How do I check a non-working outlet?
Question:I have an electrical outlet that isnt working. How do I check to see what the problem is without having to spend alot of money on an electrician?
Answers:
usually all outlets in one room are wired together...if one outlet doesnt work then turn off breaker...remove outlet from wall look for loose wires or one that has come off of outlet...if you dont see anything wrong and all wire nuts are tight...then go to outlet that is just befor this one and check it the same way...somewhere there is a loose or disconnected wire.
make sure all breakers are on in main box not tripped try the plug in. also plug a different appliance in to test . I have a test meter that I use for everything. if this dont work turn off main breaker then remove plug and replace if needed they are only a couple buck's
Chances are the receptacle itself is broken, or a wire at the receptacle is loose. Either way you will need a tester of some type to make sure the power is off to the receptacle. Then just remove the old one and replace it with a new one, making sure the wires are on the proper terminals. This should fix your problem. Receptacles get broken all the time. They may look fine from the outside but are trashed on the inside.
if you don't know how, you could take a class at home depot, but in all seriousness, i would suggest an electrician. how much is your life worth? if you mess up plumbing, you'll get wet, but if you screw this up... it's not worth the chance!
Go to Home Depot or Lowes, buy an amp tester, follow the directions, check the breaker panel, check other outlets to see if they are on the same run, check the breaker panel, Maybe the cause is as simple as a wire wire being unattached in the run or at the particular outlet. check the brewaker panel, could be the outlet itself is bad. Hot wires are red and black, neutral wires are white, ground wires are uninsulated copper or insulated green. This does not always apply, be wary, be safe, before working on any wiring turn the power off, either the breaker itself or the main. Call an electrician, your homeowners insurance might cover the cost minus the deductable, It is not worth your "life or others" to be cheap.
Purchase an outlet tester at your local hardware store for about $5.00. It has lights that will tell you if a wiring problem exists.
Check the outlets in the same room (they are usually wired on the same circuit). If none of the outlets in the room are working, check your fuses or breakers to see if any are tripped.
Do you have a switch that controls this outlet? This is common for a child's room to disable the outlets.
turn off the circuit breaker and just replace the outlet for $1
You should get someone who knows what they are doing. Don't mess with electricity.
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