Sockets not working: what to check and what not to touch
Dead sockets almost always come down to one of four things: a tripped device, a failed spur, a loose connection at a socket, or a fault in an appliance dragging the circuit down. Two of those you can narrow down safely from where you are standing.
Safe checks you can make
Everything here is done with faceplates left alone. Nothing below involves removing a cover or touching a terminal.
- Check the consumer unit for a breaker or RCD in the off position
- Note whether it is one socket, one room or the whole house, because that tells the electrician a great deal
- Unplug everything on the affected circuit, then reset the tripped device once
- If it trips again immediately, leave it off and stop there
- Check whether a socket is fed from a fused connection unit with a blown fuse, for example behind a kitchen unit
What is usually behind it
One dead socket while the rest of the room works is often a spur that has lost its connection, or a loose terminal in the socket itself. That is a small repair, but it is a repair behind a faceplate and it needs the circuit isolated and tested afterwards.
A whole room dead is more often a break in the ring or a tripped device serving that area. A whole house dead usually means an RCD has operated, and the cause is frequently a single faulty appliance rather than the wiring.
Where the sockets stopped working after DIY, a nail or screw through a cable during flooring, shelving or a bathroom refit is one of the most common causes we attend, and it is not something to leave sitting.
Stop if you see any of this
These signs mean the circuit stays off and a qualified electrician attends. Do not keep resetting a device that keeps tripping.
- Any burning smell, scorching, browning or melted plastic
- A socket that is warm to the touch or crackling
- A breaker that will not stay on, or trips the moment it is reset
- Any exposed cable, damaged faceplate or loose socket in the wall
- Sockets that stopped working after water ingress or a leak
What a diagnostic visit involves
We isolate the circuit, test continuity and insulation resistance to locate where it breaks down, and check the terminals at each accessory rather than replacing parts hopefully. Where the fault is an appliance rather than the installation, we will tell you that instead of selling you a repair you do not need.
Common questions
Why has one socket stopped working when the others are fine?
Most often a failed spur connection or a loose terminal at that socket. It needs the circuit isolated and tested rather than a faceplate swap.
Is it safe to keep resetting the breaker?
Reset it once with everything unplugged. If it trips again, leave it off. Repeated resetting on a live fault is how damage and fires start.
Half the house has power and half does not. Why?
That pattern usually means one RCD or one main breaker has operated while the other side is unaffected, and it points to a fault on the circuits below the device that tripped.
Can a faulty appliance really take out all the sockets?
Yes. A failing kettle, washing machine or fridge is one of the most common causes of an RCD tripping the whole socket side of a board.
Do you carry the parts to fix it the same visit?
Usually. Sockets, spurs, connection units and common breakers are on the van, and we work 8am to 9pm seven days a week.