Partial Power Outage in House No Breaker Tripped (2024)

Have you ever been going about your day only to find out that part of your house doesn’t have power?

We have received many phone calls throughout the years where the customer says they have a partial power outage in their house but no breaker has been tripped.

If you are looking for a fast solution, we recommend calling your electrical service provider first to find out if there are any issues in the area concerning outages.

A second suggestion would be to speak to your neighbor and find out if they are having similar issues. If they are, chances are the problem originates from the first plan to action—your electrical; service provider. If you require immediate assistance or you have determined it’s an isolated issue in your home, thenyoushouldyou immediately find yourself a local certified electrician with great Google Reviews.

If you are looking to get more educated on this matter, then continue reading below.

Partial Power Outage in House No Breaker Tripped

There are many possible causes for a partial power outage in your home with no breaker tripped.

First, check all of the outlets in the affected area to see if any have loose or damaged wires. If so, these need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Another possibility is that a circuit breaker may be loose or damaged. In this case, you will need to replace the breaker or put it back in place.

One of the most common things we have noticed, especially with customers that have inground pools, is that there may be a breaker tripped and you not realize it.

We have saved many house calls by asking the customer to make sure the circuit is completely in place. We recommend that you either turn the suspected breaker off then back on, or push the breaker to the on position completely.

Finally, if none of these solutions solve the problem, there may be a problem with the electrical panel itself. This is a more serious issue and you should call an electrician to inspect and repair the panel.

Signs of a Bad Main Breaker

1) Flickering or Dim Lights – If your lights are flickering or dimming, it could be a sign that your main breaker is going bad.

2) Breaker Trips Frequently – If your breaker trips frequently, it’s definitely a sign that something is wrong.

3) Burning Smell – A burning smell coming from your breaker box is never a good sign.

4) No power at all – If you have no power at all, it’s likely that your main breaker has failed completely.

5) Sparks or smoke – Sparks or smoke coming from your breaker box is an extremely serious issue and should be dealt with immediately.

We always recommend when it comes to anything electrical, you first call your local trusted electrician.

We want to emphasize the “trusted” part.

How to Find a Great Local Electrician

There are a few things you should keep in mind when looking for a local electrician.

First, make sure that the electrician is licensed and insured.

In order for a licensed electrician to keep his or her license, they need to prove proof of insurance to the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB). To determine if their license is active, you can go into the OCILB’s licensing portal to look up the licensees name at:

https://elicense4.com.ohio.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx

Doing this researchThiswill protect you in case something goes wrong while they are working on your home.Your insurance company may not pay for damages incurred from an unlicensed electrician.

Call your local building department and ask for a list of registered contractors. Additionally, you can ask who they’d recommend or if they cannot recommend, ask who has always successfully passed their final inspection the first time. If an inspector must come back constantly to reinspect work for a tradesperson, it typically suggests sloppy or non-code compliant habits.

Finally, interview each electrician to get a sense of their experience and expertise.If a receptionist picks up the phone and is not able to answer your questions, ask to be connected to a technician. Good quality also comes with good customer service—you should always be able to talk to a technician who can answer your questions to gain your confidence with them.

Partial Power Outage in House No Breaker Tripped (2024)

FAQs

Partial Power Outage in House No Breaker Tripped? ›

So, if power suddenly goes out to part of the home, but no breakers trip, it could be that one of the two hot wires has become loose (causing flickering) or disconnected (no power). This can happen at the transformer, in the meter base, or at the connection to the main breaker in the panel.

Why is half of my house without power without flipped breakers? ›

First, check all of the outlets in the affected area to see if any have loose or damaged wires. If so, these need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. Another possibility is that a circuit breaker may be loose or damaged. In this case, you will need to replace the breaker or put it back in place.

What would cause power to go out without tripping a breaker? ›

The most likely cause is a bad connection or faulty wiring issue that does not allow an adequate flow of electricity to certain fixtures.

