You know that annoying feeling when you unplug your smartphone from the powerpoint, ready to hit the town, only to discover that it didn’t charge overnight? Oh yeah, we’ve all been there. Perhaps you’ve had to deal with a smelly fridge because it stopped getting power without you knowing. Or maybe you have just bought an old house and want to know the powerpoints are all reliable. Discovering you have faulty electrical outlets can not only be really frustrating, but place you in very inconvenient situations.
So, how can you find out if your powerpoint is faulty?
First, here are some serious safety tips to consider before getting all handsy with powerpoints.
- To test the electricity must be turned on at the switch board so extreme caution should be used.
- Don’t stick anything in an outlet unless it is the correct plug for the outlet.
- Don’t touch an electrical outlet if it isn’t covered with a plate (that’s the cover – often plastic – with the typical three prong holes in it)
- Make sure you haven’t overloaded an outlet with an octopus of adapters and extension cords.
Troubleshooting powerpoints that don’t appear to work.
Try these simple things first:
- Remove your appliance that isn’t receiving power and try plugging it into a different outlet. Sometimes it’s not the powerpoint that’s faulty.
- If it is plugged into a powerboard, check to see if other appliances that are plugged into the same board are receiving power.
- Sometimes electrical outlets and powerboards have a surge protection (is usually a little red button often with ‘reset’ written on it. Hit the button to reset it and check if power is working now.
- Check your switchboard (which is usually located on the outside of the house in most Central Coast and Newcastle homes) to see if a circuit breaker has been tripped. If it has, switch it back up. If it trips again, contact a certified professional electrician.
Professional electricians (along with some handy DIY types) have specific tools for testing powerpoints. They can range from simple power outlet testing plugs or pens, to professional multimetres.
If you have one of these, then troubleshooting whether you have a dodgy powerpoint or not is a whole lot simpler. There are quite a few different models out there, so rather than explaining how to use yours, we recommend that you thoroughly read your device’s instructions and follow the terms of use set out by the manufacturer. If you insist on DIY methods then check out this blog by Better Homes and Gardens.
Most testers will have a rubric to decipher the combinations of lights. These can indicate that there is a problem with the wiring, or that the electricity isn’t earthing (allowing electricity overflow to safely be neutralised in the ground). At this point, you will need to hire an electrician who does 24hr emergency call outs. The power outlet is not safe and should not be touched unless by a qualified professional.
Feeling, ahem- empowered to troubleshoot your powerpoints? (not the last power pun you will hear from us). Now, you never have to go without your trusty smartphone again. Sometimes when appliances don’t get power through the outlet it is a simple fix with these basic check-off solutions to get you out of trouble.
If your troubleshooting identifies a problem that you can’t safely correct yourself then please don’t hesitate to contact Delta-Tech Electrical to ask for a quote or to fire your electrical questions at us.
