When facing electrical issues in your rental property, such as flickering lights, outlets that don’t work, or often tripping circuit breakers, you may seek ways to resolve them.
While ensuring safety and considering a licensed electrician for major issues is important, there are troubleshooting steps you can take for common electrical problems. Taking steps like checking for tripped circuit breakers, testing outlets, and inspecting light fixtures can help you understand the problem and decide what to do next.
Visual Inspection
If an appliance, lamp, or electrical device fails, begin by examining the outlet and cord for damage. Now and then, a power outlet may fail and go dead. You may notice visible signs of damage, such as discoloration. Likewise, check all plugs and cords for any breaks, fraying, or other damage. If the outlet or cord is damaged, it’s likely time to replace them.
Try a Different Outlet
When your outlet and power cord seem intact, the next step is to try your lamp or device in a different outlet. Determining whether the outlet or the electrical item is the problem is essential. If your device works in a different outlet (especially in another room), it means the outlet is the main issue.
Reset the GFCI
An outlet often stops working because it is linked to a GFCI outlet that has tripped. Many outlets include a reset button. If you can’t find it, look for the reset button on another outlet in that circuit.
The reset button for the circuit is on a GFCI outlet, most often found in the bathroom or kitchen but sometimes in more obscure locations like the garage or laundry room. You might need to look around to find it, but resetting a GFCI outlet is an easy fix for a dead outlet once you do.
Check the Breaker Panel
At times, the problem isn’t the outlets but a malfunctioning circuit breaker. You can often locate the bad breaker by examining your home’s electrical panel. Many circuit breaker boxes are labeled to indicate which circuits connect to which areas of the house. If this applies, simply turning the breaker off and then back on can often fix the problem. In some instances, the breaker may be faulty or have a loose connection. If this is the situation, the breaker must be replaced.
Call Your Landlord
Regardless of the electrical issue you encounter, make sure to contact your landlord and inform them of the problem and your troubleshooting efforts. If such problems happen often, it could point to more significant electrical issues.
When troubleshooting doesn’t fix the non-working outlets, your landlord must call a professional electrician. Regardless, maintaining good communication with your Inverness property manager ensures swift resolution of electrical issues.
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Originally published: April 2, 2021
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