Electrical troubleshooting is a standard, logical process of elimination used to determine the root cause of a problem. An electrician normally performs these techniques, but they can be easily learned and completed by the average person. It is important to think about safety first when working with electricity. Check every wire to see if it is live before touching it. Wear rubber-soled boots and be careful to avoid electrocution.
There are three steps to electrical troubleshooting: identify the problem, localize the issue, and repair it. All three steps can be applied to any electrical problem. Electricity connections are fairly simple to understand and can be easily diagnosed.
The first step of electrical troubleshooting is to identify the actual problem. If the electricity is not working, determine if the problem is related to a specific area, or widespread. Widespread electrical outages are the responsibility of the electricity company. Look at the electricity availability in the neighborhood to determine how widespread the issue is.
If the problem is limited to a specific area of your home, go to your circuit breaker. All the electrical wiring in a building is run through a circuit breaker box. The different areas of the home are divided into circuits. Any surge in power supply that exceeds a specific value causes the circuit breaker to activate or trip, which stops the flow of electricity to that area. To correct this, the circuit breaker must be reset or replaced.
To understand how the circuits work, read the electrical schematic drawings. These large drawings provide a map of all the electrical wiring in the home. It will show you which outlets are connected to each other and how the electricity is managed. Using this drawing, you can understand how the wiring is completed. This information is critical when you are using electrical troubleshooting techniques.
Schematic drawings are available for all electrical equipment, buildings, and vehicles. These drawings are mandatory and are used by safety agencies to confirm the correct protections are in place. Localize the issue to the area causing the electrical problem. You can then identify the necessary steps to correct it. Always turn off the main power before attempting any work on electrical systems.
To repair an electrical problem, contact an electrician. Explain the situation and provide them with your evaluation of the problem. A certified electrician must do any adjustments of existing wiring in a home. It is too easy to overload a circuit and cause a devastating electrical fire.