# Outside outlet not getting power



## HomeRepairNoob (Apr 14, 2006)

I am having problems with an outlet on the outside of my house. There does no seem to do any power coming from the the outlet. I tried changing the recepticle but still no power. I used a multimeter and outlet checker and they both showed no power. I realize that if I had the wires screwed in wrong that the outlet checker would indicate that they were wrong, but the checker doesn't even light up at all. I know very little about electricity so where do you think the problem lies?

P.S. A have already checked the obvious, circuit breaker is on.


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## redline (Mar 5, 2006)

HomeRepairNoob said:


> There does no seem to do any power coming from the the outlet. I tried changing the recepticle but still no power. I used a multimeter and outlet checker and they both showed no power. I know very little about electricity so where do you think the problem lies?
> 
> P.S. A have already checked the obvious, circuit breaker is on.


Could have a lose wire/connection before it goes to this receptacle.

This circuit may have a GFCI before this outlet and it may have tripped off.

You know little about electricity so I would not advice you to do this but I would check to see if you have power coming out of the circuit breaker for this receptacle (have an electrician check this). Circuit breakers can fail. If there is power coming out of the circuit breaker then you would have to follow the wire down until you lose power. 

Can you follow the wire out of the main panel box and check to see if you have power at the next outlet? Or is this the only outlet on this circuit breaker?

Does this circuit breaker control other lights/outlet/fixtures? If all the other lights/outlets/fixtures that are on this circuit breaker are working properly then there may be a loose wire before this outlet.

Do you check the power coming into this outlet with your meter?

If this is an outside outlet it may require a GFCI.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

First off, to you and anyone else who might have the same problem. If there is no power to a box, replacing the receptacle will not make the power reappear. Yes, changing out an old recetpacle is rarely a bad idea, it is just rarely the problem.

There is a VERY good likelyhood that you have a GFI receptacle somewhere in the house that is tripped. Find it and reset it.
Try the garage first. Look behind that pile of stuff you never get around to moving. It is usually there. 
Try the basement and even bathrooms. Sometimes they are even in the LR or kitchen nearby the dead one (although a kitchen receptacle feeding an outside receptacle is against code).


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## HomeRepairNoob (Apr 14, 2006)

Speedy Petey said:


> First off, to you and anyone else who might have the same problem. If there is no power to a box, replacing the receptacle will not make the power reappear. Yes, changing out an old recetpacle is rarely a bad idea, it is just rarely the problem.
> 
> There is a VERY good likelyhood that you have a GFI receptacle somewhere in the house that is tripped. Find it and reset it.
> Try the garage first. Look behind that pile of stuff you never get around to moving. It is usually there.
> Try the basement and even bathrooms. Sometimes they are even in the LR or kitchen nearby the dead one (although a kitchen receptacle feeding an outside receptacle is against code).



Yes that was it. GFCI outlet in kitchen was tripped.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

There ya go!


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## Sparky Joe (May 2, 2006)

My dad had the same problem a while back, garage outlet was fed from lower bathroom GFI and outside outlet was fed from upper bathroom GFI, which didn't make sense because they are no where near each other, I guess when they built the house wire was cheap and GFI's were not.


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## Speedy Petey (Feb 1, 2004)

In my 1975 built home the two bath receptacles, and two outside receptacles we all on one GFI breaker, in the garage! So my first week in the house, right after replacing the FPE panel, I installed 4 new GFI devices.


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