A dead outlet usually isn't a dead outlet. It's a tripped GFCI hiding in the garage, a breaker that looks fine but isn't, or a wall switch that secretly controls that outlet. Five checks — four of which don't involve a screwdriver — solve most cases before an electrician's truck fee.
Not sure this is your exact problem?Point your camera at it — SpotFix AI diagnoses it free in seconds, with a step-by-step AR guide for your exact model.
Scan It FreeTest with a lamp you know works, in both sockets. Phone chargers lie.
This is the big one. One GFCI (bathroom, kitchen, garage, basement, even outside) can protect a whole chain of normal-looking outlets in other rooms. Press RESET firmly on every one you can find.
A tripped breaker can look untripped. Push it fully OFF (you'll feel the click), then back ON. Check for a faint orange/red flag in the panel.
Half-hot outlets (top socket switched, bottom always on) are standard in living rooms and bedrooms. That 'mystery switch' that never did anything? It did this.
Breaker off, verify dead, pull the outlet. Builders often 'backstab' wires into spring holes instead of screws; they loosen with decades of heat cycles. Move wires to the side screw terminals, torque them snug. Scan the wiring layout with SpotFix AI first — it'll flag anything (aluminum wire, no ground, shared neutrals) that means stop-and-call-a-pro.
Plugs falling out of a loose outlet = worn contacts = heat = replace. Match amperage (15A vs 20A — the 20A has the sideways T slot), connect side screws: black→brass, white→silver, ground→green.
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