Do you have problems with your electricity? Do you think your circuit was overloaded because it turned off by itself? If you have blown a fuse or have a problem with electricity, you should check your electrical panel to see what’s wrong. Sometimes it’s easy to fix by switching one of your breakers back to the “on” position where it was before. But if it’s more complicated or keeps happening, you might need the help of professional electricians. You’ll need to follow these steps to check the electrical power panel to figure out what’s wrong.
Steps to Understand Power Panel
Find the Electrical Box
Before you can inspect what is happening inside your electrical panel, you need to know where to look to find it. Most of the time, these panels are in your garage, basement, or utility room. Before you move into a new home or build a new one, you should ask the builders where these panels will be. If you have electrical problems, you will know where to look.
Open the Circuit Breaker Box
As soon as you find the electrical panel, open the box. Knowing what to expect when you look inside, you can find the problem faster. Most homes have two rows of circuit breakers. These breakers are used to power different parts of the house. These breakers will be labelled to show what part of the house they power.
Figure Out the Best Breaker
Finding the right one might take a little longer if your circuit breakers aren’t labelled. Over time, put your labels on your electrical box so that you can find the breakers much faster. But if a circuit breaker has tripped, you can likely find it by looking for ones that are turned off.
See if There are Any Urgent Problems
Look for circuit breakers facing in a different direction to see if a certain one has been tripped. When a breaker trips, it will turn the other way as if it were a switch turned off. Also, you’ll probably know which part of your house tripped, so you can start by looking for that label. When you see that the breaker is in the “off” position, you should turn it back on to see if that fixes the problem.
Contact an Electrician
Electrical problems can be harder to find and fix than you thought. When the problem isn’t apparent, you’ll want to trust the experts to see the power panel, figure out what’s wrong, and fix it before it worsens or damages your home.
Tips for Using Distribution Boards Safely
Covering: When the distribution board is not being touched by hand, it must always be covered. This is done so that moisture, humidity, dust, and other things don’t cause the wires and fixtures to rust. The holes in distribution boards that are not being used must be covered with a blanking plate.
Placement: Wait to put the distribution board where water can reach it. Because of this, some basements don’t cut. Many electrical codes say they can be at most 2200 mm above the floor, which is too high. It’s best to put it somewhere out of the way where kids can’t get to it and where it won’t mess up the look of the room. Also, these boards shouldn’t be placed near a fixed kitchen appliance because they could start a fire.
Warning Sign: Put a warning sign on the doors of the metal box that hides the distribution board. This will keep people from touching dangerous parts without thinking.
Dangerous Signs: If you smell burning at the distribution panel, your house is in grave danger of catching fire. Turn off the electricity and call an electrician. Also, if your circuit breakers keep tripping even when you turn off all the appliances, this could mean that your wiring or board is broken and not working correctly. You will have to get a new one.
Conclusion
These are some things you should do to check out the problems with your distribution panel. If you need help figuring out what’s wrong or how to fix it, call a good electrician to come out and look at the problem today.