Why does only half my house have power?

Partial outages often happen when one part of your switchboard trips, there’s a loose neutral connection, or a supply fault affects just one phase. It may also be caused by internal wiring issues or faults in the fuse box. A licensed electrician is required to find the source and make safe repairs.

Some of The Power Is On

Lights on in the living room, but nothing works in the kitchen?
Lost power to one side of the house?
It’s called a partial outage, and it’s more common than you’d think especially in older homes around Werribee, Altona, Williamstown and Laverton in Melbourne’s west.
It usually points to a fault in the switchboard, internal wiring, or supply feed from the street.

We’ll break down what causes it, what you can check, and when to call us in.

1. Common Causes of Partial Power Loss

Here are the usual suspects:

A tripped circuit breaker

If one breaker flips but others stay on, only part of your house loses power. Happens often when:

• A circuit is overloaded
• An appliance fails
• There’s a short in lights or outlets

A faulty RCD or fuse

A faulty safety switch or blown fuse can isolate parts of the system. You may still have lights but no power points or the other way around.

A loose neutral

This is more serious. A loose or broken neutral connection (either in the switchboard or the mains supply) causes uneven voltage across circuits. Lights may flicker, surge or blow. Appliances can be damaged quickly.

Supply issue from the street

In some areas, power is delivered across two “phases.” If one drops out, you lose power in half the home. Often the cause is a pole fuse fault or supply issue on your street.

2. What You Can Safely Check

• Look at your switchboard. Is one breaker or safety switch off while others are on?
• Try resetting it. If it clicks back and stays on, you may be okay.
• If it trips again right away, leave it off and unplug everything on that circuit.
• Check if your neighbours are also affected—it may be a street-level outage.

Don’t open or remove anything in the board. Just call us and we’ll isolate the fault safely.

Visit our Emergency Electrician page to book a callout in your area.

3. When It’s Dangerous

Partial outages might seem less urgent than a full blackout but in many cases, they’re riskier.
Signs of a serious fault include:

• Lights dimming or getting brighter when appliances turn on
• Buzzing or crackling at the switchboard
• Burning smell or heat from power points
• Flickering LEDs or randomly failing lights

These may point to a faulty neutral or a high resistance fault, which increases fire risk and can damage your appliances or even your meter.

4. What We Do

Our job is to test, trace and fix. During a callout we’ll:

• Inspect your switchboard for failed breakers or tripped RCDs
• Test for voltage drop and load balance
• Check supply at the mains (pole or pit) if needed
• Isolate internal faults in wiring or fittings
• Make safe any urgent risks and issue a COES
• Provide options for longer-term upgrades if required

We work across Melbourne’s west and can liaise with Powercor if a street fault is involved.
You can also read our article on Powercor Defect Notices if this fault leads to a compliance issue.

FAQs

Why would half the house lose power but not all?

Different parts of the house are on separate circuits. If one trips or fails, the rest may still operate.

Can I just keep resetting the switch?

No. If it keeps tripping, there’s a fault that needs testing. Repeated resets can mask the issue or cause more damage.

Could this be a Powercor problem?

Possibly. If it’s a supply-side fault, we can test the feed and coordinate with Powercor if needed.

Do you work after hours?

Yes. We provide emergency electrical services 24/7 across Melbourne’s west.

Final Thoughts

Losing power in half your house is more than an inconvenience—it’s often a sign of a deeper issue. Don’t ignore it or keep resetting the switch.
Let Electrx find the problem fast, make it safe, and restore full power to your home with zero guesswork.
Call us today on – 0447 139 493