The Electrical Blog

Answers to 5 Common Electrical Questions

Posted by James Rockhill on Sun, Jul 12, 2015

Answers-to-5-Common-Electrical-questionsHave you noticed how popular cooking shows have become?

Unless you’re trained as an electrician, dealing with electrical problems can be a bit overwhelming. Most of us have a healthy respect for electrical power, but dealing with electricity doesn’t have to be scary. Not all electrical problems are as murky and mysterious as they seem. Here are answers to five commonly asked questions about electrical problems.

1. Why can’t I turn the tripped circuit breaker in my panel back on?

In order to reset a tripped circuit breaker you need to make sure the switch is all the way in the “off” position (you’ll feel it click) first. Make sure the switch is all the way in the off position. If you can return it to the “on” position (you’ll hear and feel another click) without tripping again, you’ve successfully reset the circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker will not reset—or trips again when the switch is set to the “on” position—you may have a short circuit or an overload on that circuit. Make sure you don’t have too many items plugged in to one circuit. Try unplugging some devices. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you may want to have an electrician look at it. 

2. Do I need to worry about outlets that don’t work?

It sounds overly simple, but a lot of us overlook wall switches—particularly if we’ve just moved into a home. Try a little test. Plug a small lamp into a working outlet and unplug it with the switch still on. Then plug it into the outlet that isn’t working. Look for wall switches in the room (there may be more than one). Try turning the wall switch on.  You may find the answer to your problem (and don’t be embarrassed—we’ve all done this!). If there are no wall switches try all the other outlets in the room and if there’s no tripped circuit in your breaker box, you may need to have an electrician check to see if there’s a short somewhere in the system. 

3. I’ve changed the bulb on a light mounted in my back yard, but it still won’t light up. Do I have a short?  

It’s possible that you have a short circuit.  It could be that whoever installed the light didn’t adequately protect the wiring. It could have been cut accidently by someone digging or mowing in the yard. It could be that you simply need to replace the photocell because they can wear out. 

4. Do I need to worry if the dimmer on the light in my dining room is hot to the touch? 

Don’t worry about it unless it’s uncomfortably hot or you hear a buzzing sound. Smelling plastic burning or noticing your lights flickering should also be an indicator that you want to have a specialist take a look. 

5. Why does turning on my cabinet-mounted microwave sometimes trip my circuit breaker?  

Many cabinet-mounted microwaves (added to the house after it was built) draw between 1100 and 1800 watts. Builders often install a range hood above the oven/range only to exhaust cooking fumes. A 15-amp lighting circuit is adequate for an exhaust fan. But often that fan shares a circuit with lights and other outlets in the kitchen. It’s just too much of a draw.  You really should install a new 20-amp 120 volt dedicated circuit for that microwave. 

If you have questions that aren’t addressed here, shoot us a note at mail@berwickelectric.com or leave us a comment in the comment section below.

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Topics: electrical outlets won’t work, Electrical Questions Colorado Springs, problems with circuit breakers, common electrical questions