Step-By-Step to Help You Troubleshoot Electrical Problems
How to Troubleshoot Electrical Issues
Has this ever happened to you? You go to turn on the coffeemaker in the morning… only to press the button and not see any coffee being brewed! Or maybe you plug in your phone to charge but it never charges!
Most people rarely think about their home’s electrical system. Because your homes electrical wiring system is mostly behind the walls and not visible in your daily life, it’s easy to not worry about it. Out of sight, out of mind. However, when something is not working, we all of a sudden worry about what’s going on behind our walls.
So, when something is not working, what should you do? Use this simple list to help you troubleshoot any electrical problems / issues you face in your home.
First, see if there is power anywhere else in the house. It could be that there’s a power outage affecting your home or the whole block, but you didn’t notice because it was such a sunny day!
If there’s power elsewhere, make sure there is nothing wrong with the appliance or gadget that you’re trying to plug in! (It happens a lot: you might think there’s something wrong with your home’s power when in fact your coffeemaker has just decided to stop working or your phone cord has actually broken.) If there’s nothing wrong with the device then the problem may be associated with that receptacle and/or any other powered items sharing the electrical line. (For example, maybe there are too many appliances plugged in and turned on to that one line.) Unplug other items that share the same circuit.
Next, head to your electrical panel (sometimes people call it a “fuse box” or “circuit panel”) and look for any breaker that has been tripped. Reset it to restore power to that line. (Your circuit panel is made up of circuit breakers that will temporarily “break” the line when something is wrong.)
If power is restored to the line, great! Go back to making coffee… and just keep an eye on how many items you are plugging in to the receptacles that share the line at any one time.
If power is not restored, do not attempt to investigate further or do your own electrical repairs. Electrical current is dangerous and can even be deadly. Leave it to the pros. Get an electrical expert to help you and they’ll quickly and easily diagnose the problem and give you a recommendation to help you solve it.
Think of circuit breaker like a warning sign. If they are constantly tripping something is going wrong with your home’s circuits. Just like the check-engine light in your car, it’s time to call the professionals before something get seriously damaged or catches fire.
The team at Kobalt Systems is here to help, and our Journeyman Master Electricians in Victoria, BC are experts at assessing, repairing, removing and replacing out-dated and faulty whole home electrical wiring systems. Contact us today 250 213 3788 or email info@kobaltsystems.ca