Is this electrical outlet dead and what should I do?

June 27, 2011 5:51 PM

I know you are not my electrician, but: Why does this electrical power outlet no longer work?

Today I replaced the clothes washing machine in my downstairs rental suite after the timer on the previous one broke. After plugging in the brand new Maytag, it would not power on. It is plugged into the same three-prong 120-volt outlet as the previous washing machine. I flipped the breaker for the outlet and made sure it was on. I tested the outlet using a (two-prong) plug and saw that there was no power. I did that for both the top and bottom plug in the outlet. What should I do now? Thanks!

posted by docgonzo to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

If you don't have the skills to check for power at the breaker box, or to check the breaker, call an electrician.
posted by tomswift at 5:57 PM on June 27, 2011

Is it possible that you have a GFCI outlet on the same fuse as the washing machine (those outlets that they have for bathrooms that can be tripped at the outlet)? I ask because we had something similar happen where all the outlets in our bathrooms stopped working at the same time, and it turned out that a GFCI outlet was installed in one room that had tripped and therefore turned off all the outlets. It might be worth a check to reset any that you have in the house.
posted by nasayre at 5:59 PM on June 27, 2011

The GFI indicator could be anywhere in your house too. We had a kitchen outlet stop working and I found the GFI outlet in the garage. So check them all.
posted by COD at 6:19 PM on June 27, 2011

A GFCI serving that circuit seems likely. Check the bathroom, all the kitchen plugs, the garage and exterior outlets as suite conversions often grab power where ever they can. Note that some GFCIs trip when the power is disconnected so if there is a GFCI at the washer make sure it is set (go through a test and reset cycle). If you do find the washer plug is controlled by a remote GFCI you should mark the washer plug as GFCI (circumstantially sometimes required by code in Canada).

It's also possible that the breaker you think services the washer isn't the correct breaker. I'd probably try tripping all the breakers one at a time with an assistant monitoring the plug tester. Make sure you aren't looking at the breakers when you trip them.

Finally the wiring at the plug could have failed (either coincidentally or one causing the other) with the old washer. You'd need to pull the plug to take a look and you'll need to use a non contact tester to make sure the box isn't live as you are working on it.

Past that the right tool is an electrician.
posted by Mitheral at 6:43 PM on June 27, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks all for the very helpful ideas. Following the GFCI lead, I found a GFCI plug in the adjoining bathroom. It, too, appeared dead and wouldn't reset when I tried. My father-in-law came over and also checked out some leads but although there appears to be current coming out of the breaker panel, both the bathroom and the washer outlets are dead. Tomorrow a certified electrician will be coming out to take up the case. Thanks again!
posted by docgonzo at 8:01 PM on June 27, 2011

Good luck. I will mention that GFCIs can be in some strange and tricky places that I wouldn't have thought to find them, like in a closet near the bathroom and the garage.
posted by nasayre at 8:08 PM on June 27, 2011

Replacing a toasted GFCI receptacle took me a trip to Lowes, $12, and 10 minutes. (And $9 in capital costs for a $9 AC presence tester...)
posted by mmdei at 9:42 PM on June 27, 2011

It, too, appeared dead and wouldn't reset when I tried. My father-in-law came over and also checked out some leads but although there appears to be current coming out of the breaker panel, both the bathroom and the washer outlets are dead.

If the breaker is off and the GFCI has no power it cannot be reset.
posted by jara1953 at 12:17 PM on June 28, 2011