Double plug socket not working? The most likely reason for a double plug socket not working is a tripped breaker. A double plug socket not working is potentially dangerous, and should be dealt with promptly.
The first thing that you will need to do is go to your switchboard. The first clue will be to check if the breaker for the circuit has tripped. A tripped breaker will be switched in the “down” position and hopefully be labelled with a name that corresponds to the place where the double plug socket is located. For example, if the outlet is located in the lounge, then the circuit breaker will be labelled correspondingly.
If you look inside your switchboard and find that no breakers have tripped, then there are several possible causes for this.
This post will cover why your double plug socket is not working. I will cover what is likely to have happened if a circuit breaker tripped and also if it didn’t trip. If you’ve lost power to multiple rooms, we cover that here.
So hopefully you will get a good idea of why your double plug socket is not working and be armed with the right knowledge to take the next step.
Double Plug Socket Not Working And Circuit Breaker Tripped?
So you’ve taken a look inside your switchboard and have located a tripped breaker. Here are a few reasons why this might have happened.
Double Plug Socket Not Working? Reason #1
Short Circuit
If the circuit breaker immediately trips again after resetting it, then there may be a dead short somewhere in the circuit. This dead short could be occurring in the double plug socket itself or somewhere in the circuit between the plug socket and the circuit breaker. In this case, it will be a good idea to talk to a registered electrician to find exactly where this fault is occurring.
If the short circuit is happening in the double plug socket, then a simple replacement of the double plug socket will fix the problem.
In my experience, the space behind double plug sockets can become places for rodents and bugs to nest which eventually leads to a dead short when the wires inside the outlet come into indirect contact.
A dead short in the circuit between the outlet and the circuit breaker can be caused by many things. For example, rodents can chew cables, sharp things and friction can wear the insulation off cables among many, many other reasons.
If you suspect, that the cause of a double plug socket not working is because of a dead short you can use this information to help a registered electrician to fix the problem sooner.
If the circuit breaker doesn’t immediately trip again, there could be another reason why the double plug socket is not working.
Double Plug Socket Not Working? Reason #2
Overloaded Circuit
If the circuit breaker doesn’t trip again immediately then it is possible that the double plug socket is not working because the circuit has been overloaded. The way to find out is to identify what is plugged into any nearby outlets which could be on the same circuit and unplug them. Once you have unplugged any appliances plugged in, go to your switchboard and reset the circuit breaker.
Next, you need to wait. If the circuit breaker doesn’t trip again, you may have found the cause of the fault.
Double Plug Socket Not Working? Reason #3
Can’t Locate Breaker? Check For Sub Switchboards
Sometimes the switchboard that you think controls the double plug socket isn’t the right switchboard. Sub-switchboards tend to be much smaller and are often located in less obvious places. It is a good idea to check whether a sub-switchboard exists on your property, and if you find one, check whether there is a tripped breaker. Of course, if there is a tripped breaker refer to the information above about what you should do if the breaker has tripped.
Double Plug Socket Not Working? Reason #4
Power Lost To The House
Have you lost power to other outlets or lights in the house? If so, it is possible that you have lost total power to your house. An electrician will be able to check your meter box to confirm if this has happened. If so, you will need to contact your local lines company.
Conclusion
Something as simple as a double plug socket not working properly can, surprisingly, have many causes. Sometimes the cause of the fault can be fixed by simply replacing the double plug socket or unplugging whatever appliances were in the outlet and resetting the breaker. However, if the cause of the fault is something more serious like losing power to the house, then you will need to ensure you are getting the right advice from registered electricians.
Hopefully, you can use this information to get an idea about why your double plug socket not working and what you can do next to fix it.
Thanks for reading and all the best.
What You Can Do Next
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