If part of your home lost power, first check whether your neighbors have power, then look for a tripped breaker in your panel and a tripped GFCI outlet in the kitchen, bathrooms, garage or outdoors. Reset a tripped breaker once. If it trips again, the power doesn’t come back, or you notice heat, buzzing or a burning smell, stop and call a licensed electrician. If your whole street is dark, call your utility. Here’s the order we suggest for homes in Loveland, Fort Collins and Northern Colorado.
1. Is it just your house?
Look outside or ask a neighbor. If others are out too, it’s a utility outage: call your utility (Loveland Water and Power in Loveland, Fort Collins Utilities in Fort Collins, or Xcel Energy, Poudre Valley REA or United Power elsewhere, depending on your address). There’s nothing to fix inside your home.
2. Check the breakers
Open the panel door (not the inner cover) and look for a breaker that sits in the middle or is out of line with the others. Push it firmly to OFF, then back to ON. If it trips again right away, leave it off and call us; something on that circuit is shorted or overloaded. See troubleshooting and repair.
3. Check the GFCI outlets
One GFCI outlet can protect several other outlets, sometimes in another room, the garage or outside. Look for outlets with TEST and RESET buttons and press RESET. If it won’t reset, unplug everything on those outlets and try again. See GFCI outlets.
4. Older homes: check the fuses
If your home has a fuse box, look for a fuse with a broken metal strip or a darkened window. Replace it only with a fuse of the same amp rating. Never put in a larger fuse; that removes the protection for the wire. Frequent blown fuses are a sign the panel should be evaluated. See panel upgrades.
5. Half the house is out, or lights are dim
If about half your home lost power, or lights are unusually dim or some brighter than others, the problem may be in your panel or service, or on the utility side. Don’t keep resetting breakers. Call your utility first; if they find no problem on their end, call an electrician right away.
When to stop and call
- A breaker trips again right after you reset it
- A GFCI won’t reset with nothing plugged in
- Any burning smell, buzzing, heat or scorch marks
- Water near the panel or outlets
- Power is out to half the house
Don’t open outlets, switches or the panel’s inner cover. Those jobs belong to a licensed electrician.
Help in Loveland and Northern Colorado
Eggers Electric is locally owned and based in Loveland since 1973. Call 970-669-1883, 7 days a week, 7am–8pm, or Schedule Service online. Every visit includes the repair, installation or service you called us for, plus the $89 Eggers Safety Inspection; you get a written price before work starts, and the $89 is credited toward the job when you go ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Why did half my house lose power?
Many homes are fed by two incoming legs. If one is lost, about half your circuits go out. The cause can be in your panel or service, or on the utility side. Call your utility first, then an electrician.
Can I replace a blown fuse myself?
Yes, with a fuse of the same amp rating. Never use a larger fuse. If fuses blow often, have the panel and circuits checked.
My GFCI won’t reset. What now?
Unplug everything on the outlets it protects and press RESET again. If it still won’t reset, the GFCI or the circuit needs a look from an electrician.