Trouble-Shooting Guide

We do not encourage homeowners to make electrical repairs unless they are experienced and qualified. However, some household repairs are easily and safely remedied. (Click on the button to view the answer.)

The outlet in my bathroom isn't working.
I reset a breaker in the panel box, but it still doesn't work.
Can I install a light fixture or ceiling fan on my own? How hard can it be?
I know turning off lights and the television when I leave a room will help cut my electric bill. How else can I save money?
Lights in part of my house look normal, but lights in another part look dim. What's going on?
I have a light in my basement. There are two switches that turn it on, one at the top of the steps and one at the bottom. One switch always has to be in a certain position for the light to work, so we have to run up and down the stairs to turn the light on. Help!

It's probably on a ground fault breaker or receptacle that has tripped. If the receptacle that isn't working has a reset button (the red button in the top picture), push it, and test it again (the black button in the top illustration). If there isn't a button on the receptacle, it's probably connected to another GFI receptacle or breaker in the panel box. If it's in the panel box, it will have a red button on it that says, "reset." Push that button. If it's connected to another receptacle, that receptacle may be in another bath, in the garage, by the panel, in the basement, or in another location in the house - even the front porch (lower illustration). Look for a receptacle that has buttons on the front. If you find one, push the reset button and then retest.

Breakers can be tricky. They look like they've been reset, but actually haven't. To reset the breaker, push it all the way to the outside of the panel box until it clicks into the "off" position. Then push it all the way to the inside until it clicks again.

It's always better to have a qualified electrician do the work. After all, you don't want to get shocked or have your house burn down! The most important thing to remember if you insist on doing the work yourself is to turn off the power to the device you're working with. Find the breaker in the panel box that affects the area where you're working and turn it off. Test the outlet/box before you begin to ensure the power is definitely off in that area.

Since the water heater is 15% of your electric bill, adding a water heater timer and insulating your water heater will decrease your energy bill.
Use fluorescent lighting. You can find fluorescent lamps (light bulbs) that work in your current fixtures.
Add programmable thermostats.
Install a heat pump.
Use dimmers.

This can happen anywhere in your house where you have two switches controlling one or a group of lights. This could be a wiring error from the initial construction or it could have happened if one of the switches was replaced after construction. One of the travelers has been replaced by the switch feed. You need a qualified electrician to fix this.

You may have lost half of your electrical service. A good way to test it is to boil a pot of water on the stove. If it only gets warm or hot, but doesn't actually boil, one leg of your electrical service has been lost. This could be a problem in the panel box or a problem with the power company. Call us to find out.
If it does boil, you may have lost a neutral. Call us to find and fix it.

Frequently Asked Questions and Common Electrical Problems