# Why \[did my outlets\] Go Out?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 7, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821 "2011-08-07T13:22:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@salliestennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salliestennis)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/1 "2011-08-07T13:22:33Z")
Why did the bottom half of my 3 kitchen outlets go out? They stopped working so I replugged microwave, coffee maker & phone charger in the top half of the 3 separate outlets. It works, but concerns me. Oh, also the top half of an outlet in my living room went out at the same time. Not the bottom like the kitchen but the top? The rooms are next to each other.
I have to think that this was caused by a workman using the microwave outlet for his drill as he cut up Hardie Plank for a new wall outside. This all happened the same day. Coincidence?? It is not a braker problem as everything else works and I checked box.
Any ideas? Is it serious? Should I have an electrician come out or just live with it?
Many thanks, Sallie
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### Author:  [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/2 "2011-08-07T13:34:06Z")
> [@salliestennis](#):
>
> Why did the bottom half of my 3 kitchen outlets go out? They stopped working so I replugged microwave, coffee maker & phone charger in the top half of the 3 separate outlets. It works, but concerns me. Oh, also the top half of an outlet in my living room went out at the same time. Not the bottom like the kitchen but the top? The rooms are next to each other.
> I have to think that this was caused by a workman using the microwave outlet for his drill as he cut up Hardie Plank for a new wall outside. This all happened the same day. Coincidence?? It is not a braker problem as everything else works and I checked box.
> Any ideas? Is it serious? Should I have an electrician come out or just live with it?
> Many thanks, Sallie
“Should I have an electrician come out”
This.
something like this is not usual. Home electrical circuits are remarkably reliable-and not very robust. So when something is odd, there aren’t very many possible reasons and none of the possibilities are good. If it had been one outlet, I would have suspected the outlet. Since it is multiple outlets, it is a common problem-I would guess some problem with the ground. So even the working outlets may not be safe. I am pretty handy with wiring and home repair. I wouldn’t hesitate to rewire a circuit or add a light in the garage. But if I had this problem-an electrician is definitely the solution.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/3 "2011-08-07T13:55:50Z")
You said it’s not the breaker, but have you actually gone down and checked the breaker box? It sure sounds like a breaker to me. It sounds to me like the top half of all those outlets are on one circuit and the bottom half are on another. This would be done so that if you plug the microwave and toaster or toaster and coffee maker (for example) into one outlet they’re on different circuits.
My money is on a flipped breaker. You can call an electrician, but even if all they have to do is flip the breaker, it’s still going to cost you $100-$150. You might as well check it yourself.
ETA, you mention the living room and kitchen are adjacent, but I’m assuming the outlet in the living room that isn’t working is on the common wall, right? Again, all part of the same circuit.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/4 "2011-08-07T14:26:39Z")
And here I was thinking this was a question about why people “go out” instead of staying home.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/5 "2011-08-07T14:44:51Z")
the tops and bottoms of the receptacles may be controlled differently. if they were on different circuit breakers this would be the case, breakers need to be moved all the way OFF then ON to reset. kitchen receptacles should be on a GFI (ground fault interrupt) circuit if it isn’t controlled by a GFI circuit breaker then it is controlled by a GFI receptacle (it will have a RESET and TEST button on the face of it, often in the middle), if so the RESET button needs to be pressed (often hard to see that it has been popped out). this receptacle would likely be one of the ones in your kitchen.
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### Author:  [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/6 "2011-08-07T15:21:47Z")
As others have mentioned, it is likely the top receptacles are on one circuit, and the bottom receptacles are on another circuit. It’s somewhat rare for outlets to be wired this way, but not unheard of. I also agree with **Joey P** that it is likely a tripped circuit breaker. But if it is a tripped breaker, why did it trip? Hopefully it was simply due to the drill. If it trips again under normal use, then you either have a short someplace or a bad breaker.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/7 "2011-08-07T15:39:03Z")
> [@johnpost](#):
>
> the tops and bottoms of the receptacles may be controlled differently. if they were on different circuit breakers this would be the case, breakers need to be moved all the way OFF then ON to reset. kitchen receptacles should be on a GFI (ground fault interrupt) circuit if it isn’t controlled by a GFI circuit breaker then it is controlled by a GFI receptacle (it will have a RESET and TEST button on the face of it, often in the middle), if so the RESET button needs to be pressed (often hard to see that it has been popped out). this receptacle would likely be one of the ones in your kitchen.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a GFCI receptacle where you can wire the top and bottom separately, so I assumed it was an older house without them and didn’t bring that up.
