Has this ever happened to you?
You want 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!
We never really think about our home’s electrical systems until something doesn’t work correctly. And then 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 your lights, fans, and receptacles so you plug in your appliances and gadgets.
So, when something is not working, what should you do?
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 power point and/or any other powered items sharing the same 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 switchboard (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 switchboard 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 plugging in to the power point that share the line at any one time.
If power is not restored, you may consider calling an electrical expert to help you. 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.
Our home’s electricity is something we don’t think about… until we no longer have it available to us. Use this simple list to help you troubleshoot any electrical issues you face in your home.
