Problems with the home system

Home System Problems: What to Do Before Contacting the Electrician

Understanding the Situation: What to Do?

When we are faced with problems with our home's electrical system, our first reaction may be to immediately call a professional. However, in some circumstances, we may resolve it ourselves or at least better evaluate the situation before proceeding with the call. The key is to proceed with caution.

Common Problems and How to Address Them

• The light suddenly turns off: before thinking about the worst, check whether the problem extends beyond your home by checking whether there is electricity nearby.
• An appliance stops working: make sure it is not an isolated problem with the appliance by trying to connect it to a different power source.

Precautionary Measures Before the Electrician's Intervention

Before making the decision to call the electrician, make sure you have followed some simple steps that could avoid an unnecessary and expensive intervention:

• Check your electricity meter to see if there have been any power outages.
• Make sure there are no tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses.
• Evaluate whether the problem is limited to one area of the house or is general.

When is it time to call the electrician?

If the problem persists after carrying out these checks, it may be time to contact a professional. At this point, you will have already gathered useful information that can help the electrician better understand the situation and intervene more effectively.

What to do in case of a sudden blackout

Identify the cause of the blackout

When we find ourselves without electricity, the first step is to understand if the problem is limited to our home or if it also affects nearby houses. If the blackout is widespread, the problem can be attributed to the energy supplier and what remains for us to do is contact the company for information and wait for a resolution. Otherwise, if the problem only concerns our home, it will be necessary to investigate further.

Counter check and possible overload

If the blackout is limited to our home, the first check to carry out is on the meter: a lowered lever may indicate an overload due to the simultaneous use of high consumption appliances. In this case, deactivating one of the devices and resetting the meter should resolve the problem.

Identification of other system faults

• Circuit breaker lowered: If the problem does not lie in the overload, but you notice that it is the circuit breaker (pure differential) that is lowered, there could be faults linked to the direct contacts or to the earthing of the system.
• Lowered differential circuit breaker: This case instead indicates the presence of a voltage overload or a short circuit. It is advisable to disconnect all electrical appliances, rearm the device and then reconnect the appliances one at a time to identify the faulty one.

The problem underlying the blackout has been resolved, it will be possible to return to normality. These checks allow us to effectively manage the most common problems related to power failure, ensuring a rapid resolution.

Identify the electrical outlet problem

If you notice that the circuit breaker trips frequently, even when all devices are unplugged, the problem may not be with the circuit breaker itself, but with one of your electrical outlets. In that case, you need to take an exclusion approach to locate the faulty socket. In some cases, it may be enough to listen carefully to hear a typical rubbing noise of the wires, a sign of a fault.

Proceed with the repair

Once you've located the problem, you need to decide what to do. If you have the necessary electrical skills, you could try to analyze and repair the fault yourself. Often, inside sockets, wires can come loose and come into contact with each other, causing a short circuit. By replacing the cables in their correct positions, the problem is likely to be resolved.

For a detailed guide on how to intervene, it may be useful to consult our article "How do you connect a socket to the electrical network?".

When to call a professional

If, on the other hand, you feel that you do not have in-depth knowledge on the subject, it is strongly advisable to stop any repair attempts and contact a professional. Safety is paramount when it comes to working with electricity, and without the proper experience, the risks are high.

Remember safety

• Electrical repairs can be dangerous: carefully consider whether to do it yourself.
• Always use appropriate tools and follow current safety regulations.
• In case of doubt, the wisest choice is always to rely on a qualified professional.

Do you often change light bulbs? Find out why

There are times when you may find yourself replacing light bulbs more frequently than usual. You might think that the problem is intrinsic to the quality of the bulbs, but the cause could be something else!

Blinking Light Bulbs

In some circumstances, the bulbs may turn on and off intermittently. If you are wondering why this happens and how to intervene, we suggest you consult the article: "What to do when a light bulb flashes?".

Light Bulbs Suddenly Stop Working

There are cases in which light bulbs stop working completely, without warning. If this phenomenon occurs with some regularity, a possible explanation could lie in the way you screw the bulbs into the socket. At the next change, try not to tighten them too much. Another hypothesis could be related to power surges, often caused by a malfunction or incorrect wiring of the lamp holder.

• Safety First: Before intervening, be sure to disconnect the main meter to isolate the electricity supply.
• Checking the Lamp Holder: Disassemble the lamp holder carefully and check if there are any loose or damaged cables inside.
• What the Electrician Can Do: After carrying out the repair, if the problem arises again, it will be necessary to contact a qualified professional.

Understanding the causes that lead to the malfunction of your light bulbs is the first step to solving the problem effectively and reducing the frequency of replacements, saving time and money.