Why did my lights go out but the breaker isn't tripped? ›

In some cases, a faulty outlet can be the culprit behind lights going out in a room without tripping the breaker. Outlets can develop issues over time due to wear and tear or faulty wiring.

Why has my electric gone off but nothing has tripped? ›

There are a few circ*mstances in which your electricity may go off without tripping the fuse box. These include having a faulty circuit breaker or breaker box, faulty wiring in the system, or a tripped GFCI outlet. Your property may also be experiencing a full or partial power outage from your utility supplier's end.

Why is part of my house losing power? ›

one wall of a single room, a few rooms, half the house, or the entire home for various reasons. Most commonly, the circuit breaker has been overloaded and tripped off. The circuit breakers are typically found in the breaker panel box that is often located in the garage, basem*nt, or utility room.

Can a breaker be bad but not tripped? ›

Flexi Says: Circuit breakers can go bad without tripping. A circuit breaker may fail to trip due to various reasons, such as a worn-out mechanism, corrosion, or a faulty connection.

Can an outlet go bad and not trip the breaker? ›

Another route an electrician can take is to check the wiring. If the outlet in your kitchen or bedroom is not working but the breaker is not tripped, this may be a sign the wiring was not installed correctly. This is especially a problem with older outlets.

Can a power outage damage a circuit breaker? ›

But power outages are usually accompanied by voltage spikes which also result in current spikes. When these spikes are within acceptable margins they only should trip a breaker, but when they are excessive they might damage it.

How to find a dead electrical circuit? ›

You should then switch the multimeter from its resistance setting to AC volts, and insert the metal probes into the problem receptacle or switch. Your multimeter should show zero volts. That indicates there's no power running through the electrical circuit.

What to do when your circuit breaker is on but there is no power? ›

To do this, unplug all the devices that are running off of the breaker in question. With that complete, reset the breaker by turning it off and back on again. This will make sure that the breaker is on and sending power to its outlets.

Can a bad outlet cause no power? ›

Can a Bad Outlet Cause No Power in a Room? Absolutely. If a bad outlet is part of the circuit that supplies power to the room, it can cause all the outlets on that circuit to lose power.

Can one bad outlet affect others? ›

Does One Bad Outlet Affect Others? Yes, one bad outlet can affect others in your home, but it doesn't always impact other outlets. If one outlet stops working, your next step should be to test the power of other outlets. Here are common reasons why multiple outlets will go out simultaneously.

What happens if suddenly electricity goes off? ›

A power outage may: Disrupt communications, water and transportation. Close retail businesses, grocery stores, gas stations, ATMs, banks and other services. Cause food spoilage and water contamination.

Why are my sockets not working but nothing tripped? ›

If a socket isn't working but a breaker hasn't tripped then that would generally mean that the circuit is broken in a way that hasn't generated a fault condition. First try a different appliance plug in a lamp, kettle, toaster... to be sure it's not just a blown fuse or faulty hairdryer.

Why are some of the power points in my house not working? ›

A tripped circuit breaker or safety switch is a common reason why you might find faulty electrical power points in your home. These safety devices are designed to protect your home's electrical system from damage by automatically shutting off power when they detect a fault, such as an overload or short circuit.

Why is half my house without electricity? ›

A tripped circuit breaker is the most common cause of a power outage in one part of the house. Before you go to the circuit panel and flip the switch, however, it's important that you know how to safely do this. You need to turn the tripped switch all the way off before turning it back on.

Why is there no electricity in one side of my house? ›

Look for a Tripped Breaker

Then, locate your circuit breaker panel, formerly known as your fuse box (often in the basem*nt or garage, or in the back of the house). One of the switches should be down – this is the one that has tripped. Simply flip it up to restore power.

Why is my circuit not working but not tripped? ›

If your outlet has stopped working, but the breaker has not tripped, it could be due to several factors, including bad wiring, a faulty GFCI outlet, or a damaged appliance.

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