Cause of No Power to a Home Electrical Circuit
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Identifying the Cause of Lost Power to a Home Electrical Circuit: The process of troubleshooting to find the electrical problem. |
Causes of Lost Power to an Outlet or Light Circuit
[ad#block]Electrical Question: I have one room circuit with no electrical circuit power.
- The hallway lights have no power.
- One outlet in the living room has no power.
- The doorbell ringer, and smoke detector, located in the hallway, are not working.
- I have replaced two circuit breakers,three outlets, and two light switches.
- I have no idea whats going on.
This electrical wiring question came from: Rick, a Homeowner from Georgetown , Kentucky.
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Rick.
Application: Repairing Lost Power
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced, best repaired by a Licensed Electrician.
Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with hand tools and electrical troubleshooting skills.
Precaution: Identify the circuit, turn it OFF and then Tag it with a Note before performing any wiring or inspections.
Note: Electrical troubleshooting is best performed by an experienced electrician.
Identifying the Cause of Lost Power to an Electrical Circuit
- Rick, if this is a problem that affects more than one circuit then the problem may be at the panel.
- However from what you are describing the problem is most likely at a main junction box where there may be a burnt wire connection, which is commonly the neutral that has burnt loose because of a deteriorating connection over time.
- This calls for going through a process of troubleshooting in order to identify the problem.
- The problem may be located in a ceiling light fixture junction box where the light fixture is mounted close to the ceiling.
- The heat from the light fixture can travel up into the junction box and cause the insulation of the electrical wiring to become brittle and eventually an electrical splice may come apart and fail.
More about Electrical Wiring
- Electrical Panel Circuit Listing
- Troubleshooting Electrical Wiring
- Types of Electrical Testers
- Using Electrical Testers
- Wiring Electrical Outlet for the Home
- Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done.
- Electric Circuit Listing
- The size of the home electrical service panel is designed by calculating the square footage of the home and factoring in the code requirements for the electrical circuits that are required.
- Electrical Wiring Protection using Circuit Breakers
- A guide to home electrical circuit breakers and how they work to protect your electrical wiring. When properly installed, your home electrical wiring is protected by a circuit protection device.
The following may also be helpful for you:
Learn more about Home Electrical Wiring
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my son plugged in and turned the vacuum on in his room and the power went off in his room and to one socket in the front room it happened once before and it eventually started working I’ve tried turning the breaker off on back on but didn’t but the breaker didn’t show its was blown any way so what should I do?
THANKS
Shawn,
The outlet that the vacuum was plunged into may have a bad wiring connection, or a splice for that circuit may be going bad. The circuit should be turned off so the outlet can be removed and inspected. Repair of the affected wiring will be required, and or replacing the outlet.
Dave