We have just recently bought a repossessed house, all the plumbing and lights work fine. Everything in the kitchen works, but none of the plugs around the house do?
You really need a modern box with safety cut-out switches. Don't try to do anything yourselves with this problem. Deterioration of old wiring after a year's non-use is very likely, and re-wiring is your only answer. You don't know how long this has been a problem - maybe more than a year - and I'd prefer to be on the safe side.
The electric outlets in the living room stopped working. We flipped the breakers and now when you plug something in it goes on and off. I think one of the outlets is blown what can I do?
If you have a short in one of the outlets this needs to be replaced. Normally this is simple and not so hard to do.
You'll need to purchase some new outlet at your local hardware store. Afterwards, turn off the circuit breakers in your home. Undo the screws and remove the faceplate and then the outlet. They are held in by 2 screws.
If this doesn't help, you'll need to replace the fuse in your breaker box.
Why won't the breaker trip, but if you play with the plug it starts working again?
By Nick
The breaker would only trip if too much current is being pulled (demand exceeds supply). If you have a loose outlet, where the plug falls out or you have to wiggle the plug to get it to work, it wouldn't necessarily trip the breaker, because it's not connecting/pulling electricity at all.
My phone charger was plugged into the wall outlet. It stopped charging and made a popping sound. I moved the cord a little and there was a spark. I was scared to unplug it, but I did eventually. My cord is now plugged into my laptop and is working. What is the problem?
By cara
You have a hot to ground short. From what you described it may be in your phone charger transformer. This could easily cause a fire and should be corrected by a professional.
If you are certain that the sparks came from the phone adapter, get rid of that phone adapter. If the sparks may have originated in the receptacle, get an electrician to service and replace the receptacle.
The outlets in the two main bathrooms seem to work for a while and then they seem not to work. No breakers are blown, I have made sure I reset all the breakers in the box. The lights work right next to these lights so there is power going to those rooms just not the outlets. They are none GFI plugs so I cannot reset at the plug. I have tested the powder room plug. I had a tester and accidentally hit the button on the tester and now cannot get that plug to work either. Please help.
By Chris
Are you sure the lights are on the same circuit?
Checking your wiring map (hopefully when you home was wired, they mapped it out in the breaker box). There could be a gfi in a different room that is tripping. For some reason, we have 2 outlets in the garage that are on the same circuit as one wall of the kitchen. I have to go out the garage to reset it if it trips.
You may also have a faulty breaker. Once you determine for sure which breaker goes to that outlets, replace the breaker.
Otherwise, you have a common junction between those two bathrooms that is shorting out. Ideally, the two bathrooms should not be on the same circuit.
I have no power to one kitchen power outlet and one living room outlet. The circuit breaker appears good.
By Peter
Call an electrician. They go to school and train to be able to solve problems like this.
I have power to my black wire at the outlet, but if I touch the coating the power goes away. Or if I hook it up to the outlet I lose power.
I changed two wall outlets, just replacing dirty ones. I did them exactly as they were taken off, but both won't work? Not sure what it could be. It has a red, white, and black wire.
By Tracy
Call Home Depot and ask to talk to someone in the electrical dept. Those people at Home Depot have helped me out many times.
Did you check your fuse box - perhaps you threw a breaker?
I have 2 outlets that are in separate bathrooms. Both have power, but neither one will run a hair dryer or hot iron. They will power a radio. Has anybody seen this before or have any suggestions?
By David
I'll venture to bet that you need larger amp circuit breaker(s). You're simply running too many watts for the size the breaker(s) can handle and especially if more than one room are on the same circuit.
What I know about this is next to nothing, however, I have heard that sometimes outlets in bathrooms were installed to only power appliances with a small draw, such as a electric razor or a radio. I suspect that that is the type of outlet you have since you have two of them, and they are both in bathrooms. I have seen such outlets labeled "for razor only". This is a safety feature. I do not know if it is the breaker or the kind of outlet. I think you need to consult an electrician.
Older places with old wiring is very dangerous. Sounds like old set up. You didn't say how old the place was you lived but a lot of even l950's houses now have bad wiring. An electrician or a friend who knows about wiring is a good thing here because the advice we can give without seeing is worth absolutely nothing. But you just might want to think on this; don't wait and burn the house down.
I have electricity coming into a switch and going out from the switch to a fan, but the fan does not turn on. I checked to see if the fan is broken, but it actually works.
So I tried another switch and get the same results. Anyone know what is wrong?I have got power to the sockets, but when I plug in anything it does not work.
I know the power is on, as I tried an extension lead which lit up, but as soon as I plugged anything in, nothing.
I blew out an electrical outlet. I pulled on it and it blew taking out 4 other outlets. I replaced the blown outlet, but still all 5 outlets are out even after I reset the switch on the main box.
By Milton
