Steps to Take Before Calling an Electrician for Electrical Repairs in Oakdale, CA

When the lights go out, panic sets in—and often we do not make the best decisions in panic mode. Before picking up the phone to make that expensive call to an electrician, it is wise to rule out many other possibilities. There could be several simple reasons why the power is out, and you may not necessarily need a costly electrical repair in Oakdale, CA to get the power in your home up and humming again.

Scan the Neighborhood

When the power goes out, your first reaction should be to see whether others in your neighborhood are experiencing the same problem. If everyone on your block is without power, this means that the electricity is not flowing into your area. The power currents serving your neighborhood could be interrupted due to severe weather or some other emergency. The best electrician in the world couldn’t assist in this situation. Rather than calling an electrician, call your electric company for an estimate on when service will be restored.

If you notice that your main power is down while your neighbors’ power is working properly, it is best to call the power company before the electrician. Often, they are the team that can fix the issue that you are having, and they will fix it for free. If your home experiences a series of power surges, that is also an issue for your power company.

Check the Appliance

If you notice just one or several appliances out of power, there are several things to check before contacting an electrician. Try the appliance in several other outlets to determine if the issue is with the appliance or with the outlet. If the appliance is the problem, you can focus your energies on fixing the appliance. If the outlet is the issue, you may need to replace the outlet. Outlets can burn out eventually and are not expensive to replace.

Check the GFCI

Sometimes the electric problem is caused by the ground fault circuit interrupter, the GFCI. This is a small breaker which will automatically shut off when in danger of a surge. These are located close to water in kitchens and bathrooms. If you notice an appliance plugged into an outlet into a kitchen or bathroom is not working there, but is working in other outlets, the culprit is most likely a tripped GFCI. An easy solution is to reset this by pressing the red button on the GFCI outlet. Once you hear the click, the outlet should be functional once again.

Check the Circuit Breaker

The most common electrical issue that you can handle without contacting an electrician is when a circuit trips in the circuit breaker box. If you notice a group of outlets and lights are not functioning in your house, but the power is flowing to the rest of your house, that means one of the circuits has tripped. Simply locate the box, which is usually found in a small closet or a basement. Quickly turn off all the breakers and wait 60 seconds to turn them back on again. You will soon see where your problem lies.

Choosing a Trusted Professional for Electrical Repairs in Oakdale, CA

Should you still experience electrical problems after running through these first steps, it is time to call the professionals. For a trusted expert in electrical repairs in Oakdale, CA, choose Wilkinson Electric Inc. We are Oakdale’s most trusted solution, providing family-owned service to both residential and commercial clients. Give us a call today to see how we can be your trusted electrician.

Categorised in: Electrical Repairs

This post was written by Writer