Visual Inspection
If you have an appliance, lamp, or electrical device that stops running, the first thing that you need to do is to check the outlet and the electrical cord for signs of damage. Sometimes, a power outlet will malfunction and go dead. There may be perceivable signs of damage, such as discoloration. Additionally, ensure to look through all plugs and cords for breaks, fraying, and other damage. If either the outlet or the cord is damaged, it’s likely time to change and replace them.
Try a Different Outlet
If your outlet and power cord looks good, your next strategy is to try plugging your lamp or device into a different outlet. It’s crucial to determine whether the outlet or the electrical item is the starting point of the problem. If you plug your device into a different outlet (preferably one in a different room) and it works properly, then you can determine for sure that the outlet is the main issue.
Reset the GFCI
One of the most common reasons an outlet will stop working because it is connected to a GFCI outlet that has tripped a circuit. Some outlets will have a reset button. If you cannot find it, the reset button will be on another outlet within that circuit. The reset button for the general circuit is usually located on a GFCI outlet, normally set up in your bathroom or kitchen, however, from time to time in a more obscure location, in particular, the garage or laundry room. You may need to inspect around to find where it’s at, but once you do, resetting a GFCI outlet is a manageable fix for a dead outlet.
Check the Breaker Panel
Occasionally, the beginning and source of the problem aren’t the outlets themselves but a bad circuit breaker. You can typically have an idea of which breaker has gone bad by examining your home’s breaker panel. Several breaker panels have clearly labeled circuits, identifying which ones are connected to which areas of the house. If it is so, usually just flipping the breaker off and then back on can repair the problem. In other cases, the breaker itself may be bad or have a loose connection. In that instance, then the breaker will have to be replaced.
Call Your Landlord
Regardless of what type of electrical issue you go through, take into consideration to call your landlord and say both what the problem is and what you’ve done to troubleshoot it. In most cases, it may be a call to solely tell them that you had an issue that you resolved after following the measures above. However, if these types of things arise all the time, that may perhaps be an implication of bigger electrical problems. If you’ve done some troubleshooting and still have non-working outlets, your landlord will need to call in a professional electrician to check everything out completely. Either way, good communication with your Inverness property manager is the optimum solution to get electrical issues totally rectified.
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