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Top 4 Things to Check Before Calling an Electrician

Electrical Tips

Check for Electrical Problems Image When you have electrical problems at your Kansas City area home, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem before calling an electrician and paying for a service call. At Jeremy Electrical, we want to make sure you’ve exhausted all of these possibilities before you call in the professional electricians.

Check the Electrical Outlet

This sounds like a simple solution, and it is. But, many times, people will assume that there is something wrong with an appliance when it doesn’t work. Instead, plug the appliance into a different outlet to clarify if it’s the outlet or the appliance that is malfunctioning.

Check the Appliance

If the appliance works when plugged into another outlet, the outlet is the problem. However, just because it is not producing electricity, it may still be operable. Some outlets are controlled by switches. This is most common in living rooms and bedrooms. Leave the appliance plugged in and flip any nearby switches to see if they control power flow to that outlet. If it goes on, your problems are solved.

Check GFCI Outlets

Sometimes the trouble is not caused by a lack of electricity, but rather the outlet itself. GFCI outlets or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets work like mini-breakers and cut off the power when there is a danger of a surge. GFCI outlets will be located near water and are typically found in the bathrooms or kitchen and sometimes outside. When switched off, they must be reset by pressing the red button in the middle. You will usually hear a click sound when it resets.

Related Read: Does Your Home Have These 4 Electrical Hazards? 

Check the Circuit Breakers

Find your breaker box and look for the breaker that is out of place. Flip it off then on again. They should be labeled, but this isn’t always the case. If all of the breakers seem to be in the on position, go ahead and flip them all off and back on. If nothing changes, be aware that some homes have more than one breaker box. Check both the basement and garage for another breaker box.

If none of these troubleshooting tips rectify the situation, call one of the professional electricians at Jeremy Electrical to come figure out the problem. You can reach us at 913-375-0070.