The breaker panels in any consumer unit are an important piece of equipment, but if you are seeing tripped breaker panels regularly, this could be a key sign of a bigger problem. This will need troubleshooting. But what are the important steps for breaker panel troubleshooting for residential properties? And how can you be sure of the right results?
Important tips for breaker panel troubleshooting for residential properties
If your consumer unit is regularly showing tripped breaker panels, this can be incredibly frustrating. These are designed to trip, and turn off the power supply completely, when too much electricity is being pushed through the breaker. By tripping, the breaker can protect the electrical system of your residential property. But how can you find the problem? Well, there are a couple of steps to troubleshooting this problem, including:
- Listening to the breaker panel- before taking any steps you should stop and listen to the breaker panel. If this is making any kind of hissing or buzzing noise, you should contact a professional electrician immediately.
- Reset the tripped switch- looking at the switches labeled in your consumer unit, you should easily be able to identify the one that has tripped. This will not be in the off or on position and will instead be in the middle. Flick this to off and wait three seconds before switching it to the on position.
- New appliances- if resetting the switch didn’t work, consider any new appliances you might have added to the property, and where they are plugged in. The problem could be caused by an appliance, and that is why in residential settings, every portable appliance needs to be PAT tested. Too many appliances plugged into the same circuit can also cause this issue too.
- Call a professional- if you haven’t added any appliances, or made changes to your property, you should call an electrical professional. You could have a bigger problem with your electrics that will need professional work.
For more information or advice, or for professional support, electrical installation, maintenance or repair, get in touch with the team today, here at Walker Electrical. We are Preston’s leading electrical experts!