There’s nothing more frustrating than finding out that your favourite electrical outlet is not working. No more charging your phone while you lay in bed. Or maybe you need to find an awkward spot in the kitchen to now boil the kettle.
After trying all of the other electrical outlets in your home, it seems like they’re all working properly. The good news: you can use your device or appliance. The bad news? You’ve got a dud electrical outlet.
But why is it that this specific electrical outlet won’t work? Why are the others just fine?
Today, we’re playing detective and discussing how you can troubleshoot the problem.
Of course, uncovering the issue is different from actually filing it – once you’ve found the problem, we strongly recommend enlisting the help of a commercial electrician company in Melbourne to actually fix it for you!
So how can you troubleshoot a bad electrical outlet? Here are some of the things you might look at…
Step 1: perform an appliance test
Question number one: is your electrical outlet the actual problem, or is it an issue with your gadget, appliance or device?
It might sound obvious, but it’s something that a surprising number of homeowners overlook!
When looking for a solution, it is best to inspect your appliance’s cord – is it frayed and worn? Are the prongs bent? Maybe you just didn’t plug it correctly, and that’s why the electricity didn’t come through – an embarrassing mistake, but at least nothing’s broken.
You can also try to plug your device in another electrical outlet in your home, and if it isn’t working there either, then you can safely assume that it’s the appliance’s fault, and clear the outlet of any guilt.
Step 2: check GFCI outlet
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) are a crucial safety feature.
Installed in sockets themselves, these act as a mini fuse box or switchboard, cutting off power to an individual socket in the case of power surges, short circuits and excess humidity.
Not only does this protect your device, but it also minimizes any risk of shock, injury or overheating.
GFCI outlets are important to install, especially in electrical outlets used near water like bathrooms, laundry areas, kitchens, pools, and outdoors.
If an outlet isn’t working, it could be because its internal GFCI outlet has tripped in response to some electrical issue. Resetting it should do the trick – just make sure that you unplug any appliances and check for dampness, water contact and other signs of water damage.
Step 3: Check your breaker box
Usually, it’s pretty hard to miss this – you can’t exactly ignore every single appliance in a room failing at the same time.
However, we want you to be thorough, which is why we’re including it here!
Think of this as a scaled-up version of your GFCI outlets, except applied to entire sections of your house. To keep you safe, it’ll cut off entire electrical circuits, disrupting power to entire rooms of your property to prevent damage.
A tripped or a blown fuse breaker may be the root cause of a dead electrical outlet. To be sure, it’s best to check your fuse box if it is working properly and if safe to do so, reset them.
Step 4: Inspect your electrical outlet
So far, we’ve only covered the relatively harmless issues here.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always something that minor.
Do you hear a buzzing sound, see scorch marks or smell any unusual burning coming out of your electrical outlet? If so, you’ve got a real issue on your hands – one that can only be safely fixed by a commercial electrician in Braeside.
These are all signs of a fault with the outlet itself, and can be potentially dangerous until fixed!
How do I test an electrical outlet?
When using a voltage tester or multimeter, turn off your main power first. You can then insert the probe into each slot and read the line of the voltage measurement. The reading should give you a result of 110 to 120 volts.
If nothing appears in the voltage meter, then it might be that you have a dead electrical outlet.
Your expert commercial electrician in Black Rock usually uses specialised voltage testers – these are the only instruments that can be used for this type of testing.
How do I test an outlet for continuity?
In addition to voltage, when you probe into your outlet slots, your multimeter or voltage meter should also indicate continuity, the presence of a complete path for currents to follow.
A broken path indicates a break in the current, and a socket that doesn’t work. Essentially, a multimeter helps you determine if power is reaching your outlet and if it is properly grounded.
Don’t have one of these tools? Don’t worry, our sparkies do!
Step 5: Check faulty electrical wirings
Has your multimeter or voltage tester come back with a result indicating a problem with the outlet or the circuit that supplies power to it? If so, then the next step is to round up the usual suspects and figure out which one it is.
The most common issues? Loose, broken and damaged electrical wiring – these are the main causes of a dead power outlet. After all, if you have faulty electrical wiring, the flow of electricity to your outlets is going to be affected.
Repairing and re-connecting the wires is the only way to resolve this dilemma – it’s also a job that should be left to the professionals. We don’t need to tell you that electricity is dangerous, and how amateur repairs can lead to injury or worse.
Step 6: Seek the help of a licensed commercial electrician
We literally just said it – however, this is an important message, so we’ll say it again: when it comes to electricity, you need to call a pro to deal with it!
It is very easy to be tempted to do DIY inspection and repair.
Still, if you don’t know anything about electrical wirings and outlets, it’s best to seek the help of a licensed commercial electrician in Melbourne, who will:
- Test your outlet for any possible defects or any wear and tear
- Check the capacity of your circuit breaker for any overload and water damage
- Inspect your electrical wires for any damage or fraying that may be unsafe for everyone around
Why would an electrical outlet stop working? And more importantly, what do you do if your electrical outlet is not working?
Call Powermaster Electrical, that’s what!
When it comes to matters of electricity, there are 3 things that you need to look for when choosing a sparkie:
- Speed
- Experience
- Workmanship
Powermaster Electrical offers all three in one!
Our emergency electrical service ensures that you’re never without coverage – the moment you call, we’ll send over the first available electrician to look at the problem for you.
Powermaster Electrical offers a wide range of services including:
- Data cabling
- Electrical maintenance Bayside
- Rewiring
- Residential electrician services
- Commercial electrical services
And it isn’t just repairs, either – our commercial electrical team offers ongoing maintenance and service contracts for businesses that ensure your sockets (as well as the rest of your electrical setup) never reaches this point to begin with!
Call us today on 1300 410 141, or click here to get in touch online.