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A breaker won’t always trip if an outlet burns out. If the outlet is overloaded or has a short circuit, the breaker is designed to trip and discontinue power to the outlet. However, some wiring problems that can burn out an outlet may not cause the breaker to trip, so don’t rely on it as a signal that something is wrong.

If you need to run a wire from the meter to the breaker box, start by turning off the power using the main switch to avoid injury risks from live wires. Then, locate the ground wire from your meter and connect it to the ground bar of the breaker box. Connect the neutral wire using the same method to improve your circuit efficiency.

Next, locate the hot wires running from the main switch to the meter. To connect them to the correct terminals from meter to breaker, unscrew the nuts of the breaker hotwire terminals, insert the positive hotwire, and ensure it’s firmly attached. Finally, secure the wires with electrical tape and wire tie cables before re-securing your breaker box. Keep in mind that this process can be dangerous, so don’t hesitate to hire a local electrician.

If you’re interested in exploring other avenues to completely upgrade your electrical panel, it’s also possible to add a sub-panel, which is a smaller panel that connects to what you currently have in place. This way, you can add additional circuits without having to swap out your main panel.

If only half of your outlet works, there are usually two possible causes: faulty wiring or a half-hot outlet. The first thing you'll want to do is check the circuit breaker panel to ensure that it's not tripped. If your circuit breaker isn't tripped, turn off the electricity and inspect the wiring to see if anything has come loose or corroded. 

If you have a half-hot outlet, it means half of the outlet is controlled by a switch somewhere on the same circuit, which should be nearby. This is an intentional electrical design commonly found in rooms without overhead lights.