A power outage is a major inconvenience, especially when there are extreme weather conditions. Nobody wants to lose heat during the coldest parts of winter, and nobody wants to lose AC during the hot and humid days of summer. When a power outage occurs in your home, it isn’t always clear as to the reason behind the power loss. There are many things to take into consideration during a power outage.
Troubleshoot Your Power Outage
- Check with your neighbors. Does the power outage only affect certain areas of your home, or is it affecting your entire house? If it is affecting your house, check outside and see if your neighbors’ power seems to be out. If you happen to live in an apartment, you can check the hallway lights or other common areas. Once you’ve discovered where the power outage is occuring, call your utility company to let them know about the problem. It is a good idea to turn off the light switches around your home, as well as to unplug any electrical devices so that they don’t get damaged from a power surge when the power is returned.
- Is the problem just in your home? If the power outage is just limited to your home, get a flashlight and check the “GFCI receptacle, circuit breaker, main breaker, or fuse box to troubleshoot the electrical failure.” If you have a GFCI, push the reset button, otherwise check for breakers that have tripped or fuses that have blown.
- Does Your Main Breaker Trip? “Turn off or unplug as many appliances and electronic devices as possible throughout your home. Go back to the circuit breaker and flip all the breakers off. Turn the main breaker switch on and off several times, finishing in the “on” position. Then reset each of the breakers, one at a time. If this causes the main breaker to trip or if you are unable to reset one of the branch breakers, you’ll know that you have a problem with that circuit, which will need electrical repair.”
- Is One Device Setting it Off? If everything goes well with your circuit breaker, but you keep having a power outage, it could be a specific electrical device. To figure out which appliance it could be, plug each one in one-by-one and target which one turns trips the breaker. Stop using a faulty electrical device, as this can cause damage to the breaker or your electrical wiring. Consider repairing or replacing the appliance.
- Does Your Breaker Constantly Trip? If your main breaker constantly trips, but you can’t pin it to one electrical device, start keeping track of when it occurs. Some problems could be that you are running too many appliances at once, or are running one appliance that is using a lot of current – such as a space heater. If this is a problem, consider upgrading your home’s electrical panel.
For more information on upgrading your home’s electrical panel to support the devices in your home, get in touch with Tim Kyle Electric.
source:
Troubleshooting a Power Outage
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About Tim Kyle Electric
Tim Kyle Electric has been delighting our customers with responsive, trusted and professional electrical services since 1986. We provide residential, commercial and solar power services and are experts in our field. Our team of professionally trained employees uphold our core values of honesty, respect and integrity. We are available 24/7 for your electrical servicing needs. Get in touch with us today to discuss your next electrical project.
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