My outlet isn't working

[the huge Pat]

I'm trying to figure out why an electrical outlet in my bedroom is dead. It's above a sink and it wasn't a GFCI outlet before. I thought maybe that was the problem so I replaced it with a new GFCI but it still doesn't work. I've checked the breaker, and as far as I know, the whole room is on that one switch. My multimeter shows there's no power at all getting to the outlet. I'm not sure what else to check. Do you have any ideas on what I should try next?

 

[PGB1]

Hello Pat,

First, ensure the circuit is de-energized and remove the receptacle. Check that no wire came off. The spring loaded push-in type often have this problem. (I'd imagine that you already checked this, but just in case you haven't...)

Next- And this is amazingly common:
Sometimes in houses, people will put two wires under a terminal screw on a receptacle outlet or switch. Over time one wire pops off.
Even though the only residential work I do is the occasional "family & friend freebie" job, it is amazing how many times I've found this problem. Over & over again!

Your best troubleshooting will be to ensure the circuit is de-energized. Next, try to figure out which switch or outlet is ahead of the one that is giving you trouble. Ensure it is de-energized and open remove it. Check for a wire that fell off. If you miss, go to the next one. Repeat until you find the guilty party.

Note that the device with a wire that fell off might not be in the same room, or even on the same floor of the house. And, when taking care of the problem, be sure NOT to put two wires under a terminal screw.

I hope this helps,
Paul

 

[whtRuss14n]

I'm trying to figure out why an electrical outlet in my bedroom is dead. It's above a sink and it wasn't a GFCI outlet before. I thought maybe that was the problem so I replaced it with a new GFCI but it still doesn't work. I've checked the breaker, and as far as I know, the whole room is on that one switch. My multimeter shows there's no power at all getting to the outlet. I'm not sure what else to check. Do you have any ideas on what I should try next?

Paul's right about checking an upstream outlet. To do that efficiently, you need to map out the circuit. Plug a lamp into a working outlet and then flip the breaker you think controls your room.
When the lamp turns off, go around and see what other lights and outlets in the entire house are now dead. That's your full circuit. Now you know where to start looking for a loose wire, possibly in a working outlet in a different room that's still on that same circuit

 

[VoltagexV]

I'm trying to figure out why an electrical outlet in my bedroom is dead. It's above a sink and it wasn't a GFCI outlet before. I thought maybe that was the problem so I replaced it with a new GFCI but it still doesn't work. I've checked the breaker, and as far as I know, the whole room is on that one switch. My multimeter shows there's no power at all getting to the outlet. I'm not sure what else to check. Do you have any ideas on what I should try next?

@the huge Pat, I'm with the others here. The absolute first thing I'd do is to check for a tripped GFCI outlet elsewhere in the house. Look in the bathroom, kitchen, garage, or outside, and hit the reset button on every single one. A tripped GFCI upstream will completely cut power to every standard outlet wired after it, which is likely your bedroom outlet. But if that doesn't fix it, you probably have a loose connection. Flip the breaker fully off and then back on just to be sure. If it's still dead, you need to find the last working device on that circuit and check inside that box. Power off the circuit, pull the working device, and look for a wire that's come loose from a terminal screw or a failed back-stab connection. It's incredibly common for a wire feeding power further down the line to pop off its terminal, killing everything after it. You'll need to trace it back from the dead outlet to the one that's still getting power.