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> Hopefully it was simply due to the drill. If it trips again under normal use, then you either have a short someplace or a bad breaker.
The OP mentioned it happened while the a worker was cutting/drilling cement board. That’s not something that would really concern me, especially if he had been cutting a lot of it at once (either stacked or just one piece after another) and the breaker was getting warm. Like you said, assuming the only time it happens is when the worker is cutting the cement board, and not under normal use, I wouldn’t worry.
Though, in the future, if you routinely use the microwave, toaster or coffee maker at the same time, I would try to plug them into different circuits. That is, if you make toast while the coffee maker is running, plug one into the top and one into the bottom. The two of them together aren’t going to blow a breaker, or even strain it, but any time you can spread the load, it’s always helpful.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/8 "2011-08-07T15:53:39Z")
> [@johnpost](#):
>
> the tops and bottoms of the receptacles may be controlled differently. if they were on different circuit breakers this would be the case, breakers need to be moved all the way OFF then ON to reset. kitchen receptacles should be on a GFI (ground fault interrupt) circuit if it isn’t controlled by a GFI circuit breaker then it is controlled by a GFI receptacle (it will have a RESET and TEST button on the face of it, often in the middle), if so the RESET button needs to be pressed (often hard to see that it has been popped out). this receptacle would likely be one of the ones in your kitchen.
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> I don’t think I’ve ever seen a GFCI receptacle where you can wire the top and bottom separately, so I assumed it was an older house without them and didn’t bring that up.
if you had a GFI receptacle feed the bottom half of downstream ordinary receptacles then it would have this effect.
the tops and bottoms of the affected receptacles could be on different breakers and/or they could be fed from different GFI units.
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### Author:  [@salliestennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salliestennis)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/9 "2011-08-07T17:24:36Z")
Many thanks for all you answers. It was the breaker. I had gone to the box & they all seemed nice & tight. But for a $100 savings, I thought I’ll flip’em all. It worked. I do live in a 1960’s house and do not have a GFI in the kitchen. The drilling caused the circuit to over heat. Now everything is working. This is my first time to post anywhere and it worked. I can’t believe that there are so many people WILLING & able to help someone they will never know. Love yall 😃
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/10 "2011-08-07T17:30:12Z")
Thread title edited to indicate subject, and two threads merged.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/11 "2011-08-07T17:35:53Z")
> [@salliestennis](#):
>
> Many thanks for all you answers. It was the breaker. I had gone to the box & they all seemed nice & tight. But for a $100 savings, I thought I’ll flip’em all. It worked. I do live in a 1960’s house and do not have a GFI in the kitchen. The drilling caused the circuit to over heat. Now everything is working. This is my first time to post anywhere and it worked. I can’t believe that there are so many people WILLING & able to help someone they will never know. Love yall 😃
you should still probably have an electrician look at the panel and wiring.
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### Author:  [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/12 "2011-08-07T17:43:09Z")
By the way, welcome to the boards, **salliestennis!** 🙂
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-outlets-go-out/591821/13 "2011-08-07T18:35:09Z")
> [@salliestennis](#):
>
> Many thanks for all you answers. It was the breaker. I had gone to the box & they all seemed nice & tight. But for a $100 savings, I thought I’ll flip’em all. It worked. I do live in a 1960’s house and do not have a GFI in the kitchen. The drilling caused the circuit to over heat. Now everything is working. This is my first time to post anywhere and it worked. I can’t believe that there are so many people WILLING & able to help someone they will never know. Love yall 😃
Stick around, I think you’ll find we’re pretty good at this sort of thing.