What to Check Before Calling an Electrician
When electrical problems arise, many homeowners immediately pick up the phone to contact an electrician; after all, electrical repairs can be dangerous or intimidating. However, there are some easy things to check that carry no risk of electrical shock and can save you a service call.
Check that the appliance is plugged in
It may seem like it goes without saying, but over the years we have encountered many “electrical problems” that simply required the insertion of a plug into an outlet.
This type of problem is most common when outlets are difficult to access, such as in entertainment centers or offices with cluttered power strips.
Check that your appliance is in good condition
Although infrequent, electrical appliances do fail from time to time. If an outlet suddenly seems to be malfunctioning, it is wise to try the appliance in another outlet that you know is working.
Similarly, you can try plugging in an appliance that you know works to verify that the problem is in the outlet.
If an appliance short-circuits, it can trip the circuit breaker. Thus, a failed appliance can make it appear that you have a problem with your home’s electrical system.
Check the circuit breaker panel and reset any circuit breakers that are tripped.
Okay, you’ve come this far and the outlet is still not working! Now it’s time to go to your circuit breaker and look for tripped breakers.
All breakers should be facing toward the center of the box. In most cases, the breakers themselves will be labeled “on” and “off” to show you how they should be positioned.
Unplug all appliances from the circuit
If the circuit breaker trips shortly after resetting, it may indicate that the circuit is overloaded. Overloading a circuit causes heat to build up in the electrical wiring, and will cause it to trip.
The exact time it takes for the circuit to trip will depend on how much it has exceeded the rated current of the circuit. A heavily overloaded circuit may trip in seconds, while a slightly overloaded circuit may take a couple of minutes to trip.
To check if the problem is overload, disconnect all devices connected to the circuit (or turn off any hard-wired devices) and reset the circuit. If the circuit continues to jump, this is an indication of faulty wiring or a faulty circuit breaker and the problem should be addressed by a qualified electrician. Call Emergency Electrician in Portsmouth. After your call, we send immediately a professional electrician to you.
