A dead outlet and a breaker that keeps tripping are different problems. One is a loss of power at a receptacle. The other is a breaker opening because the circuit drew too much current or because it detected a fault.
A dead outlet
Start with what else went out. If one receptacle is dead and the rest of the room still works, the fault is often at that outlet, at a connection feeding it, or at a GFCI that protects it from another room. Kitchen, bath, garage, and outdoor outlets are often on GFCI protection. The reset button may be on a different outlet than the one that is dead.
If the outlet is dry and nothing looks burned, you can use the reset on a GFCI that has one. If it will not reset, or it trips again right away, stop using it. A warm faceplate, a buzzing sound, or a burned smell means leave that outlet alone and call. Those are signs of a loose or damaged connection, not a device you should keep resetting.
A whole room going dark usually means the breaker for that circuit opened, or a connection upstream failed. Our shorter guide on telling a quick fix from a bigger problem covers the first checks, including a breaker that is sitting between on and off.
A breaker that keeps tripping
A breaker trips to open the circuit. Resetting it once is reasonable after you unplug what was running. If it trips again, something on that circuit is still wrong.
An overload means the circuit is being asked for more power than it is built for. A space heater, a microwave, and a toaster on the same kitchen circuit is a common example. Unplugging the extra load may stop the trips. If ordinary use trips the breaker with nothing unusual plugged in, the circuit or the breaker needs a look.
A fault is different. Damaged cord insulation, a nicked wire, or water in an outdoor box can trip a breaker or a GFCI immediately, even with the load unplugged. An arc-fault breaker can also open when it detects sparking, including from a damaged plug or a loose connection. Holiday lights are a frequent trigger. If the trips started with decorations, read what to check when Christmas lights trip a breaker.
When it is more than one outlet
Breakers that trip in several rooms, lights that dim when a motor starts, or a panel that is warm are not solved by resetting one breaker. That pattern can mean the panel is overloaded or a connection in the panel is failing. Replacing outlets will not fix that. Our panel upgrade page describes the signs we look for, and the holiday hosting article covers a full house running at once.
Tell us which rooms died, whether a GFCI or a breaker opened, what was plugged in, and whether you smell heat or see discoloration. Do not remove the panel cover. We diagnose dead outlets and tripping breakers in Denver, NC and around Lake Norman. Contact us to schedule the repair.