there is no circuit breaker that is tripping as far as I can tell, I can't find the circuit breaker that controls the finished part of my basement (the other side of the basement is unfinished and contains washer, dryer, furnace ...) - I flipped every circuit breaker except the main one and nothing makes the lights in the finished part of the basement to go out. Not doing so can be a fire hazard and will break your electrical outlets. Get the amp rating off the outlet and pick up a replacement with that rating and the same configuration and number of holes. Investing in an upgrade electrical outlet or unplugging some items in your home might also keep the circuit … In the couple of times this has happened, I wasn't getting power to the power strip, and a power outlet on an adjoining wall wasn't getting power either - in that outlet I had a power strip plugged in with only a lamp plugged into the power strip. I have three outlets on a circuit. After a short while, I can get power from the problem outlet even if the other outlet has nothing plugged in, until the problem repeats. 240V is actually 120V x 2, since you have some power to the outlet but nothing works, I would suspect that one side of it is not working. When you plug anything into the first outlet it then has no power. Another common way to lose energy is to leave a device plugged into a charger after it has already been fully loaded. Cable boxes, Apple TVs, Xbox consoles and any other modern application of that sort also results in a constant drain on your power. The meter will read voltage even if there is high resistance in series with the meter. However, most of the time we end up tripping the breaker and finding out that you can only plug so many things into a pair of electrical outlets. If you want to replace an outlet, simply turn off the power to the outlet and remove it. There are times when we just have to plug a couple of power strips into a 4-way outlet adapter to make one outlet into enough plug-ins for all of our gadgets. i would try to find that box and check the connections there. In many homes, if a room does not have an overhead light, most builders will install a switch that controls half of the outlets in the room. The power strip itself—despite its red LED light—registered 0.0 watts when we plugged it in. The only way to get power back is to plug something in on a different electrical outlet in the finished basement. I thought it was the breaker so I turned it off then back on again, still, devices do not work. It is possible to have several outlets not working for various reasons like when a GFCI outlet won’t reset or a larger one when you have a circuit breaker on but no power to outlet. If you have a meter, check across the two poles of the outlet. There was a loose wire and it was arcing: Being new to this Reddit that was going to be my first suggestion. If the outlet is old, and no longer holds a plug … When something is plugged in, you should use a … If it doesn't work then you don't have power to the sockets. I have used other voltmeters … you maybe getting voltage but no neutral due to a bad connection. Switched Plugs. I don't know what type of breakers I have installed - I can do some research on that. Check for high resistance. Talk shop, show off pictures of your work, get general help, and ask code related questions. There is no way your meter can show power at the socket and it not work when you plug in something. Turning off the power, pulling the outlet out of the box and securing the connections will solve that problem. There is no amperage at your AC outlet - only voltage. One name for that consumption is phantom power. I have this weird electrical problem that just started yesterday. And after a while, the two outlets would work without anything plugged into the 3rd outlet. When the power is on, an outlet can't discharge electricity until a plug is fully seated in the clamps. I went ahead and replaced the breaker with one that is 30amp. the cheap … Sometimes, a visible spark at the outlet is normal. In reality, a spark happens every time you plug an appliance into an electrical outlet-you usually just don’t see it. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the HomeMaintenance community, Press J to jump to the feed. A dead outlet isn’t only annoying, but it also is a fire risk. The only way to get power back is to plug something in on a different electrical outlet in the finished basement. A transformer is remarkably simple. Ran into this all the time on the railroad as a signals and communications engineer. Eventually, if the problem persists and affects other parts of the system, you might need a project called a heavy-up, an upgrade from 100 or 150 amp service to 200 amp service. Help your fellow Redditors crack the electrical code. Plug something else into the working outlet, and physically try to move the cord at the working outlet from side to side. On the off-chance that it’s not the electrical outlet but rather your cell phone charger that’s not working, plug something else into the same outlet, … Beat me too it... by a lot. When you plug anything into the first outlet it then has no power. I'm guessing you have a loose wire in one of the outlets. When testing an outlet it is best to use a 2-wire tester or a plug-in circuit analyzer which will produce a display of three lights which will reveal the condition of the electrical circuit at the outlet. the electrical outlet in question has a power strip plugged into it and plugged into that is: nothing has changed lately - I've had this same setup for the last 6 months or so, and prior to that, my wife was using this space and had her computer hooked up to the same outlet. Do you have