Diagnostic Tree: Single Disfunction
Your Home's Limited Electrical Outage
If you have reached this page without beginning at the Start of the diagnostic tree, you may do better to start there.
You have identified your electrical outage as limited (are you sure?) to one thing or to one set of lights controlled by the same switch. For a light, replace bulbs you assume are good with ones you know work; also see if the fixture itself is discolored or cracking from past heat. For an outlet, plug something else in than what made you think the outlet was dead. For an appliance or other item that plugs into outlets, try running it out of a working outlet (you can move the item or run an extension cord to it). If these activities haven't changed your mind about what is wrong, you may find that having any of the trouble-things replaced (including a fixture, a switch, a plug-in receptacle, a heater, or a thermostat) solves the problem. If not, go to Open.