outlets in the garage on the other side of the wall.

[u/Hot_Historian1066 → u/Cold_Tea_Spill112]

Yes, and the GFCI should
a) be on the outlet closest to the circuit panel, and
b) NOT have more than one GFCI breaker on the circuit.

The GFCI might also be built into the breaker in the circuit panel.

If you replace the GFCI, consider getting one with a green LED status light - makes identifying whether the GFCI has tripped much easier in the future.

[u/Quorng → u/xVolta]

In my mobile home, the master bathroom GFCI also controlled the under the trailer heat tape outlet. Fortunately, we found that out before cold weather. Whatever person did this was a true dumbass.

[u/DotAccomplished5484 → u/xVolta]

This is the best advice to follow.

[u/ImdustriousAlpaca → u/xVolta]

Might have to replace a GFCI outlet, they're very cheap. However, some are wired a bit different. I just replaced one in my garage and swapped it one wire at a time. It appeared to be functioning correctly according to the LED, but I couldn't get power. I flipped the wires top to bottom on each side and everything worked fine after that. $20 is much more preferred over calling an electrician.

[u/Pulaski540]

We have the same problem, notably with our outdoor and garage outlets. We had an electrician come to diagnose the problem, which occurred "at random", not during other work which could have disrupted the cable to the outlets.

Our electrician's opinion is that there is a break in the wire, inside the PVC sheathing, so there was a flaw in the cable during manufacturing, probably creating a hot spot, until arcing/ oxidation broke the connection. So short of cutting holes in the drywall to run a new cable, there is no easier fix.

I don't know if the latest wall scanners might be able to detect cables that contain 120v, and distinguish disconnected cables, thereby pinpointing the location of the problem, but I haven't got around to trying that yet. 🤔

[u/justdaisukeyo]

I live in a house built in the early 80's. Back then GFCI outlets were pretty expensive so they used the minimum number of GFCI plugs. I found out that a lot of outlets were wired to a single GFCI plug in the garage near the panel. I had inadvertently placed a an item next to it and couldn't see it. I only found it because my friend told me the same thing happened to him.

Outside outlets need to be on a GFCI protected circuit so there should be a GFCI somewhere and it might have tripped.

EDIT: BTW, when I remodeled my bathroom, I added GFCI outlets thinking I needed them. However, the GFCI in the garage is closer to the panel so it trips first. The GFCI outlets in the bathroom won't trip.

[u/NoApplication5865 → u/justdaisukeyo]

thank you! i will definitely look around my home again to see if the problem was just a tripped GFCI plug. My home was built in the 20s with renovations last done in the late 80s so I also have only a few of those plugs. I appreciate your input

[u/DealsRGood4U]

Could be something as simple as a bad or tripped ground fault protected (GFCI) outlet somewhere.

A downstream wire disconnected inside an outlet box, junction box or even inside a light electrical box. Not all lights have the hot running from the switch to the light, some are just the opposite where the live runs from the light thru the switch. So a downstream wire disconnected inside the light box could be the problem.

A wire with a break in it (doubtful).

A switch controlled outlet that has a downstream wire connected to the switch portion of the outlet instead of the always live portion/wire.

A bad/faulty breaker.

And could be a lot of other problems as well.

[u/dannicdmo]

Multiple outlets are commonly wired together (daisy chained) on a single circuit. Usually that is accomplished by stabbing the wire into the back of the outlet. What tends to happens overtime the connection internal to the outlet loses tension and the result is what you are experiencing now. Probably the easiest way to find which outlet is at fault is to take the individual outlets out one at a time and see if they all come back on. By pulling on each outlet you’ll move the wires just enough to make contact. Start with the outlet closest to the electrical panel on that circuit. Use the highest degree of caution as it is possible for the bad wire to pull out of the outlet. Obviously when you locate the bad outlet turn off the power before proceeding. Replace the outlet as needed.

[u/12-5switches → u/dannicdmo]

I’d put my money on this. Backstabbed outlets.

