Half the House Lost Power
Half your house is dark — here's what it means (usually a bad neutral or a lost leg from the utility) and what to do right now.
When half your house loses power at the same time, the cause is almost always at the main service or utility drop — not a branch circuit. Residential power comes into the panel as two 120V legs sharing a neutral. Lose one leg and half the panel goes dark. Lose the neutral and you get worse: lights flickering, appliances burning out, and voltage swinging between the two halves.
Key details
- Two-leg 120V service means one leg = half the panel
- Lost neutral is more dangerous than lost leg
- Kill the main if you see brownouts or hear buzzing
- Check with neighbors — utility issue possible
- Call the utility AND an electrician
- Do NOT keep using appliances
First, check with neighbors
If neighbors also lost power, it's a utility issue — call Pepco / BGE / Dominion Energy immediately. If only your house is affected, it's on your side of the meter and you need an electrician.
The dangerous case: lost neutral
If the neutral coming into your panel opens (bad connection at the meter, main, or utility drop), voltage on the two 120V legs is no longer balanced. Half the house sees more than 120V and appliances start burning out. Symptoms: erratic flickering, appliances buzzing or dying, some rooms bright and others dim. Kill the main breaker immediately.
Common physical causes
Corroded meter base connections, loose main-lug terminations, damaged service entrance cable, and utility drop failures. Every one of these requires a licensed electrician and often utility coordination.
Half the House Lost Power — FAQs
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