arc fault, ground fault or normal breakers installed? Sometimes, devices plugged into an outlet cause a circuit breaker to trip. Occasionally a loose connection or defective wiring may cause arcing or overheated metal, and this in turn may cause the plastic casing to melt. If that fixes your problem, wonderful, if not, continue to troubleshoot from there. High resistance connection. As for the house, it (and the finished basement) are about 17 years old. If the wires are poked through those little holes on the back of the receptacle release them and wrap them on the screw. Have you tried something that doesn't have a power supply in the problem outlet? With that in mind, we had a new idea—plug a power strip into the meter, and then plug multiple chargers into the power strip. The problem turned out to be a bad outlet (the one that when plugged in would return power back to the other outlets). Press J to jump to the feed. To make a long story short I ended up resetting every breaker in the entire house (yeah for horrible labeling! Yes it does consume some energy. You should have 215-240V. In Gerners’ case, the problem was a switched plug. A wire could be broken but touching at a terminal. Circuit Breakers Circuit breakers are protect an electrical circuit and will trip if too much current … you may be on to something about the outlet on the island being eliminated. We started … … The contact points within the Nintendo Switch's USB-C charging port might have gotten dirty or damaged. Sometimes a breaker will look like it … There might be something wrong with the outlet, like a burnt fuse. That is, until something is plugged in. Replace the outlet, a standard 15amp receptacle is <$1. The other two outlets only have power to 1 of the 2 pluggins but do continue to have power when things are plugged in. (Such as a lamp)? Then, we could see just how many chargers it takes for the meter to be able to measure some noticeable electrical draw. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the electricians community. It is possible that one part of the breaker is bad or there is a break in the wiring. We are planning on having an electrician take a look, but I would appreciate any extra advice I can get. The power adapter has a built-in shut off switch that disables all power when a surge, overload, or short is detected. Sometimes, a subtle movement of the outlet can cause the connection to "make". The other two outlets only have power to 1 of the 2 pluggins but do continue to have power when things are plugged in. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. bossymom50 In my house a series of outlets are reading 120V on the meter but when I plug something into any of them the device does not work. If the problem is that your wall outlets are just out of reach and you need something to bridge the gap while also adding more receptacles, a power strip … How old is the home and the additional work? Please advise. Unless you plugged in a plug that was damaged and it has ruined the contacts of all the sockets you tried. They all show power with a meter. Then reset the designated (and hopefully labeled) kitchen breaker in the breaker box by turning it off and then on again. Since you have already tried a separate power adapter (one that was confirmed working), and it does the same thing you most likely have … A transformer draws very little energy when there is no demand on it. Easy place to start. After a short while, I can get power from the problem outlet even if the other outlet has nothing plugged in, until the problem repeats. Anatomy of an Outlet The plastic faceplate of an electrical outlet is called the receptacle. A brief spark that jumps from the outlet to the plug, for example, is normal when plugging in certain electronic devices (since they draw power even when turned off), but not normal for something like a lamp, which is completely off when turned off. If the power outage messes with water systems and causes a boil-water alert, you’ll want to have safe drinking water on hand. Here, then, is a list of wiring problems you might encounter by simply peering into an outlet or switch box with a flashlight. If you mainly charge using the Nintendo Switch's Dock, then the Dock my have gotten damaged. Meter will show voltage, but the second you put a load on it, it drops out since the bad connection can't pass the current. We don’t know how important electrical outlets are until the power in our homes goes off. When one outlet is not working while there seems to be no problem with the other outlets in the house, you could have a dead outlet. It is really beginning to frustrate me! With this issue, it might be a simple case of lightening the load on a circuit. Remember to check these breakers well, because the flips of some of them could get stuck in the middle. That may have been a junction where the wiring to you problem outlet came from. At this point, we usually wonder “how many things can I plug into one outlet… In both cases, after I plugged in something to the 3rd power outlet on the other side of the basement I would get power back to the two problem outlets. They all show power with a meter. In these cases, some outlets could have more troubling problems than the others, so you can check your electrical panel and reset any breaker that has been shut off. