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Half of the house lost power

When one part of the house is dark and the rest is fine, the cause is either in your panel or on the power company's side of the meter.

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The short version

Most likely cause
A tripped main or a problem with the service coming into the house.
Safe to check
Ask a neighbor, check the outage map, look at the panel for tripped breakers.
Call when
Some lights are very bright and others dim. Call the power company first, then an electrician.

Burning smell, sparks or a hot outlet? Stop using that circuit, switch its breaker off if you can reach the panel safely, and call now. If there is smoke or fire, leave and call 911.Call (844) 505-0813

Safe to check yourself

  • See whether neighbors have power.
  • Check your power company's outage map or phone line.
  • Look for tripped breakers, including the main.
  • Switch off sensitive electronics until it is resolved.

Stop and call

  • Some lights are unusually bright while others are dim.
  • The dryer, range or air conditioner is dead while lights still work.
  • There is buzzing, heat or a burning smell at the panel or meter.
  • Power comes and goes when the wind blows or an appliance starts.

What can take out half a house

  • A fault on the power company's sideA house is normally fed by two live lines. If one is lost at the pole, the transformer or the meter, half the circuits go dark. The power company checks its own lines.
  • A failing main breakerThe main breaker or its connections can fail on one side, with the same half-dark result.
  • A loose or damaged neutralThis is the bright-and-dim case. Voltage shifts between circuits and can damage appliances, so it should not wait.
  • Several circuits tripped togetherA surge or a heavy load can trip more than one breaker at once. Resetting them once is reasonable; repeated trips are not.

What an electrician will do

  1. Confirm with the power company that its side has been checked.
  2. Measure voltage on both incoming lines at the panel.
  3. Inspect the main breaker, its connections and the neutral.
  4. Repair what failed. Work on the service usually needs a permit and an inspection.

If the trouble is on the power company's side of the meter, an electrician cannot fix it and the power company will. That is why it is worth one call to them before anyone opens the panel.

Related guides

Sources

  • US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Publication 516: aluminum wiring
  • Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office
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