How can half of an outlet not work?

[homowner]

Its a regular duplex outlet. Only fed by 2 wires +ground. No switches or anything inline. Both sides of it used to work, now only one side works????

How can that be?

[Stormin Mormon]

corrosion metal pieces relaxed some outlets have a connector bar between the two outlets, that might be broken off.

If it's occasional use outlet, get the 50 cent cheapie, and replace. If it's a hallway outlet for vacuum cleaner, buy the four dollar good outlet, and replace.

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How can that be?

[Ralph Mowery]

Many duplex sockets have two screws for wires on each side. Between the screws is a link that is much smaller. This link can sometimes open up if something is plugged into the socket that is not connected to the wire under the screw. Also if there are several recepticals down the line and there is a wire under each screw, something down line may have drawn too much current and other sockets will not have power.

This link is so that you can feed the two sockets from differant places. It is sometimes used so that one side will be hot all the time and a switch on the wall can turn the other side off and on. This is so a lamp can be used where there may not be an overhead light.

[clare]

Perhaps the contacts overheated and lost contact - or perhaps the link between the two screws on one side let go? The one that allows you to split the receptacle

[dpb]

It broke????

[nestork]

I would put this in the same bag as crop circles and the Burmuda Triangle and just replace the outlet.

In this case it's easier to solve the problem than to figure it out.