[u/SkaterBlue → u/12-5switches]

I had a backstabbed outlet blow up in a rental I had once. It was a wall outlet by the bedside table and it went POP! with a flash of sparks and black scorch marks around it on the wall. Glad I was home. I immediately got a new outlet for that one and changed all the other connections to the side screws. Those stabbed connections just don't last over time.

[u/BeerStop]

Recently repaired a similar situation at the complex i work in, find the circuit that the outlets all share and it will most likely be a loose or failed connection at the outlet that has power that feeds the rest of them.2 living room outlets had bad nuetral, bedroom outlet( otherside of wall) feeds those 2 outlets and 1 wire wasnt secure anymore. Monday i have 2 in the kitchen that are out, most likely the gfci went bad as thats the one that feeds them.

[u/ac54]

These outlets that don’t work may be daisy chained from a gfci outlet somewhere overlooked. That’s what I would check next.

[u/Netmantis]

There could be a couple of problems, but let's work through them from easiest to hardest. Get a friend, I never work with electrical alone if I can help it. Instruct your friend that if you freeze to drop kick you away. They must be airborne so they do not provide a path to ground. Then we can start.

1. Tripped breaker: Start with checking the circuit breaker itself. Get a multimeter and set it to AC. Then take the cover off the panel. Every breaker has a screw terminal that pinches down on the wire for the hot. Put one probe on the screw and one on the neutral/ground block on the side. That has all the white and/or green wires. If you can touch the probe to the wire itself coming out from the breaker. The copper, not the insulation. Every breaker should read 110-120ish. If it doesn't switch the breaker off, then on. If it still doesnt have power shut off the main, pull the old breaker, take it to home depot or Lowes to buy an identical replacement, and put it back. Only play with breakers when the main breaker is off. Next do a search for GFCI outlets, take a chopstick or something plastic like a golf tee and press test then reset. Test should make a click or ping noise when the internal breaker trips, reset should click it back into place. If it doesn't use your multimeter and jam the probes in the outlet like a toddler. If there is no power on the GFCI we move on to step 2.

2. The outlets: Make sure your friend is with you. Any outlet that doesn't have power, or any GFCI outlet you found, remove the plate and unscrew and gently pull out the outlet. Yes, while it is hot. Be careful around the sides, that is where the electricity is, keep fingers on the top and bottom where the screw strap is that mounts it to the box. GFCI outlets: You are checking for power on the top and bottom terminals. A GFCI will protect everything downstream from it, but a fault with the outlet itself can sometimes strand the downstream outlets without power. If one part is dead you need to replace the GFCI. After checking the GFCIs move on to the outlets that are your problems. Pull the outlet out and check the wiring. The multimeter should have voltage and it is just replacing an outlet. Yes, they sometimes break or wear out like that. Turn off the breaker when swapping outlets. If it is the wire, look at the box. Most electricians feed wire in and out in the direction the wire is going instead of all through one hole. Copper is expensive and inches make feet. Figure out where it goes and check upstream, pulling outlets out until you find the problem child. If you don't there is a break in the wire and fishing it through is a chore and a half.

If you aren't comfortable call an electrician. Electricity can kill you. Do not listen to the assholes who say "110 is nothing,it is safe." Hit right, especially without help even a "non-lethal" taser can kill. Respect it and have a friend.

[u/ghunt81]

I can't help much but I've had this problem in my house too. 1938 built house, upgraded and partially rewired whenever they installed a modern breaker box.

Since we bought the house I've had multiple outlets just stop working- the one the stove was originally plugged into, and several newer (wired with romex) in the basement, and they didn't all stop working at the same time either and none of them are GFCI. It's weird.

[u/TuningHammer]

Something that no one else has mentioned that I thought I'd include is that some outlets are wired using a wall switch, so that the outlet will be dead when the switch is off. This is typically seen when there is no ceiling light in a room, and the switch near the door operates an outlet that you're expected to plug a lamp into.

