wall electrical receptacle partially blown

[burt-oh-my!]

I have a wall outlet which has two plug spaces and also controls a light switch. Recently ONE of the plugs died, while the other and the light switch still works.

How could this happen? I don't understand, because if something shorted out you'd figure it would blow a fuse on the fuse panel and the whole switch would be gone.

I don;t believe there is any kind of fuse in it either.

 

[Hangman]

It is concievable that the two receptacles are actually on different circuits, though I'd suggest having an electrician take a look to confirm...

 

[Gentle Ben]

is it a kitchen receptacle? they are often split circuits meaning each side of the receptacle is on a separate circuit, and 1 circuit could have blown or loose connection etc.. also could be (but unlikely) the tab between each side has some how separated.
unless there is a breaker that has tripped & you can re set it, sounds like you should hire an electrician

 

[papasmerf]

I have had outlets that go bad

Can easily be replaced by someone who knows what they are doing.

Because turning off the light switch will not kill the power to the split side of the outlet you will likely be dealing with live power. A potential shock and fire hazard.

 

[oldjones]

A switch controls a plug, not the other way around , as you posted. Electricity is not somehing to deal with on a carefree, 'you know what I mean basis'. You must get it right.

If you were talking about a switched receptacle, one where a wall switch controlled a lamp plugged into it, then it is common practice to wire the recepatacle so only one of the two plug positions—commonly the upper—is switched and the other is always live, as with ordinary receptacles, so either plug could have 'fried' leaving the other working. But it is much more likely that whatever would have done that would have caused the breaker they shared to trip. It is vital to note the two sides may not share the same breaker. You MUST KNOW, before you do anything w/ that receptacle.

The other guys are all onto the other, more likely possibility, that each of the two plugs in the receptacle is being fed by a different circuit, on a different breaker. This is where you MUST GET IT RIGHT. Do nothing with that unit until you KNOW, and KNOW YOU HAVE SHUT OFF ALL power to it. Properly installed split receptacles have the two breaker levers pinned together so that if one trips, the other goes too. But until you know, do not assume your spilt receptacle was properly installed.

If you meant the receptacle also supplies a light switch, I'd ask how do you know? What have you done so far? And I hear Elmer The Safety Elephant saying, "If you're smart enough to ask, you're smart enough to put the plate back and go no further until you post a concise, accurate description of what exists and what you have done. Then wait for the answers."

 

[Rockslinger]

You may want to do a search of my thread titled "Dead Wall Receptable (or something like that) from late 2009. Long story short, I called my neighbour's electrician and paid him $80 to fix it.

 

[burt-oh-my!]

There are two plug outlets. There is also a switch, part of the same unit, which turns a built-in light on and off.

Through numerous trips back and forth to the fuse panel I have discovered that the light switch is controlled by a different fuse than the two plugs - one of which as I mentioned recently stopped working.

I friggin hate electricity - I can't understand it. Plumbing isn't quite so bad. I'm really good at sawing a 2 X 4 in two pieces.

 

[burt-oh-my!]

You may want to do a search of my thread titled "Dead Wall Receptable (or something like that) from late 2009. Long story short, I called my neighbour's electrician and paid him $80 to fix it.

I am beginning to think along those lines...

 

[gar]

The circuit breaker would trip if there was a short, or if the circuit was exceeding the amperage of the breaker.
If the receptacle isn't working, it's either a loose connection, an open neutral (again a loose connection) or a defective receptacle. You'll need a tester to determine the problem. If there is power coming into the receptacle you have loose neutral or a defective receptacle. If you don't have power coming into the receptacle you have a loose wire somewhere on the same circuit.
There is also a possibility that your receptacle is on the same circuit as a GFI and it was tripped.

 

[oldjones]

There are two plug outlets. There is also a switch, part of the same unit, which turns a built-in light on and off.

Through numerous trips back and forth to the fuse panel I have discovered that the light switch is controlled by a different fuse than the two plugs - one of which as I mentioned recently stopped working.

I friggin hate electricity - I can't understand it. Plumbing isn't quite so bad. I'm really good at sawing a 2 X 4 in two pieces.

So you have a switch on a completely different circuit from a two plug receptacle occupying the the same box under the same plate, if I've interpreted your description correctly. Given that you say you hate electricity and can't understand it, the safest thing would be to mark the fuse that supplies the switch and its light, plug something like a radio into the working plug and determine which fuse supplies it, so you can mark it, then call an electrician.

Besides having him fix the plug, you should talk to him about getting the switch into its own box, or ganging the breakers (harder to do if they really are fuses); it's dangerous to have a live and a deactivated circuit sharing a box. But don't yourself frustrate yourself with stuff that makes you nuts. Not dangerous stuff, anyway.

The only thing it makes sense for an amateur like you or I to attempt, after removing both fuse/tripping both breakers and demonstrating there are no live wires in that box would be to replace the problem receptacle with a brand new one, wire by wire in exactly the same positions (hopefully black to brass, white to silver, but amateurs don't know enough to 'correct' what formerly worked). If the problem's in the unit itself, that'll fix it, if the problem persists, you haven't made it worse, but you will need that electrician. Besides, someone who didn't know what you now do about two circuits in that box could electrocute themselves, so the electrician should get a call anyway.