power not working,but fuse isnt blown (House)?

Question

i was using the microwave,and the power dimmed and then shut off the power to the front of my kitchen(1-plug outlet and 1-light fixure)and the rear of my living room(2-plug outlets) the walls are almost back to back besides a stairway to the upstairs that seperate the two walls. no fuse was blown! i reset all the fuses in the fuse box(switched them off and then back on. normaly when something like that happens it would blow a fuse. what could this be and cause this to happen. its xmas and all my funds are spent and cant afford a elec. at the moment. also is it safe or could there be a wire behind the wall burning or popping ready to start a fire? but if that was the case it would of blown a fuse. im lost cant figure out what it could be and scared to go to sleep just in case something does happen and need to get the family out. i hope theres a electrican on that could give me a few pointers on what it may be. thanks

Answer 1

I am sure you tried the reset switch in between two power outlets. It is red in color. Normally it is for outdoor appliances, I doubt if you have one. if you have one, try that.

if you are concerned about stripped wire inside, just switch off the fuse for peace of mind.

yes, this is a job for electrician. They will check the continuity of the wire from your fuse box (they have a gizmo that does that) and then will let you know if you need to replace the wire.

I am suspecting that the wire started to burn but it is out already. You have overloaded the circuit. One fuse seems to serve too many outlets and the ceiling light. Not a good idea.

Your fridge must be all on its own. i bet you have your microwave plugged in there. You had the toaster oven going at the same time ...? Or, had coffee pot brewing at the same time...? That will do it. All this shows that you have an overload.

Get set to spend some money (sorry.......!! but you have to...) You have children or elderly in the house? Then it makes it even more critical. Running a separate wire and redistribute the load with separate fuse will set you back at least by $700 - $1000

Answer 2

Could be a GFCI if other outlets are jumped(wired together) from a GFCI they will act as a GFCI as well just without the reset button installed.But the weird thing is the light, i wouldnt think the wall outlets, are also jumped to the light fixture.But for piece of mind you can look at the outlet plugs possible the microwave and the refrigerater outlets check to see if you see any blackened marks coming out of the prong area where you would plug something into.If not shut off the power reguardless and unscrew the outletts and check the wired screw connections just to see if you see any melted wireds or any melted plastic connected to the outlet.With wires you should be able to atleast see a smoke or smell something usualy the rubber insulator melting if its fried(when it happened)Also check the bulbs to see if they blow out during the surge,your microwave also has a built in fuse that could have blown as well if thats the case replace it with the exact one....usaualy 250volts by X amount of amps amps are very important get the exact amounts.Hope these help you atleast identify the problem to get a piece of mind , i know not knowing a problem like that would drive me nuts , but if you cannot find nothing visiable wrong with the wires than it would be wise to bite the bullet and have an electrician check it out for you, and try not to waste alot of time about it could be serious....Good Luck

Answer 3

Yes it can. If it did you would know if it was your powersupply. Smoke and sparks are a good indication. It would have to be a short in the unit. And it would no longer work. Bull if it shorts it can throw the fuse. But since you have a compressor on it, there is somthing called LOCK ROTOR AMPS which can be 1 1/2 -2 times the the actual apre pull. Its is just safer to put the compressor on a separate line by itself. never over exceed the load limit of your wires by installing a bigger breaker. The breaker is not there to protect you things, it is there to protect the wiring in your house, and prevent it from burning the house down.

Answer 4

I would bet somewhere you have a blown GFI. Check every single one in your house as you never really know how someone may have wired your kitchen.

Answer 5

Look at all the outlets in the kitchen. Find the one that is "different" than the rest. It has two small buttons inbetween the outlets. This is a safety outlet to keep you from getting electrocuted due to water in the area (kitchens/bathrooms) One of the buttons is "test" and the other is "reset". Push the reset one and see if this cures the problem.

Answer 6

Is there a red button between the plugs? Might not help, but it took me the loss of power to learn. Anyways, try pressing that.

Answer 7

Sounds like the GFI, it is a safety measure that trips somtimes when not wanted. My kitchen is same way.