When the whole neighborhood goes dark, you know it's a utility outage. It's more confusing when only part of your house loses power. Maybe the kitchen outlets are dead but the lights work, or one bedroom went dark, or half the house is out while the other half seems fine.
A partial power outage usually comes down to a handful of causes. Some take 30 seconds to fix yourself. Others mean something is wrong in the wiring, the panel, or the utility's service to your home. This guide covers the safe things to check first and the signs that it's time to call an electrician.
Safety first: The checks below don't require tools or opening anything up. Don't remove the cover from your electrical panel, take outlets or switches out of the wall, or touch any wiring. If you smell burning, see smoke or sparks, or notice an outlet or the panel feels hot, stop and call an electrician right away. If there's smoke or flame, leave the house and call 911.
Step 1: Figure Out How Much of the House Is Out
Walk through the house and note what works and what doesn't. This tells you a lot:
A few outlets in one area (often a bathroom, kitchen, garage, basement, or outdoors) usually points to a tripped GFCI outlet.
One room or a group of lights and outlets usually points to a tripped breaker.
Roughly half the house is out, or lights are dim and large appliances like the dryer, range, or AC won't run can point to a problem with the power coming into your home. That needs a pro or your utility, not a reset.
Everything is out is likely a utility outage or a problem with your main breaker or service.
Step 2: Check Your Breaker Panel
Open the panel door (just the door, not the metal cover behind it) and look for a breaker that's out of line with the others. A tripped breaker usually sits in the middle position or flipped toward "off."
To reset it, push the breaker firmly all the way to off, then back to on. Many people skip the "off" step, and the breaker won't reset without it.
If it stays on and power comes back, the trip may have been a one-time overload, like a space heater and a hair dryer on the same circuit. Try spreading those loads out.
If it trips again right away or keeps tripping, don't keep resetting it. Repeated tripping means something on that circuit is wrong, such as an overload, a short, or a failing breaker. Leave it off and call an electrician.
If your panel shows scorch marks, buzzing, heat, or a burning smell, don't touch it. Our guide to signs your electrical panel needs repair or replacement explains what those warning signs mean.
Step 3: Look for a Tripped GFCI Outlet
GFCI outlets are the ones with "Test" and "Reset" buttons. They protect against shock in places where water is nearby, and one GFCI often protects several other outlets downstream, sometimes in a different room. A tripped GFCI in the garage can kill power to an outdoor outlet, and a bathroom GFCI can control outlets in another bathroom.
Check the GFCIs in your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry area, garage, basement, and outdoor outlets. Press Reset firmly. If it won't reset or trips again immediately, something on that circuit may be faulty or wet. Outdoor outlets that trip after rain are common, but if it keeps happening, have it checked.
Step 4: Check the Wall Switches
It sounds simple, but it happens a lot: some outlets are wired to a wall switch, often for a lamp. If a single outlet is dead, flip nearby switches before assuming the worst.
Step 5: Check With Your Utility
If you see dim lights, flickering, or about half the house is out, or if neighbors are having trouble too, check your electric utility's outage map or call them. Depending on where you live in Central Indiana, that could be AES Indiana, Duke Energy, or a local REMC co-op. Problems with the lines or equipment feeding your home are the utility's responsibility, and they can sometimes cause partial outages inside the house.
When to Call an Electrician
Call a licensed electrician if:
A breaker trips again right after you reset it, or keeps tripping over days or weeks
A GFCI won't reset or won't stay reset
Outlets or lights are dead and no breaker is tripped and no GFCI needs resetting
Outlets, switches, or cover plates feel warm, are discolored, or crackle
Lights flicker or dim throughout the house
Half the house is out and the utility says the problem isn't on their side
You notice a burning smell anywhere, even if the power came back
Dead outlets with no tripped breaker are often caused by a loose or burned connection somewhere on the circuit, sometimes at a different outlet than the one that's dead. Loose connections can heat up over time and are a real fire risk, so they're worth finding and fixing rather than ignoring. We explain why this kind of troubleshooting is best left to a professional in the dangers of DIY electrical repairs.
What an Electrician Will Do
When we come out for a partial power outage, the visit usually includes:
Tracing which circuits are affected and where they run
Testing breakers, GFCIs, outlets, and switches to find the failure point
Checking for loose, damaged, or overheated connections
Checking the panel and incoming service if half the house is affected
Explaining what caused it and what the fix is before we do the work
Sometimes the fix is a single bad outlet, switch, or breaker. Sometimes the problem shows a bigger issue, like an overloaded panel that can't keep up with what your home uses now. If that's the case, our post on what a 200-amp panel upgrade costs in Indianapolis is a good place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is half my house without power?
Most homes get power through two incoming lines. If one of those has a problem, whether at the utility's equipment, the meter, or the main connections in your panel, you can lose about half your circuits and large 240-volt appliances may stop working. Call your utility first, and if they find no problem on their side, call an electrician.
Why do I have no power in one room but the breaker isn't tripped?
Check for a tripped GFCI elsewhere in the house and any wall switches first. If those aren't the cause, a loose or failed connection on the circuit is likely. That needs an electrician to find safely.
Is it safe to keep resetting a breaker?
No. Resetting once is fine. If it trips again, the breaker is warning you about a problem. Resetting it over and over can let a fault keep heating wires.
Can a bad outlet cause other outlets to stop working?
Yes. Outlets on a circuit are often connected through each other, so one loose or burned connection can cut power to every outlet after it.
Get Your Power Back in Central Indiana
If part of your house is still dark after these checks, Central Electric can help. We track down and repair partial power outages, dead outlets, and tripping breakers for homeowners in Indianapolis, Greenwood, Franklin, Plainfield, Avon, Brownsburg, Mooresville, Martinsville, Bargersville, and Whiteland.
Call 317-644-1322 or request service online. You can also see our full list of residential electrical services.