8 Steps In Electrical Fault Finding

It is important when performing electrical fault finding that being safe and precautions are done. This is because electrical wiring and systems are involved which are highly dangerous, especially when not being trained in electrical work. Any person can perform fault finding methods but only licensed electricians should repair the issue. 

If one part of the home does not have power then often the circuit has experienced a short. If the whole home has had a blackout then an external issue, such as a fallen powerline, may be the concern. 

For the best fault finding guide, follow the below steps:

Locate the Main Circuits

Find where the circuit breaker and the safety switches are located in the home. Most times the meter box is where these systems are located. This box is mostly on the side of the home or in a basement or small room inside the house. 

Turn off Circuit Breaker

When it is not a blackout but one or many circuits have no power then the circuit breakers will need to be tested. The circuit breakers located on the electrical switchboard panel will have an on and off switch. A tripped circuit breaker will be in the off position as when the short circuit occurred the breaker tripped. If there is one, many or none in the off position still switch them all to the off position. 

Turn on Safety Switch

Once all the circuit breakers have been switched off turn the main safety switches on to allow power back into the home. With the circuit breakers off though the home’s circuits will not have power. 

Turn Back on Circuit Breaker

One by one turn all the circuit breakers on after the main power has been turned back on for the home. It is important to turn each breaker on one by one to help with the electrical fault finding procedure. 

Find the Faulty Circuit

When the individual circuit breakers are switched on, determine which one is the faulty one. The faulty breaker will turn straight back into the off position as the fault is present. This means that there is an issue with some systems, such as the switchboard or the individual circuit. 

Turn Off Circuit Breaker Again

Once the faulty circuit breaker or where the short circuit has been found the next step is to turn back off all the circuit breakers. This is to ensure the other systems that are working can have electricity back into them while the faulty circuit can be switched off. 

Turn Power Back on to All But the Faulty Circuit

Have each circuit breaker switch turned back to the on position unless it is the faulty one. Each system of the home should be with power but not the circuit that is connected to the faulty breaker. 

Contact an Emergency Electrician

It is important that once the faulty finding process has been completed an emergency electrician is contacted as soon as possible. An experienced electrician will know how to repair the issue depending on the situation. From a short circuit to the switchboard being faulty and may need an upgrade, it is important an emergency electrical service is contacted straight away to prevent safety concerns.