Power outages are usually caused by a storm, when we light candles and wait it out until the storm passes and the power returns. Or they sometimes occur when you’ve tested the limits of that power cord and lost. However, what happens when the power goes out in only one room of your house? Unless it is storming outside, you can rule out the weather. If every room of your house is running fine except one, that means the outage is localized, and there are normally a couple of possible causes.
Why Is the Power Out in Just One Room?
Tripped breaker: The localized outage could be caused by a tripped circuit breaker. This can happen if a circuit is overloaded or has been spiked by a defective appliance. Unplug all of the appliances in the room, and check your breaker. Most homes or apartments have a breaker box with well-documented breakers. They are usually listed on a sheet on the back of the panel, across from the corresponding breaker. The breaker is normally in the “on” position, so the one that has tripped is easily identifiable. It will either be in the “off” position, or sometimes it will be in the “tripped” position between on and off.
If it’s in the “off” position, switch it back to “on.” If it’s in the “tripped” position, move it to the “off” position first, and then back to “on.” It’s not always easy to tell if it’s in the “tripped” position, so you’ll want to look carefully and feel the switch if you’re not sure. If a tripped breaker is the cause, this process should restore power to that room. If it does not work, you can close up the panel and then have a look at your appliances to identify the culprit.
GFCI Outlet: Step two of your investigation is any GFI outlet in the room. This is an outlet with a built-in breaker. There are two small buttons on the outlet. One is “test” and the other is “reset.” Press in the reset button and see if that takes care of the problem. Remember; the GFCI outlet may not be in the room that lost power, so you may need to look in adjoining rooms to find it. If that’s the case and the power comes back on in that room, you will want to examine the condition of the appliances you have plugged in, and make sure you’re not overloading the outlets.
However, if your circuit breaker wasn’t tripped and your GFCIs are in good working order, it’s time to call an electrician. If that’s the case, there are several reasons that a single room could lose power, and it will take a certified electrician to uncover the reason.
