- 1). Use an electrical outlet tester to test the multiple outlets connected to a specific circuit. If more than one outlet is failing, then you may have a disconnect closer to the circuit breaker. However, if there is only one outlet that is not working correctly, then the repair may be closer to the outlet itself. This will determine whether you begin the troubleshoot and repair by working forward from the electrical panel or by working backwards from the outlet.
- 2). Turn off the power to your electrical panel by flipping the main power switch at the top and center of the panel. The main power-in lines will still be hot on the back of your electrical panel; however, all circuits on the rest of the circuit breaker are now dead.
- 3). Unscrew the electrical outlet's faceplate. Inspect the wiring connections on the back side of the outlet. The black wire should be connected and screwed in tightly to the brass side of the outlet while the white wire should be connected to the silver screw. Check to see if the ground wire is connected to the ground nut. If any of these wires are disconnected, inspect the ends of the wiring for fraying and reconnect them. If necessary cut the wires with a wire stripper, strip an extra 1 to 2 inches of insulation from the wires and reconnect them to the outlet.
- 4). Inspect the back side of the electrical panel by unscrewing the panel's faceplate with a screwdriver. Use an AC tester to make sure the panel is dead. If the pen lights up on any other part than where the main-in lines are connected to the main power switch, do not touch any parts of the electrical panel and contact a professional electrician. Turn the main power switch back on briefly and use an AC tester to check the conductivity of the hot bus bar and other hot wires. Turn off the main power switch.
- 5). Inspect the circuit breaker for the branch circuit on which you are troubleshooting. Snap the circuit breaker out of place from the hot bus bar and make sure that the hot wire from the circuit is connected tightly to the circuit breaker. Also make sure the neutral and ground wires for the circuit are connected properly to the neutral and ground bus bars on the back side of the electrical panel.
- 6). Replace the circuit breaker if it looks or smells like burnt plastic. If the electrical panel has recently experienced flooding or excessive humidity, or if the circuit breaker has signs of corrosion, then the circuit breakers may all need replacing. If the circuit breaker's switch flops back and forth without any resistance, then the spring inside the circuit breaker has broken or malfunctioned, necessitating the breaker's replacement.
- 7). Use a multimeter to check the conductivity of the hot wires by touching the probes to any joints along the circuit's pathway. If the joints are not conducting electricity, then you will need to desolder or unscrew the wire nut on the joint and reconnect it.