We have all been there. You plug in your charger into your phone and instead of being greeted by the reassuring lightning bolt, your screen goes dark. Then, you realize that your charger is no longer working!
You resign yourself to ordering a new charger when you get the idea to try your charger in another outlet.
It works! But now you have a new issue — you found an electrical outlet not working! Keep reading below to learn how to fix your outlet if it stops working!
Why Is my electrical outlet not working?
There are many potential reasons why an electrical outlet may not be functional. Maybe you’ve simply blown a fuse. There could be a fault in the circuit.
Perhaps the prongs of a charger have broken off in the socket. If water liquids or food are spilled, they may short out the outlet itself.
It’s important to figure out the reason for the lack of power before you try to do anything involving the outlet. Otherwise, you could get hurt.
Where Do I start?
The first step when you’re experiencing any sort of electrical issue is to know what kind of overload protection your house has. There are two main types of overload protection in modern homes: the fuse box, and the circuit breaker. If you need helping to figure out the difference, here is a handy guide.
Once you know what kind of system you are working with, check to see if you have either flipped a breaker or blown a fuse. Either of these issues could be caused by a bad plug-in, a power surge, or a faulty outlet. Check out this guide on how to figure out if your fuse has blown.
If you change the fuse and it does not correct the issue, you may have a more serious electrical issue at hand. It may be crossed wiring or a poor connection, but more likely it is a malfunctioning electrical outlet.
Can an Outlet Go Bad?
The short answer is that outlets can simply go bad. As it can be with any electrical item, the outlet itself can malfunction for various reasons. Sometimes this is due to improper installation, or by being overloaded with too many items connected to a singular outlet.
Perhaps it was fried during a power surge or shortcircuited due to improper use. It is important to avoid overloading your outlet with too many items attached to power strips or surge protectors.
Sometimes, especially in older homes, the outlet itself simply ages poorly. The materials within it break down, leaving you with no way to run your electronics and a potential fire hazard in your home.
Should I Fix This Myself?
Absolutely not. Unless you are a trained professional electrition, do not attempt to change an outlet on your own. Electrical work can be dangerous to both your personal safety and the safety of your home.
Aside from the risk of electrocution, improper installation of electrical equipment causes 9% of fire-related deaths in the US alone.
How Can I solve This?
Reach out to a professional electrition near you for the best results to find solutions if there’s an outlet not working. For more information, or if you have any questions, check out White Electric’s website here.
