GFCI, Breakers, Outlets, Partial Power Outage

If you're experiencing partial power outages or outlets that do not work please find all GFCI outlets and reset them.  GFCI outlets are typically found in areas where water may be present such as bathrooms, kitchens (under kitchen cabinet where garbage disposal is located), garage, and outdoors.     

Do you have a breaker that keeps tripping?  

Test for circuit overload.

A circuit overloads when more electrical current is being drawn through the wires than they can handle, causing them to overheat and trip the circuit breaker. This indicates that a single circuit is powering multiple outlets and switches, which is probably too much of a burden on the circuit. This type of wiring configuration is commonly seen in homes more than 40 years old before we used a lot of electrical appliances and gadgets (big-screen TVs, PCs, space heaters, and powerful kitchen appliances).

To test for circuit overload, the next time the breaker trips, go to the electrical panel and turn off all the switches in the affected area and unplug all appliances, lamps, and other devices. Flip the breaker back on and then turn on the switches and plug-in/turn on devices one at a time. Wait a few minutes in between to see if the circuit will remain on. Each time you turn on a light or run an appliance, you’ll be drawing more electricity through the wires. If the breaker trips before you turn on all the appliances, try the experiment again, this time turning on the appliances in a different order. You may need to go through the process several times to get a good idea of how many appliances you can operate at one time before overloading the circuit.

Circuit overload is one of the most common reasons for circuit breakers tripping, and you can prevent it from happening by running fewer appliances at the same time on that circuit. 

Still not working?  Log into your tenant portal and submit a maintenance request or you can call the maintenance team 24/7 at 757-452-4501.