When troubleshooting home electrical problems you can be the hero. Start by narrowing down your problem by asking a few important questions so you can jump ahead to the right fixes:

Is the problem just your home/apartment or your neighbors too?
Is it the whole house, only part of it, or only specific devices?
Is the power off to only lights, appliances, or outlets?
Is the power staying off or intermittently on and off?

Start at the beginning or jump ahead based on your answers. These are things you can try before calling a professional (which is also a hero move if you’re out of your depth).

Uh Oh, My Electricity Is Not Working!

The first indication of a problem with your electricity is likely the lack thereof. When your lights don’t turn on or your appliances won’t cycle, the first place to look is your home’s circuit breaker.

A circuit breaker is the metal box where all your home’s power gets distributed. You’ll usually find it on an outside wall in your home, often in a basement if you have one. Problems with circuit breakers are commonly caused by overloading the circuit, a short circuit, loose wiring, or a problem outside your home.

The first place to start is at your circuit breaker(s). Go to your breaker panel (or fuse box in older homes) and check if anything is “blown.” Blown fuses typically discolor, and a blown circuit breaker will flip all the way or part of the way to the “off” position. Circuit breakers may only partially trip if you have a circuit overload. Look for switches not quite “on,” then cycle them off and back on. If that doesn’t fix the problem, investigate the problems and solutions below.

What if the Electricity is Not Working in Part of the House?

If your electricity is only working in part of the house, begin by checking:

Circuit Breakers—If you haven’t already, check for a secondary breaker panel and partially blown breakers.
Short or open – Look for any burn marks or smoke residue around electrical connections, outlets, and fixtures, then call the professionals if you find any; this is a fire or shock hazard
Problems earlier in the circuit – In older homes, circuits were wired in chains that wouldn’t pass modern electrical codes. While these are parallel circuits and shouldn’t go out like holiday lights, codes evolve. Consider calling a professional to help troubleshoot and ensure your home is up to code.

Only My House Has No Power

Don’t be jealous of your neighbors. If they have power and you don’t, start by looking at:

Main Breaker—Most people know to check their home’s circuit breakers but forget to look for larger switches (typically above the panel) that control power to the whole house.
Incoming line – There could be a problem with the supply line to your home. Inspect to see if you’ve got black scorch marks on a transformer or a downed line outside your home. If your power line is above ground, follow it to the pole. Never touch a downed line; if you see problems, call your power company.

Why Won’t My Electricity Turn Back On?

If your electricity won’t turn back on, you can try turning off or unplugging some devices/appliances before checking the circuit breakers. If you had an overload or a short circuit, flipping the breaker won’t solve the underlying problem. If your whole home is still out, or this doesn’t solve the problem, you might have:

Tripped—Go back to the breaker box. If a power surge occurred in conjunction with a power outage, breakers could be tripped or even melted. Now that the power has been restored, check to see if the breakers are on and in good condition.
A faulty breaker(s)—If a breaker trips and the power doesn’t go back on when you cycle a reset (turn it off and back on), it could be that the breaker itself is damaged or faulty. A voltage meter or no-contact breaker tester may be able to help diagnose this. These inexpensive testers also come in handy if your breaker box labeling is lacking.

If some of the power returns to your home, you’re experiencing a partial restoration.

No luck? If you’re at the end of your DIY rope, contact our technicians. If not, keep reading!

Partial Power and Intermittent Problems

Perhaps you lost power to only part of your home, or maybe your home’s power keeps going off and on. These solutions might help!

The Appliances Are Not Working, But the Lights Are

If you’ve cycled your circuit breaker and the lights come back on but not the appliances, try these quick troubleshooting steps:

Different circuits – Some home appliances are wired separately from the rest of the room. For example, an electric stove may be on a larger dedicated circuit than your kitchen’s lights and outlets. See if you missed a partially blown breaker for a different part of your home.
Fuse within the device—For safety reasons, some devices, such as microwaves, have internal fuses that may prevent them from functioning even if there’s power at the outlet. Consult an appliance professional as needed. This isn’t something to tinker with on your own; some devices, like microwaves, store very high voltage in capacitors, even if the power is off.
Appliance failure—Your appliance may need repair. Test the outlet using a special-purpose tester, voltage meter, or another small appliance or light.
Power surge – The same event that tripped your circuit breaker may have also damaged your appliance. Test the outlet as above, or try plugging the appliance in a different outlet or circuit. A heavy-duty extension cord means you don’t have to move the appliance to do this.

The Outlet Is Not Working, But the Circuit Breakers Are On

If one or more outlets aren’t working but you’ve cycled the appropriate breaker(s), investigate these possible solutions:

Half hot—If half of your outlet is working, look for a switch to turn the other half on. This is called a “half hot” outlet. These are typically wired for use with floor lamps.
GFCI reset—Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupt (GFCI) outlets have their own “circuit breakers.” The outlets are usually located near water sources like sinks and bathtubs. Depress the reset and/or test buttons to try and restore power.
Outlet failure—Look for signs your outlet is bad. If they’re hot to the touch, have scorch marks, make buzzing sounds, or show signs of physical damage, there’s a good chance the outlet needs to be replaced. While outlet replacement can be a DIY task for advanced users, call a pro if you see scorch marks or otherwise lack the skills.
Wrong circuit – Home builders or remodelers don’t always wire all outlets to a room on a single circuit. Unplug or turn off a few devices, then return to the breaker. It’s possible a different breaker is tripped.

Power Going On-and-Off in the House

Flickering lights could indicate greater issues in or outside your home. Start here, then call the right professional:

Brownout or rolling blackout—Check your power company’s website and social media. If your area is prone to brownouts or rolling blackouts, you may experience fluctuations in power levels or entirely lose power.
Low voltage – Check an outlet with a voltage meter or outlet tester with a voltage readout. If you have a reading of 114 volts or less in your home, contact your power company or one of our technicians. This situation can lead to higher currents, which is potentially dangerous to you and your appliances.
Supply Line Trouble – If it’s just your residence, you may have trouble with your supply line. This is likely a job for the power company to troubleshoot and repair.
Ongoing line maintenance – Check to see if your power company is performing scheduled line maintenance or repairs after an outage.

Some Lights on the Circuit Are Not Working

Bulb failure—This is sometimes overlooked. Check to see if the bulbs have blown. Sometimes, multiple bulbs can blow in a surge. Replace at least one, as bad bulbs sometimes look good.
Bad switch— Sometimes, a switch goes bad. You might try a testing device/meter or call a professional if it's a wall switch. If a lamp isn’t working, try a different lamp or a different outlet. Be sure to inspect lamp cords for burn marks, too.
Different circuit—Like outlets, sometimes lights get wired on circuits for a different room. Unplug a few devices, then return to the breakers, looking for any that might be partially tripped.

A general word of caution: if you have one breaker that consistently trips, do not physically wire it to stay on or replace it with a higher-amperage breaker. Wires are only rated to handle so much current. Either of those “solutions” might hide an underlying problem or result in an electrical fire.

Your Comfort (and Safety) Is Our Business

Troubleshooting, whether a power problem is inside or outside of your home, can be challenging. When in doubt, call the experts.

Yellow Dot Heating & Air Conditioning is your trusted heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical company serving Raleigh and throughout Wake County, North Carolina. One call does it all at 919-925-4235 or schedule service online.

Quick Guide: Troubleshooting Home Electrical Problems