When facing electrical issues in your rental property, such as flickering lights, outlets that don’t work, or often-tripping circuit breakers, you may seek ways to resolve them.
While it’s crucial to prioritize safety and think about hiring a licensed electrician for major problems, you can try some troubleshooting for common electrical issues. Following these steps, such as checking tripped circuit breakers, testing outlets, and inspecting light fixtures, can help you understand the issue and decide how to proceed.
Visual Inspection
Should an appliance, lamp, or device cease functioning, first check the outlet and cord for signs of damage. Power outlets can occasionally fail and become inactive. You might see visible damage, such as discoloration. Likewise, inspect all plugs and cords for breaks, fraying, or other damage. If the outlet or cord is damaged, 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. It’s important to find out if the outlet or the electrical item is the source of the issue. 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 typical reason an outlet stops functioning is that it’s connected to a GFCI outlet that has tripped. The majority of outlets come with a reset button. If you don’t see it, the reset button is on another outlet in that circuit.
The circuit’s reset button is located on a GFCI outlet, often in the bathroom or kitchen, but sometimes in more hidden spots like the garage or laundry room. It might take some searching, but once found, resetting a GFCI outlet is a simple fix for a dead outlet.
Check the Breaker Panel
At times, the problem isn’t the outlets but a malfunctioning circuit breaker. You can often identify the bad breaker by checking your home’s electrical panel. Circuit breaker boxes often have labeled circuits indicating which areas they cover. If this applies, simply turning the breaker off and then back on can often fix the problem. There are cases where the breaker itself is faulty or has a loose connection. If this is the situation, the breaker must be replaced.
Call Your Landlord
Whatever electrical issue arises, make sure to notify your landlord and explain both the problem and your troubleshooting attempts. If such problems happen often, it could point to more significant electrical issues.
When troubleshooting doesn’t fix the non-working outlets, your landlord must call a professional electrician. Regardless, maintaining good communication with your Ocala property manager ensures swift resolution of electrical issues.
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