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Electrical guide · GPM Electrical

Power Out in Part of Your House? Start Here

When part of your house has no power and no breaker has tripped, the cause is usually one of four things: a tripped GFCI outlet, a loose or failed connection, a problem with one leg of your incoming power, or a fault on the utility side. The first is a ten-second fix. The last two can be emergencies. This guide helps you sort out which one you have, what is safe to check and when to stop and call.

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By Nick Foster, GPM Electrical

Start with the easy checks

  1. Look at the panel from the outside. Check every breaker, not just the main. A breaker that tripped can sit halfway between on and off, so look for any that is not lined up with the rest.
  2. Find the GFCI outlets. They are in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements and outside. Press the reset button on each. One tripped GFCI can kill several outlets that are not near it.
  3. Check the neighbors. If their lights are out too, the problem is on the utility side and you should call your power provider.
  4. Try a lamp in a few outlets. This tells you whether the whole room or just one outlet is dead.

Why only some outlets or rooms are dead

If a few outlets or one room is out with no breaker tripped, a loose connection is likely. Outlets in a home are often wired one after another, so one failed outlet or connection can cut power to everything after it. Back-stab connections in older outlets are a common weak spot. This is the sort of problem that is simple to fix and hard to find, because it hides in a box in the wall.

Older houses are the usual suspects, because their wiring has often been added to and worked on over decades. Fixing it means opening up the boxes on the circuit and testing each connection. Our electrical repair service covers this kind of diagnosis, and we explain what we find before we price the fix.

When half the house loses power

Most American homes get power on two incoming lines, called legs, which each feed half the circuits. Large appliances like the dryer, range and well pump use both legs together. If one leg fails, about half the house goes dark. The tell-tale signs are lights that are dim or oddly bright, a dryer or oven that will not heat, and some outlets working while others do not.

A lost leg can come from the utility’s line, the service wires into your house, the meter base or the main breaker. The cause is not always on your side, and it is not something to troubleshoot yourself. It can damage appliances because of how voltage splits up when a leg is lost. Turn off sensitive electronics and large appliances and call.

After a storm

If half the house or a few rooms lost power after a storm, wind or falling limbs may have damaged the service line, the weatherhead on the roof or the meter base. Trees in East Tennessee take lines down in many storms. Look at the wires coming into your house from a safe distance. If you see sagging, a pulled-away mast or damage, stay clear and call. Our meter base and service repair page describes what we do when storms break the service.

In one case, a storm left a Greeneville home without power. We got the power restored and the permits and inspections taken care of. You may need the power provider to disconnect and reconnect for repairs, so call us and them early.

When it is an emergency

Treat it as an emergency, and call us right away if any of these is true:

  • You smell burning, or see smoke, sparks or melted plastic.
  • You hear buzzing, popping or crackling from the panel, meter or an outlet.
  • Anything is hot to the touch, including the panel cover, an outlet or a plug.
  • There is water at the panel, meter or an outlet.
  • A service line is down, hanging low or touching something. Stay far away and call your power provider and 911 if there is danger.
  • Lights are flickering or acting strangely in addition to the power loss.

Safety note: Do not open the panel cover or touch the meter. Do not use a generator by plugging it into a wall outlet, which can send power back onto the lines and hurt a lineworker. If you want to run a generator safely, we install generator transfer switches that prevent that.

What we do on a call like this

We start by asking what you see and when it started. Often that tells us whether it is a GFCI, a connection or a service problem. If it is urgent, we offer same-day service. Evening and weekend appointments are available. We explain what we find and price the work before we start, so you know where you stand.

If it turns out your panel is the issue, read our guide to signs your panel needs an upgrade.

When to call an electrician

  • Half the house is out and the neighbors have power.
  • Outlets are dead and resetting every GFCI did not help.
  • The problem happened after a storm or a power surge.
  • The problem comes and goes.
  • You see any of the emergency signs above.

Why homeowners call GPM

  • Licensed electrician
  • Family-owned in Greeneville
  • Price before any work begins
  • Permits pulled when required
  • Rated 5.0 on Google

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(423) 620-2283

Same-day service when the schedule allows. You get the price before any work begins.

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Questions

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about pricing and how we work. Don’t see your question? Call Nick.

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Why would half my house lose power but the breakers look fine?

Usually a lost leg of the incoming service or a problem at the meter or main. It is not something a breaker shows. It needs an electrician or your power provider.

Can a GFCI outlet in the garage turn off outlets inside?

Yes. Outlets can be wired so that one GFCI protects others downstream, even in different rooms. Reset all of them.

Is it safe to wait until morning?

If there is no smell, heat, sparks or water, and the problem is in one room, it is generally safe to wait. If half the house is out, or you see any emergency sign, do not wait.

Do I call you or the power company?

If your neighbors are also out, call the power company. If only your home is affected, call us. If you are not sure, call us and we will help you figure out whose side it is on.

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Have a Question About Your Home?

Lost power and not sure why? Call now. Same-day and emergency service available.

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  • Upfront pricing before work begins
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