Electrical Outlet Not Working? Try this!
Has this ever happened to you?
You pick up your phone from charging all night, and see that it was never charged! Or maybe you want to turn on the coffeemaker in the morning… only to press the button and not see any coffee being brewed!
We don't often think about our home’s electrical systems until it doesn’t work correctly-- that's when we notice that something’s wrong.
Your home is made up of many systems, one of them being the electrical system: wires run through your home to power its lights and fans, and to the receptacles to provide electricity to your appliances and gadgets.
So when something is not working, what should you do?
How to Troubleshoot Electrical Issues at Home
First, always check other rooms to see if there is power in the house. It could be that a power outage is affecting your entire home or even the whole block, but it is hard to notice on a sunny day! If there’s power elsewhere, make sure nothing is wrong with the appliance or gadget that is plugged in. This happens quite a bit: we assume something is wrong with the power, when in fact our toaster has just decided to stop working or the phone cord isn't connected properly.
If there’s nothing wrong with the device then there may be a problem with the receptacle and/or any other powered items sharing the electrical line. (For example: too many items plugged in/ sharing that one line.) Unplug other items that share this same circuit.
Next, head to your electrical panel (also known as a “fuse box” or “circuit panel”), and look for any breaker that has tripped. Reset it to restore power to that line. Your circuit panel is made up of circuit breakers that will temporarily “break” the electrical line when it detects that something is wrong. This is a good thing, because it is a safety feature! I talk about this more here if you want to dig in further. If power is restored after this step, great! Pat yourself on the back, and return to blow-drying your hair… going forward keep an eye on how many items are plugged into the receptacles that share the line at any one time.
If power is not restored after the above steps, call an electrical expert for help. Do not attempt to investigate further or do your own electrical repairs, as electrical current is dangerous and can even be deadly-- Leave it to the pros. Not only can an electrical expert quickly and easily diagnose the problem, they can provide recommended options to help you solve it.
Our home’s electricity is something we tend to take for granted. We don’t think about… until we no longer have it available to us. Use this simple list to troubleshoot similar electrical issues you face in your home.
If you would like to learn more, or have questions on the safety of your electrical wiring, your Master Electrician is happy to help. Call David anytime at 904-579-2434, or shoot a quick email.
As always-- stay safe, friends!
David