One Room Has No Power
If one room has no power, the cause may be a tripped breaker, an upstream GFCI, a loose device connection, a damaged switch or outlet, or an overloaded circuit.
Quick summary
When power is out in just one room, the problem is often limited to one circuit. That can make it easier to narrow down. Start with the breaker and any nearby GFCIs, then look for clues that a single outlet, switch, or connection may be interrupting power to the room.
Common causes
A breaker may have tripped and shut off that room's circuit.
A GFCI upstream may have tripped and cut power to outlets downstream.
A loose connection at one device may be interrupting the rest of the circuit.
A damaged switch or outlet may be stopping power flow.
The circuit may be overloaded and tripping under use.
Safe checks homeowners can do
Check the breaker panel and fully reset any breaker that looks tripped or halfway off.
Look for a nearby bathroom, garage, kitchen, or basement GFCI that may feed the room and press reset.
Test other outlets and lights in the room to see whether everything is dead or only part of the room is affected.
Plug a device into a known working outlet elsewhere so you know the problem is not the device itself.
When to stop and call an electrician
- Stop if there is a burning smell, heat, sparks, or repeated outages in the room.
- Do not open the electrical panel beyond resetting a breaker, and do not work on live wiring.
- Call a licensed electrician if the room still has no power after checking breakers and nearby GFCIs.