Electricity is quite scary for most people. Making electrical repairs at home is definitely not something you should do if you do not understand anything about the subject. The truth is most people just do not really understand how electrical networks work or what they should do in the event that electricity does not work.
Fortunately, most problems are really easy to solve. You do not need to have advanced electricity knowledge, like knowing what Lindsey Manufacturing sensors are used for the high voltage power lines near your home. You just need to be smart about it and go through some simple checks.
Some of the things that you need to be aware of are listed below.
Check What Draws Power
One of the simplest things you can do is to note what was working when the problem appeared. It is possible that there is an appliance that draws a lot of electricity and that is no longer properly working. For instance, some of the really common offenders are the portable heaters, which often cause numerous problems, toasters, hair dryers and practically anything that includes some sort of heating element. When you turn the power back on and the system is ok without a specific appliance turned on, this is the cause of the problem.
Check The Fuse Box
You always have to check the fuse box or see if a breaker was popped. In order to do this you obviously need to know where the fuse box or breaker is located. In most situations this is in a storage area or in the basement.
Open the door of the unit and check to see that there is no black spot present around the fuses. When this is the case, you most likely have a fuse that was blown. You just have to unscrew it and then replace it. Make sure that you use one of the exact same size.
When your home uses breakers, see if the handles are on tight. Absolutely no play should be present in the breakers. When the breaker is popped, it is looser. Just turn it all the way off so you can remove it. Then, put it back on. You will hear a click and the breaker stays in place. When it does not there is surely a secondary problem that is in place. This is where you absolutely have to contact the electrician.
Tripped GFI
The last thing that you can check is whether or not there is a tripped GFI present. Receptacles that do not work have to be identified. They can be present in the basement, kitchen, bathroom or even outside. Tripped GFIs are common. Remember that one can feed different receptacles, making them fail at the same time. When you find the GFI simply press the included test button. When it pops it means that it was set before. Press that reset button and make sure that you put everything back in place.
Contacting The Electrician
If what we mentioned above seems too complicated or you have doubts, always contact an electrician.
