If your rental property has electrical issues like flickering lights, non-functioning outlets, or circuit breakers that trip often, you might wonder how to fix them.
It’s important to prioritize safety and possibly hire a licensed electrician for major electrical issues, though you can try troubleshooting common problems yourself. By checking for tripped circuit breakers, testing outlets, and inspecting light fixtures, you can get a better grasp of the problem and decide how to move forward.
Visual Inspection
When an appliance, lamp, or electrical device stops working, first check the outlet and cord for damage. Sometimes, a power outlet will fail and stop working. Damage might be visible, such as discoloration. In the same way, check all plugs and cords for any breaks, fraying, or damage. When damage is found in the outlet or cord, it’s likely time to replace them.
Try a Different Outlet
When your outlet and power cord seem intact, the next step is to try your lamp or device in a different outlet. Determining whether the outlet or the electrical item is the problem is essential. If the device functions when plugged into another outlet (preferably in a different room), then the outlet is the primary issue.
Reset the GFCI
One frequent cause of an outlet ceasing to work is its connection to a GFCI outlet that has tripped. Most outlets have a reset button. If you can’t find it, look for the reset button on another outlet in that circuit.
The reset button for the circuit is on a GFCI outlet, typically in the bathroom or kitchen, but occasionally in places like the garage or laundry room. You might need to look around to find it, but resetting a GFCI outlet is an easy fix for a dead outlet once you do.
Check the Breaker Panel
Sometimes, a bad circuit breaker, not the outlets, is the source of the problem. By examining your home’s electrical panel, you can usually determine which breaker is bad. Many circuit breaker boxes are labeled to indicate which circuits connect to which areas of the house. When this is the case, turning the breaker off and on again can often solve the issue. Sometimes, the breaker itself might be faulty or have a loose connection. If so, the breaker needs to be replaced.
Call Your Landlord
No matter the electrical problem, always call your landlord to report the issue and describe the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken. Should these issues arise frequently, they might indicate more substantial electrical problems.
When troubleshooting fails to resolve non-working outlets, your landlord needs to contact a professional electrician. Either way, effective communication with your Muskego property manager is essential for quickly resolving electrical problems.
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Originally published: April 2, 2021
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