wrote in message
oups.com...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

It doesn't really matter what's wrong with the bottom outlet. A new
outlet
costs less than a pack of cigarettes. Go buy one and install it for them.


It could matter. Some outlets are wired split, where half is served by
one pair, usually hot all the time, the other by another pair, usually
switched.

That's what I wanted to say.

It takes only a few minutes (less time than it takes to post an article in a
newsgroup) to unscrew and pull out the receptacle to see if this is the
case. So that is what I would do first.

If the two receptacles are not wired split and one is working while another
is not, then obviously replace the receptacles. If they are wired split,
then further investigation is required (e.g. is there power coming into the
bottom receptacle).