What would make an entire electrical circuit go off without tripping the circuit breaker? How to fix?

Question

The outlets in my living room did not have any power and the circuit breaker was still in the "ON" position. When I reset the breaker (Back to OFF then Back ON), everything worked fine?

Answer 1

OR, sometimes the breaker is tripped but doesn't looked tripped. I've seen this many times.

Answer 2

According to the information you gave, it sounds like you actually did trip the breaker, but in some cases, the handle doesn't always move when they trip. I have seen certain brands do this more than others, with Zinsco, Westinghouse, and some of the older breakers that have a 'mid position trip' indication being the most likely to do this. If it happens again, before attempting to reset the breaker, take your panel cover off, and using a neon test light, check the breaker for output by testing between its outgoing terminal and the neutral bus bar. if it shows no voltage, it's just a sticky handle on the breaker, which is not harmful, but just a nuisance). if it shows voltage, then you will have to remove and inspect all of your affected receptacles for loose wires or overheating (especially if they are the back-wired type, which are notorious for failure)(you might consider changing them to the side wired type while you are at it). If you still can't find the problem, pull out and check any affected light switches, then try the light fixtures (look for loose wire nuts or signs of overheated connections), then any junction boxes that may be in the circuit. Good luck. Remember- do not work on your system without turning off the breaker first, and if anyone else is around, tape the handle in the off position.

Answer 3

I had the same problem, except in my kitchen. I check and replaced the circuit breaker, with no sucess. I pulled every outlet out and check the wiring, making sure it was all tight. Even checked in the attic for a loose connection.
Ended up calling in an Electrician, for big bucks, but he eventuallya found the problem.
All of the outlets, had one common, hot wire, and that came from an another outlet in the kitchen, the only one, that was still working.So obviously, I didn't check that one. The hot wire, from that outlet to the dead ones, was loose, he tightened it up, with a screwdriver and that was the end of my problem, and $500.00 out of my pocket.
It just didn't occur to me to check out the only working outlet, so it was an expensive lesson.
See if you can find out, where the hot wire is coming from, it may take some chasing down, but when you find it, the fix should be easy.
Good Luck.

Answer 4

Its possible the breaker is bad. Take your voltmeter and check for voltage on the wire that comes out the side of the breaker.

Answer 5

At Mayday Pest Control, we do alot of squirrel and rodent control in attics ....alot of times they chew thru the wiring in the attic causing an interruption of juice.

You can go up in the attic and look for droppings and if you find any then further investigate by looking for gnaw marks on the wood or wiring. Ask your pest control provider to inspect your attic or call a local animal control guy to get a free inspection.