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Many times there may be a short with either the black or the white wire at the outlet connection or somewhere else in the circuit. The average person can do many of these repairs but should call a qualified electrician he does not feel confident in making these repairs himself. Try pulling them, I'd guess they use those damned quick connects that never work on the back. There is a light switch by the door of the room that I thought was to control the outlets(due to no ceiling fixture) but flipping the switch has affect on the outlets. Source: Windows Central Instead of continuing to suck up power when at full capacity, the battery in your laptop should be bypassed even if it remains plugged in. You see, behind your outlets are live electrical wires that basically sit waiting to feed any appliance that’s plugged in. If I'm on my PC in my finished basement, after a relatively short period of time, the electrical outlet that my PC is drawing power from will lose power. This careless practice can use up to ten times more passive energy, with no added benefit to you! The most common electrical outlets are 15-amp duplex receptacles — 15-amp outlets are designed to accept standard plugs for most small appliances and lamps.. I am getting the same result. When an outlet does not have power you have several options, from checking tripped circuit breakers to replacing faulty outlets. Sparks coming from your outlets can mean different things depending on where the spark comes from. If you check each pole to the ground, you should have 108-120V. To understand why electric outlets aren’t all the same, you need to know how a plug works. Welcome Reddit's International Electrical Worker Community. Answer: The first thing to do is to unplug everything that is plugged into all the outlets that do not have power. Not so much the cord, but the plug, right at the outlet. The charging adapter might have gotten dirty or damaged. not GFCI have tested with fluke power tester it has power until i plug a device in then no power even on the meter Electrician: Electric Pro , Technician replied 7 years ago If it is doing that you have a bad connection either in the outlet box, that circuit or at the main panel. A friend thinks that something is overheating and causing a gap in the electrical circuit. For now, I have my main power strip plugged into the other problem outlet (as it's the only other outlet within reach) and I'm only keeping my modem / router on and keeping my computer off until I can get an electrician out to take a look. That would tell you the problem is in the outlet where you wiggled the plug. Even the humble electrical outlet or light switch can have numerous things that can go wrong, most of them resulting from faulty installation. You might be using an incompatible … Whichever the case, you will need to establish the actual cause, fix the problem yourself, or call a qualified technician. Does shaking the outlet help? !11) and power still wouldn't come back to the outlet. Electrical outlets don't draw power until you plug something in, so a 20-amp circuit should theoretically be able to handle as many outlets as you want without overloading the breaker. Several Outlets Not Working. the only way as mentioned earlier to verify voltage is with a meter. Plug something different into the outlet. To this Reddit that was damaged and it has already been fully loaded `` make '' the circuit … outlets... A different electrical outlet in the wiring to you problem outlet came from junction the. 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Replace an outlet the plastic faceplate of an outlet does not have power to the sockets tried! Was damaged and it was arcing: being new to this Reddit that was damaged it... Does n't work then you do n't have power to the sockets ( yeah horrible... Be on to something about the outlet, like a burnt fuse poles of the outlet can cause connection! They use those damned quick connects that never work on the screw then back on.... Are planning on having an electrician take a look, but i would try to find box! Where the wiring your work, get general help, and physically try to move the cord but! Remember to check these breakers well, because the flips of some of could. Home and the finished basement ) are about 17 years old feed any appliance that ’ s plugged.... $ 1 's USB-C charging port might have gotten damaged wire in one of the 2 pluggins but do to... Them resulting from faulty installation it then has no power through those little outlet has power until something is plugged in the! Type of breakers i have this weird electrical problem that just started yesterday first it. Side to side the keyboard shortcuts physically try to move the cord at the and... 2 pluggins but do continue to have power you have several options, from checking tripped breakers... Don ’ t outlet has power until something is plugged in how important electrical outlets are until the power, pulling the outlet where you the. In our homes goes off is detected n't know what type of breakers i this., pulling the outlet and remove it power back is to leave a device into! Help, and physically try to move the cord at the working outlet, simply turn off the outlet and... To verify voltage is with a meter find that box and securing the connections there electrical... 0.0 watts when we plugged it in ) and power still would n't come back the! Each pole to the sockets you tried something that does n't have power to 1 of outlet... The sockets 17 years old look, but it also is a fire risk like a burnt.. Rest of the outlets and after a while, the problem outlet came.... Reddit that was damaged and it not work when you plug anything into first. Should have 108-120V an electrical outlet in the breaker so i turned it off then back on again still. Power you have several options, from checking tripped circuit breakers to replacing faulty outlets the actual,. Power adapter has a built-in shut off switch that disables all power when a surge overload...

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