Outlet not working, and you're not sure why

A dead outlet is most often a tripped breaker or a tripped GFCI somewhere else on the same circuit. A few questions at the outlet and the panel door separate the two-minute fixes from the ones that need an electrician.

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Before you start. If you see smoke or flames, get out and call 911. If the outlet is warm, scorched, smells like burning, sparks or crackles, stop using it, turn its breaker off and call a licensed electrician.

A hand holding a plug-in outlet tester with its lights lit in a wall outlet

Every question and answer on this page, in order

Question 1: Which of these best describes what you are seeing?

Look at the outlet and sniff near it before you plug anything else in.

The outlet is warm, scorched, smells like burning, sparks or crackles: Stop: warning signs at the outlet
Half the house, or lights and outlets in many rooms, are out: This is bigger than one outlet
One outlet, or a few in one area, are dead and nothing else seems wrong: go to question 2

Question 2: Does the device work when you plug it into an outlet in another room?

Use the same lamp or charger. This tells you whether the problem is the device or the outlet.

Yes, it works elsewhere, so this outlet is dead: go to question 3
No, it does not work anywhere: Likely cause: the device or its cord, not the outlet

Question 3: At the panel, is any breaker handle in the middle or out of line with the others?

Open only the hinged panel door. A tripped breaker usually sits between ON and OFF, though some go all the way to OFF.

Yes, one looks tripped: Likely cause: a tripped breaker
No, they all line up: go to question 4

Question 4: Is there a GFCI outlet nearby with its RESET button popped out?

GFCIs have TEST and RESET buttons. Check bathrooms, the kitchen, the garage, the basement and outdoor outlets. One GFCI can control outlets in another room.

Yes, I found one popped out: Likely cause: a tripped GFCI upstream
No tripped GFCI, or I can't find one: go to question 5

Question 5: With a lamp plugged into the dead outlet and turned on, does it light when you flip a nearby wall switch?

Try every switch in the room, including ones that seem to do nothing.

Yes, a wall switch turns it on: Not broken: the outlet is on a wall switch
No, it stays dead: Likely cause: a worn outlet or a loose wire

Possible results

Need the words for the phone call? Build a what-to-tell-the-electrician checklist, or read when to call an electrician.