so I was trimming hedges and cut the extension cord.

Power went out, I put all the circuit breakers back on and hit all the reset buttons. Everything came back on except 4 electrical outlets in my kitchen along my back splash. There is no water access along that wall and no reset button. Do I have to call an electrician to fix it? Anything else I can try?

21 Comments

D R Youngsville, NC

You probably have one of the four recepticals that is a circuit breaker within itself. It's called a GFIC for "ground fault interupter circuit", I think. This receptical us usually rectangular instead of oval. It will have two push buttons. Push the reset button and all four recepticals should be working just fine.

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

DR has it but mixed up his letters....GFCI ...

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

These don't answer my question because there isn't a GFCI for those 4 outlets. There is one on the other side of the kitchen that controls the outlets near the sink and I reset those. But this doesn't solve why the 4 outlets on the other side of the kitchen don't work. I have had to move my coffee pot, phone and my microwave to the other counter. Very irritating.

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
RedFish Home Inspections Houston, TX

If your house is recent then all outlets in the kitchen counter tops will be GFCI protected, but that doesn't mean the reset button will be in the kitchen or that all the back splash outlets are protected under that one GFCI on the sink side. This is going to sound strange but look for the reset button on the outlets outside, in the garage or in your bathrooms. If none of those turn out positive then yes call a professional, licenses qualified and competent electrician.

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
RedFish Home Inspections Houston, TX

And by recent I meant built after 1984

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

house was build in 1998. I will go searching, maybe upstairs in our bathroom is connected to the kitchen.

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
Imagery Littleton, CO

Red Fish has covered it...The GFCI won't always be close to the affected receptacles. I've seen lots of weird configurations, some not so safe ones too...outside receptacles, under the kitchen sink receptacle, etc...go hunting! Good luck!

on Oct 01, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

I had one of these "detective" events earlier this summer. A GFCI located in a closet off of the master bath was also feeding a circuit on the ground level back deck...which was being used to supply a water feature. Sometimes the "logic" or lack of...can be very frustrating. When the inspector "approves" these they may fulfill the requirements of the NEC (National Electric code) but that does not mean they are laid out in a logical and economical way. ...»

In this same house one of the GFCI's (on a different bath circuit) had a partial failure and was wired to provide protection down stream. Tho down stream uses did not "require" GFCI protection. The reset would "fix" the local power at the GFCI but not for the downstream locations. This took some serious sleuthing to find and with a simple replacement of the failed GFCI and minor wiring "correction" the problem was fixed.
The hardest part is trying to trace wiring that is hidden in walls....most homes do not have a complete wiring "schematic" so going from point "a" to "b" can be a challenge. I finally picked up a "wire trace" last year to help with these situations.

on Oct 02, 2011 · Like 0
Nichter's Home Services C... Islesboro, ME

Try carefully turning all your breakers in the service panel off and then on again. Sometimes one can be weak or loose and tho it appears to be in the on position, it really is not. Work them slow and firmly. Usually when I see it not quite catch is when someone is in a hurry and throwing it too quickly

on Oct 02, 2011 · Like 0
Inspection Connection, LLC Mcdonough, GA

GW, Most GFCI outlets either reset in the garage or in a bath. How old is the house? GFCI's have been required in kitchens since 1987. If the house is older than that you may have a reset in garage or a bath.

on Oct 02, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

still searching. house was built in 1996.

on Oct 02, 2011 · Like 0
Dennis Deltona, FL

I had one in the garage behind a spare refrigerator that we were using.

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

No more GFCI's to be found. Rechecked the breakers individually, deliberately and slowly, no luck. Looks like we'll have to call an electrician.

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Sorry you could not sniff it out....definitely let us know what the electrician finds....I'm very curious as you are.

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
Nichter's Home Services C... Islesboro, ME

Same curiosity here. Cutting the extension outside should not have tripped kitchen circuits to begin with, but even then, only should have tripped one single circuit

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

My gut tells me one of the CFCI outlets is cooked....and the rest are dead downstream.
CW if your comfortable replacing the outlets this could be the next step.

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
Nichter's Home Services C... Islesboro, ME

GFCIs do fail at an astoundingly high rate

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

great news! I found another fuse box outside, one was in the garage with all the breakers and this one we knew all about. All these years it was locked and we thought it was a pest control box for the pest lines that are between our studs. Inside was a tripped breaker. Why do we have two fuse boxes? And why is it outside? Seems like if someone wanted to they could have cut the wire band and shut off the main power to the entire house. No GFCI trip button in the kitchen for that wall. So finally problem solved. Thank you to all that helped.

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
Imagery Littleton, CO

Funny, who would have thought that there was a second panel.....Glad you fixed it!

on Oct 03, 2011 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

My main panel is outside...as is many of my neighbors. Newer homes have them inside...but require an external disconnect to meet code ( so fireman can turn off the power etc) I have three panels in my home...the main outside a smaller 40 amp in my basement ( added who knows when?) and the new 100 amp sub I put in my basement when I did the addition to my home. Whats odd is that one of my kitchen circuits is on this little old basement panel. While the rest of the upstairs in on the ...»
original main panel. ( the other stuff on the 40 amp panel feeds my shop)

on Oct 04, 2011 · Like 0
G W Kissimmee, FL

that makes sense, so the firemen can turn it off. Hope they know what to look for because we sure didn't.

on Oct 04, 2011 · Like 0