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When half of the house goes dark and the other half keeps running, it can feel like something is badly wrong. Often it is a single failed connection. Wind and heavy snow in the Black Hills can damage service lines, so it helps to know who to call. This guide explains what is happening and when it needs electrical repair in Rapid City.
The Short Answer
Your home gets power on two 120 volt legs. Half your circuits run on one, half on the other. When half the house goes dead, one leg has usually been lost, either at the utility’s line, the meter or the main connection in your panel. This is not something to fix yourself.
How Urgent Is It?
- Try it yourself: one tripped breaker explains it.
- Call your electric utility: your neighbors are out too.
- Call today: the utility says its side is fine.
- Call right away: some lights are brighter than normal while others dim.
What to Check
- Look at the panel. Reset any tripped breakers the normal way. If a single large breaker is tripped, that may explain it.
- Notice your 240 volt appliances. A dryer that spins but does not heat, or an electric range that is half working, is a strong sign you have lost a leg.
- Check with neighbors. If they have the same problem, it is on the utility side.
- Call your electric utility. They handle the line to your house and the meter. Many lost-leg problems are on their side.
Turn Off the Main and Call an Electrician Right Away If
- Some lights are brighter than normal while others are dim. That can mean a lost neutral, which can damage electronics and appliances fast.
- The utility says its side is fine.
- You see scorching, smell burning or hear buzzing at the meter or panel.
- Power keeps coming and going on the same half of the house.
Quick Answers
Who fixes it, the utility or an electrician?
The utility handles the line to your house and the meter. Problems at the meter base, the main breaker or inside the panel are on the homeowner side and need a licensed electrician.
Is it safe to stay in the house?
Usually yes, if lights are simply off. If lights are flickering bright and dim, or you smell burning, turn off the main breaker and call.
Outages are also when a backup system pays off. Our whole home generator questions page covers how that works, and home power surge protection explains how to protect electronics when power returns.
Electrical Repair in Rapid City and the Black Hills
Wires R Us has served the Black Hills since 1999 and is a second-generation electrical contractor. If a lost leg or a partial outage is more than you want to take on, our electrical repair team works across Rapid City, Box Elder, Sturgis, Spearfish, Deadwood, Lead and Belle Fourche. You can also send us the details and we will point you in the right direction.