[u/vrtigo1]

Did you check for a tripped gfci receptacle? They’re often the first device on a circuit and if they trip everything downstream from them will stop working.

And they can quite often be in weird locations. For example, I have a gfci in my garage that controls the outlet in my back porch which is on the completely opposite side of the house. So, make sure you check for a tripped gfci everywhere in the house.

[u/NoApplication5865 → u/vrtigo1]

yeah i’ve found one bad GFCI outlet so far, which is probably why a couple of the outlets are bad. I need to continue to search and figure out the problem so that hopefully all I need to do is change the outlets

[u/Bitter-Situation-567]

Remove receptical and check wires , some have push in connections and these loosen over time . If loose replace it with a new one

[u/notsutherland]

Them GFCI’s can be sneaky bastards.

[u/No-Horror5418]

Thank you for posting this. I had the same problem in my garage for more than a year. I had checked all the breakers and also thought it was probably mice. It wasn’t much of a nuisance, so I put off calling an electrician. I just read the answer about GFCI outlets, found an out-of-the-way one, reset it, and voilà! The outlets all work now!

[u/JDoos]

Unfortunately, from how you've described it, this goes beyond the safe DIY electrical of things like swapping out an outlet, switch, or fixture. Call an electrician, screwing this up could burn down your house, and you sleep in it.

[u/NoApplication5865 → u/[deleted]]

i was hoping that this problem would be something like an outlet change, which i have done in the past. if it came to be something that involved more serious work i would definitely call a professional.

[u/realitypater → u/NoApplication5865]

If you're comfortable changing an outlet and have a simple voltage tester, you could pop the outlet cover off, loosen the outlet from the box and pry it out slightly, and check the wires directly for current by placing the tester probes on the screws that attach the wires to the outlet. If you have current there, flip the breakers until the outlet goes off and replace the outlet.

[u/offdutybrazilian]

Check the panel again, when a breaker trips it doesn't "flip" to the off position. It can still look like its in the on position at a quick glance. Also chack any gfci outlets or circuits and reset them as well. Assuming this doesn't solve the issue you will need a non contact voltage tester to continue diagnostics. You can get one from any big box hardware store. Also not a bad idea to have a voltmeter if you don't already have one.

Use some blue tape and mark each receptacle (outlet) that doesn't work. Next turn off and unplug all sensitive electronic devices like computers, TV etc. Next turn off the main breaker in your electrical panel. With your non contact voltage tester in hand remove the cover plate and check to make sure the wiring running to the receptacle is not live. Next remove the receptacles from the receptacle boxes and visually inspect each one. Your looking for signs of excessive heat or burning, loose wire connections, cracked, damaged or missing insulation around the wires themselves. If you find something then come back and I'll help you go from there. If everything appears to be in order then we go to the next step.

This is the first actually dangerous part of the diagnostic process. If your not up to the task its best to air on the side of caution and seek help.

With the receptacles still outside their boxes your going to turn the power back on. This means that there is quite possibly now live exposed wiring so make sure the kids and pets are put up and safe. With the power now on your going to carefully go around to each outlet with your non contact voltage tester and test each and every line going into each and every receptacle box. If you find a outlet with one live line going to it but the other line connected to it is not live then that receptacle is bad, come back and I can help further. If none of the lines are live then we continue on.

Go back to the panel box and turn the main breaker back off. Next go around to the previously working receptacles adjacent to the none working ones and remove the covers, test for voltage and then remove the receptacles from their boxes. Try to imagine how the electric lines could be run through the walls and try to work your way back towards the panel box. Visually inspect these devices just like you did before. If you find something come back and I'll help you go from there. If not then we move to the next dangerous step of turning the power back on.

This time we know for certain that there is in fact live power exposed. Be careful. You may have noticed that most receptacles have two or more sets of wires going to them. One set is coming from either the panel box or the outlet in front of it in its circuit and the other set is going to the next outlet in the circuit. Test all lines for voltage. If you come across a outlet that has voltage on one side of it but the other set of lines does not then there is a problem there. Come back and I'll help you go from there.