You might be experiencing issues in your Baton Rouge rental property, and you’re wondering if there’s anything you can do about it. Although it’s best to leave most major electrical problems to the professionals, you can try to troubleshoot some common issues with your household electrical system. With these steps, you can better identify the problem and try to resolve it.
Visual Inspection
If your appliances, lamps, or electrical devices stop working, you can check the outlet and electrical cords for signs of damage. Occasionally, it will be a power outlet malfunction. A usual sign of damage is discoloration. You can also look for breaks, fraying, and other damage on plugs and cords. If you find that either the outlet or the cord is damaged, it could be time to replace them.
Try a Different Outlet
If you don’t notice any problems with your outlet and power cord, you can plug your lamp or device into a different outlet. It is important that you know whether the outlet or the electrical item is defective. If your device works after plugging it into a different outlet, you will be certain that the outlet is defective.
Reset the GFCI
One of the most common reasons an outlet will stop working is because it is connected to a GFCI outlet that has tripped a circuit. Look for your outlet’s reset button. If you cannot find it, the reset button will be on another outlet within that circuit. The reset button for the entire circuit is located on a GFCI outlet. If you can’t find it in your bathroom or kitchen, it could be in a more obscure location such as the garage or laundry room. Once you are able to locate the GFCI outlet, resetting it is an easy fix for a dead outlet.
Check the Breaker Panel
Instead of the outlets themselves, a bad circuit breaker might be the problem. You can usually identify which breaker has gone bad by examining your home’s breaker panel. A lot of breaker panels have clearly labeled circuits telling you which part of the house they are connected to. Simply switching the breaker off and then on again can solve your problem. Sometimes, the breaker itself may have a bad or loose connection. If that is the case, then the breaker has to be replaced.
Call Your Landlord
Regardless of the severity of the electrical issue you experience, it is best to call your landlord to let them know what the problem is and what steps you have done to try and solve it. In most cases, it could be a call just to inform them that you had an issue but you were able to resolve it. But if these issues recur frequently, it could be a sign of bigger electrical problems. If after some troubleshooting you still have non-working outlets, your landlord will have to call a professional electrician to do a thorough check. Either way, good communication with your Baton Rouge property manager is the best way to get electrical issues permanently resolved.
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