DIY guideAppliance power

Appliance dead? Check its power first

Before you book a repair, check its controls, its plug, the outlet, the GFCI and the breaker: a dead appliance has often just lost its power.

7 steps

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Make sure it's switched on and its door is shut tight. A child lock or a delayed start can look like it's dead.
Find its plug and push it all the way into the outlet. Plugs work loose when a machine is pushed back.
Use dry hands, and hold the plug, not the cord.
Unplug the appliance and plug in a lamp you know works. Lamp on: the power is fine, so skip to the last step. Lamp off: keep going.
Kitchen, laundry and bathroom outlets are often on a GFCI, which may be another outlet nearby. Find the one with TEST and RESET and press RESET until it clicks.
Dry your hands first, and don't touch a wet outlet.
Open the panel's small door. A tripped breaker sits in the middle or at Off: push it all the way to Off, then back to On.
Only the small door, never the cover. A breaker that trips again stays off.
A dishwasher, disposal, cooktop or wall oven with no plug: switch its breaker off, wait a minute, then switch it back on. That restarts its controls.
The lamp lit but the machine won't start, the breaker trips again, or you smell burning: leave it off and ask Handyman for an appliance repair pro. An outlet that stays dead with its breaker on needs an electrician.

Handyman says: Still dead? I'll find an appliance pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.