Electrical Outlet Safety: 4 Reasons Your Electrical Outlet is Not Working

Electricity is our constant companion. We wake to an alarm clock and turn on the light to start our day, use electricity to clean, work, and entertain ourselves. The last thing we do at night is turn off the lights. Although we are surrounded by electricity all day, we know surprisingly little about it.

While we use electricity all the time, when something goes wrong, most homeowners would have difficulty troubleshooting a problem. What can be done if an outlet stops working? Here is a troubleshooting guide for homeowners for just such occasions.

It is important for homeowners to understand that electricity flows in a circle or circuit. It will flow out of the outlet, through the toaster, and back into the same outlet. When the circuit is broken, electricity no longer flows. This information will allow you to define the scope of the problem and work towards a solution. So, if you plug the toaster into a wall outlet and it does not work, here are a few Electrical Outlet Safety steps to follow.

Electrical Outlet Safety: Check the Toaster

First, plug the toaster into another outlet to determine whether the toaster might be the problem. Try an outlet in another room, since outlets in close proximity might be a part of the same circuit. If the toaster works, take the next step.

Electrical Outlet Safety: Check the Circuit

Outlets are connected like Christmas lights, so if one outlet fails all of the outlets in the circuit would fail. This could be very inconvenient, so the house was wired for many smaller circuits. Each small circuit has a switch on a central panel to protect the home and occupants should something go wrong. Those switches come in two basic forms:

• First, locate the central panel. The electrical panel will be found in the garage, the basement, storage or mechanical closet, or a hallway. It will be a metal box, approximately 1’ x 2’ and high enough on the wall to be out of the reach of children and away from water sources.
• Older homes might use a fuse-type switch for each circuit. Fuses are generally round and metallic, with a glass plate on the front. A thin metal strip will be visible as you look through the glass. When something goes wrong in the circuit, this metal strip melts very quickly to break the circuit and prevent the problem or “fault” from creating further damage. Examine each fuse to ensure the strip is intact in each fuse.

Fuses are disposable; once the metal strip is gone, they are no longer useful. To replace the fuse, simply unscrew the fuse from the panel and replace it with a new fuse. Replacement fuses are available at hardware and home improvement stores.

• Newer homes use a reusable switch, called a circuit breaker. The electrical panel will contain many breakers stacked on top of each other. Under normal circumstances, all of the breakers will be in an “on” position. If a switch has been “tripped,” it will be in the “off” position and will be easy to spot. Resetting the circuit only requires flipping the switch to the “on” position.

Flip the breaker or replace the fuse and try the toaster again. Often this is the solution you need.

Electrical Outlet Safety: Check the GFCI

Outlets that are located close to water sources, such as kitchens and bathrooms, will look a little different than other outlets. These types of outlets are called Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets or GFCI. The damage that water and electricity can do together is very severe; the time it takes for the circuit breaker to recognize the fault is too long. GFCI outlets recognize the slightest fault and respond within 1/10^th of a second.

Should the switch trip on a GFCI, a button on the outlet face should reset the circuit.

Electrical Outlet Safety: Repairing the Outlet

If your troubleshooting has not been successful so far, the problem is probably in the wiring or the outlet.

• The outlet might have been improperly installed and need to be replaced.
• The outlet might be old and need to be replaced.
• The outlet might be damaged and need to be replaced.

Replacing an outlet requires the training and experience of a licensed electrician; a mistake can jeopardize the safety of your family and home. Air Pro Electric can investigate the problem and make the necessary repairs.

We Can Help With Electrical Outlet Safety:

Our four decades of experience as a Houston Electrician and contractor AirPro Houston provides you with the skill and expertise to help with Electrical Outlet Safety for your home and business.

We have financing options available with great options with up to 72-month terms with approved credit. Call us today at  281-880-8805 and let us partner with you for all of your electrical repair and installation needs.