What You Should Do If Electrical Outlet Not Working but Breaker Not Tripped

As an electrician in Georgetown, one of the common electrical faults that our clients call us for is an outlet that stops working while the breaker doesn’t trip. There are several reasons why an electrical outlet can suddenly stop working. What to do depends on the cause of the problem.

Sometimes, you just need to reset your breaker and the faulty outlet will start working. But if it doesn’t, it means the issue is a more serious one. Below are the common causes of the problem, and what to do to fix each of the problems.

1. Your GFCI Tripped Off

Not many people know how GFCIs work. These devices respond when a current strays from its appropriate path. To prevent an electric shock and to prevent your electrical appliances from getting damaged, a GFCI will shut the power to the outlet off. And when this happens, even if the circuit normalizes, power will not be restored in the outlet automatically. You have to press the reset button on the GFCI. If you have a GFCI outlet, this may be the reason it’s not working. Press the reset button and see what happens.

2. The outlet may be burned

If you plug in an electrical appliance that is too powerful for an outlet, it (outlet) may get overheated and melt inside. It will no longer work. And your circuit breaker may not trip. One major sign of this kind of problem is the distinct smell of burned wire. You don’t even have to place your nose close to the outlet before you perceive the smell.

Improper wiring and the installation of a wrong outlet are the main causes of this kind of problem. Wires and outlets are in different categories. The kind of appliance you want to power will determine the category of wire and outlet to install. This is one of the reasons to hire a reputable electrician in Georgetown for wiring and electrical installations. They know the appropriate categories of wires and outlets for every piece of equipment.

The only solution to this issue is to replace the burned wires and damaged outlet. If you did the installation yourself the first time, you should hire a professional to fix it up this time.

3. Damaged Wires

Damaged wires are a very common electrical problem in the United States because many houses were built several decades ago. And the wires used can no longer power the heavy-duty equipment in the homes. The wires may start to deteriorate. If the wires pack up, the outlets they feed won’t work. The power supply to the outlets will cease.
This is a pointer to the fact that you may need to upgrade your entire wiring and electrical system if your house is more than 20 years old. The only solution is to wire your home again. At Blessed Electric & Air, before we fix any electric issue, we do a comprehensive inspection of the entire electrical system. Many electrical problems are a result of deeper electrical problems.

4. Some Connections May Be Loose

Over time, even well-installed electrical fittings get loose. When this happens, it could cause partial connection and a cut in power supply to some outlets. This kind of problem may seem simple, but it is dangerous. An outlet that’s not working may still have current running through it. That’s why you have to handle it with care. Don’t just rush to touch it. Besides, you may not be able to detect where the disconnection lies.

Conclusion

The first thing to do to resolve the issue of a dysfunctional outlet is to reset the breaker. If that does not solve the problem, the next smart step to take is to hire an experienced electrician in Georgetown to troubleshoot, inspect, and fix the problem.

A Complete To-Do List While Checking for an Electrician Contractor

Of course, there is numerous electrician contractor in Round Rock, Austin, Canyon Lake, and other cities in Texas, but their levels of expertise, experience, and the quality of their electrical services differ. When it comes to electrical works, you need to hire the very best. Hiring an incompetent or inexperienced home electrical contractor in Austin comes with huge risks.

The result of getting anything wrong could be costly. Therefore, you shouldn’t just hire electricians in Canyon Lake at random. It’s better to follow the list below to hire an electrician.

Conduct The Search When All is Fine

Every electrical fault is an emergency that requires an urgent solution. For instance, if your HVAC stops working, you’ll love to get it back up as quickly as possible. In that situation, you’re likely to hire the first electrical contractor in Austin whose contacts you see first.

So, it is always a better idea to conduct your search for a licensed electrical contractor in Austin, Dallas, Round Rock, Canyon Lake, and Fort Worth, TX before things go wrong. In other words, the best time to conduct a search for an electrician is now that things are fine.

Start With Referrals and References

Ask friends, family, and colleagues about good electrician contractor in Texas. The ones that have enjoyed the services of good electricians should be able to give you some contacts. Take the time to compile the list of contacts and you may also want to do your research. In the end, you’ll find yourself with a long list of electrical contractors.

Narrow The List

You have to narrow the list down to a manageable size. You could prune it down to about 4 or 5. Then, you can reach out to all 5 of them discretely.

Ask For Proof of Their License

It is a crime to hire an electrician that isn’t licensed. And ignorance isn’t a tenable excuse. So, it is your responsibility to do your due diligence before your hire an electrician. Ask for the proof of license of your prospective electrical contractor. Don’t settle for word-of-mouth assurance on this. You must see a copy of their license.

Besides, you can’t be sure that an unlicensed electrician is actually competent. Don’t let an inexperienced technician use your job as a learning curve.

Consider Experience as Well

Find out the years of experience of your preferred candidate before you make your choice. You could set the minimum to 3 years. That means you should not hire an electrician whose experience is below 3 years.

Insurance Matters Too

It is in your best interest to hire a fully insured electrician contractor in Round Rock. If an accident occurs while doing your job, you’ll be liable to pay the hospital bills if the electrician isn’t insured. But if he’s insured, the insurance company will take care of the bill.

And if insured electricians mistakenly damage your property while doing your job, you’ll be duly compensated by the insurance company of the electricians.

In conclusion, don’t skip any of the requirements if you must get served by experienced and competent electricians. And the time to make your selection is now. Is the list too long? Well, there’s a shorter and faster way around it. Blessed Electric is a reputable electrician serving several cities in Texas, and the electrical company meets all the requirements discussed above. So, instead of going through the long process, you can contact us and you’re good.