When the Lights Go Out...

Nearly everyone has experienced a power failure once or twice. When this happens, the first thing to do is determine whether the problem lies in your house's system or is a utility company outage. If the whole house is out and it looks like your neighbors have lost power too, call the utility company. If any of your home's electrical power works-receptacles or lights in another room, for example, the problem is with your own system.

The problem is generally caused by an overloaded circuit, a short circuit or loose wiring. If the problem occurred when someone was using a hair dryer, electric heater or some other device that draws a lot of current, it was probably caused by a simple overload. If the circuit is overloaded, a circuit breaker should have tripped or a fuse should have blown. Check the sub-panel or main panel that serves the circuit.

If the problem isn't that simple, turn off or unplug everything from the troubled circuit. Then reset the breaker or replace the fuse. If the circuit blows immediately, there is probably a charred wire or defective device in the circuit that will require replacement. If it doesn't blow, turn lights back on and plug in appliances one by one to check for the overload or short circuit. If the lights or receptacles still don't work, there is probably a loose wire somewhere; call an electrician.

MORE ABOUT:
/ Electric meter / / Electrical service / / Elecrtic panel & circuit breakers /
/ Main panel & subpanels / / GFCI breakers / / Receptacles / / Switches / / 3-way switches /
/ Where to mount fans / / Ceiling fans / / Smoke detectors / / Central air conditioning units /
/ Thermostats / / Ventilation /

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