An outlet that stopped working

Skip the checks if you notice any of these

Do not plug in or test an outlet that has a burning smell, brown or black marks, a cracked plate or a plate that feels warm. Turn off the breaker for that circuit and read the hot or burning-smell outlets page. Otherwise the checks below are safe.

Step 1: reset every GFCI

A GFCI outlet has two buttons marked TEST and RESET. When it trips, it cuts power to itself and to other outlets wired after it. Those outlets can be in another room. In a typical California home, GFCI outlets sit in bathrooms, the kitchen, the garage, the laundry area and outside. Press RESET on each one. If it clicks and holds, you are done.

If a GFCI will not reset, unplug whatever is plugged into it and the outlets downstream, then try again. If it still will not reset, it may be worn out or the circuit may have a ground fault. The GFCI and AFCI page explains how these devices work.

Step 2: look at the panel

Open the panel door. You may touch the breaker handles only. A tripped breaker sits in the middle or at the off end. Push it fully off, then fully on. If it trips again, stop and read the breaker keeps tripping page.

Some panels have AFCI breakers with a test button. An AFCI breaker trips when it senses an arc, which can be a damaged wire behind a wall. Do not keep resetting one.

Step 3: check what is dead

Walk around and note which outlets, lights and switches are off. The pattern helps:

• One outlet. Probably the outlet itself.
• Several outlets in a row. A loose wire at an outlet earlier in the chain. Wires are often run from one outlet to the next, so a bad connection at one cuts power to those after it.
• Outlets plus lights. The breaker or a splice in a junction box.
• A whole wall or room. A tripped GFCI or breaker, or a junction box connection.

A lamp or a phone charger is enough to test an outlet. Do not use a tool that could short the contacts.

Common causes of a dead outlet

Backstab connections. Many outlets are wired by pushing a wire into a hole on the back. The spring clip loosens over time, especially under a heavy load. The wire pulls out of contact, and the outlet and others after it go dead. A better connection is a screw terminal.

Worn outlet contacts. The metal inside wears and no longer grips the plug. Plugs fall out or work only at a certain angle.

Loose neutral or hot wire in a box. Wire nuts and splices behind the wall can come loose. These need an electrician with a meter.

Damaged cable. A nail through a cable, a rodent chew or an old repair can cut a wire. If the outlet died after a remodel or picture-hanging, mention it.

Old or aluminum wiring. Homes with aluminum branch wiring from the 1960s and 1970s need special outlets rated for it. Standard ones can overheat. The aluminum wiring page covers this.

When to replace the outlet and when to call

Swapping a worn outlet with the breaker off is a common small job. Use a tester to confirm the power is off. Then match the wires on the new outlet. Use a tamper-resistant outlet where required. Kitchen, bathroom, garage, laundry and outdoor outlets need GFCI protection under NEC 210.8, which California adopts as part of its electrical code.

Call a licensed electrician if:

• Wires are burned, brittle, cloth-covered or aluminum
• The outlet is warm or smells
• Several outlets are dead and you cannot find a tripped GFCI or breaker
• The breaker trips when you reset it
• The outlet is on a circuit you cannot identify

What it costs

As of October 2026, Fixr’s national guide lists $120 to $200 to install an outlet and up to $275 for a 15-amp GFCI outlet. Fixr lists about $75 to replace a basic single-pole switch. A new dedicated circuit costs more and is quoted by the run. Tracing a hidden fault takes extra time. The outlet and GFCI cost page lists the ranges and what affects them.

Ask the electrician to check the other outlets on the same circuit while they are there. A backstab that failed once often has neighbors that will fail next.