Before You Call: The Top 3 Things to Check When Half Your Power Goes Out
- Daniel Ehinger
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
Before You Call: The Top 3 Things to Check When Half Your Power Goes Out
Nothing feels quite as strange as losing power in half your house.
The kitchen goes dark… but the bedroom lights still work.
The TV turns off… but the hallway light is fine.
The microwave dies… but the bathroom GFCI still has power.
It’s a confusing problem — and it’s something homeowners across SLO County run into from time to time.
Before assuming something major has failed, here are safe, simple checks you can do yourself. Many people are surprised to find that one small reset can bring a whole side of the house back to life.
If these steps don’t solve it, that’s when Elect Electric can step in and help.
1. Check for a Tripped GFCI (Even Ones in Other Rooms)
GFCI outlets are designed to shut off power when they detect a problem.
But what surprises homeowners is that one GFCI can kill power to outlets far away — even across the house.
Common GFCI hiding spots:
Garage
Bathrooms
Exterior outlets
Laundry area
Kitchen
Side yard or patio
Try this:
Find every GFCI you can.
Press RESET on each one.
If one won’t reset, unplug anything on that circuit and try again.
A single GFCI reset is often all it takes.
If it keeps tripping, there may be a wiring issue — that’s when you stop and call a professional.
2. Check the Breaker Panel — Even If Nothing “Looks” Tripped
A breaker doesn’t always flip fully OFF when it trips.
Sometimes it sits in a soft middle position that’s easy to miss.
This is especially common in older California panels that have been through years of heat, load, or slight corrosion.
Here’s how to check:
Open the panel door.
Look for any breaker that feels “mushy” instead of firmly ON.
Push that breaker fully OFF, then firmly back ON.
Only touch the breakers — don’t remove the panel cover.
If a breaker won’t reset or keeps tripping, that’s a sign of an electrical issue further in the circuit.
3. Try Resetting the Main Breaker (If You Feel Comfortable Doing So)
This is a step most people don’t know they can try — but it often helps when half the house loses power.
Why?
Because many California homes have a main breaker that feeds two “legs” of power into the home.
If one leg disconnects or the breaker partially trips, you can lose power on only one side of the house.
Important: The main breaker is harder to move than standard breakers.
Only try this if you feel physically capable and the panel feels safe to touch (no buzzing, heat, odor, or visible damage).
To reset the main breaker:
Push the main breaker firmly all the way OFF.
This should shut off all power in the home.
Push it all the way back ON with steady pressure.
If the main breaker was partially tripped, this reset may restore full power to the home.
If it won’t reset, or if it resets but trips again — stop there.
That’s a sign of a deeper issue involving:
a loose neutral
a failing main connection
panel wear
or a problem on the utility side
And that’s when it’s time to call Elect Electric.
How to Know It’s Time to Call a Professional
Call us if you notice:
breakers that won’t reset
GFCIs that refuse to stay on
flickering when appliances run
buzzing or warm breakers
repeated partial outages
discoloration at outlets or switches
anything that smells burned
These issues don’t fix themselves, especially as 2026 brings more electrical load into California homes.
How Elect Electric Can Help
If the simple checks don’t solve the issue, we can:
test the panel safely
look for loose neutrals or failing connections
evaluate the condition of the main breaker
locate wiring faults
confirm whether it’s a utility-side issue
recommend upgrades when the panel can’t support modern electrical needs
We help homeowners across Atascadero, Paso Robles, Templeton, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and surrounding areas keep their homes safe and functional.
If you need help — or just want peace of mind — we’re here when you’re ready.
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