If there’s no power in your home, it could be because a fuse or circuit has tripped in your house. It’s also possible that a major storm has knocked out power to your entire community. Let’s take a look at what to check if the power goes out in your Cleveland, OH home to ensure that you limit the potential interruption to your life and damage to your property.
Check if the Outage Is Local or Widespread
The first thing that you’ll want to do when your house has no power is determine if the issue is local or widespread. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to look outside and see if the lights are out anywhere else in the neighborhood. You can also take to social media or look at your local utility’s website to determine the extent of the problem.
Inspect Your Main Breaker
The next item on your home power outage checklist is to look at your main breaker to see if that may be the cause of the outage. If the power has only gone out at your house, then it’s possible that the main breaker tripped. In such a scenario, the solution to your problem is to flip the main circuit switch.
The power should come back on in your home within seconds of doing so. You should also check the other circuits to determine if other breakers tripped, which may give a clue as to where the outage occurred or what the problem may be. Of course, if the outage is widespread, you’re likely dealing with a downed pole, a blown transformer, or some other issue.
Check for a Blown Fuse
Throughout the 20th century, it was relatively common for houses to have fuses instead of modern circuits. Much like a circuit, a blown fuse can cause a power outage to occur, so it’s important to check your fuse box to rule that out as the source of your problem.
If one has blown, you’ll see a broken piece of metal on the part of the fuse that’s visible when held. To replace it, simply insert another fuse that’s of a similar wattage.
Using fuses that are too big or powerful can lead to additional power outages and issues for your electrical system overall. If you’re dealing with blown fuses on a regular basis despite using the proper product, it may be a good idea to consider upgrading to a circuit breaker.
Look for GFCI Outlets That Need Resetting
A GFCI outlet works much like a circuit breaker or fuse does for your home. If there’s a short, a surge, or another similar anomaly, the outlet will trip and stop working. In some cases, a tripped GFCI outlet will cause issues with items plugged into nearby outlets depending on how the house is wired.
In most cases, a GFCI outlet stops working when too many items are plugged into it or those items consume too much power. To reset the outlet, you can try pressing the reset button for several seconds until you hear a clicking sound. If that doesn’t work, then you’ll likely need to reset your breaker to restore power to the impacted outlet.
To prevent the outlet from tripping again, plug items into it one at a time. Doing so may help you pinpoint which item caused the circuit to overload and everything on it to shut down.
Call an Electrician
The last step in your home power outage checklist is to call a professional who has the tools and experience to figure out why your house has no power. You’ll receive a timely diagnosis and action plan to fix the problem without putting yourself in harm’s way. An electrician may recommend replacing outlets, upgrading your electrical panel, or taking other steps to create a long-term solution to your problem.
If you need help figuring out why your home has no power, the team at Tri-County Electric can help. We can handle electrical inspections, install a new circuit, upgrade your electrical panel, or install surge protectors to ensure that the lights stay on at all times. To learn more about our services in the Cleveland area, don’t hesitate to give us a call today!
