What to do if the sockets do not work?
Where to begin?
First of all, you need to make sure that there is really no voltage in the outlet, or if the appliance you tried to turn on is faulty. The best thing check the voltage at the outlet a multimeter or a bipolar voltage indicator. A single-pole indicator, often combined with a screwdriver, may not be useful in all cases. For example, if occurred zero wire break, such an indicator will show the presence of phase voltage at one of the contacts of the outlet, as in the case of its operability. Next, we determine whether there is voltage at the input of the power supply of the apartment, that is, at the input distribution panel. To do this, it is not necessary to immediately disassemble the shield, or even open it. If there is light in at least one of the rooms of the apartment, therefore, power is supplied to the input of the shield. We check the remaining sockets in the apartment for voltage.
The following test results are possible:
- all sockets in the apartment or in the house do not work;
- Outlets do not work in only one or two rooms.
The procedure for troubleshooting depends on which type of breakdown listed above occurs. Let's consider these options separately.
Troubleshooting Procedure
All sockets in the apartment do not work
Possible causes of such a malfunction can be formulated as follows:
- there is no general power supply to the apartment;
- there is a malfunction in the input distribution panel;
- all outlets of the apartment are powered from the shield of one group, the wiring of which turned out to be damaged or de-energized.
The total lack of voltage is easily determined. If the introductory machine is turned on, the outgoing machines are also turned on, but the electrical appliances in the apartment do not work (including in the kitchen), while there is no light in any room - that means there is no power at all. We are finally convinced of this by checking the presence of voltage on the input automaton by the indicator.
If there is voltage at the input terminal of the machine and its absence at the output, turn the machine off and on again. If nothing has changed, the switch is defective and must be replaced.
In the same way, we check all outgoing switches. Among them we find the one from which the outlet group is powered.If the voltage enters the line, and the outlet group does not work, you should look for an open wire. The power supply of the outlet group can be carried out through junction boxes, or by a loop. In the first option, you need to open the first box from the shield and ring the wires to determine the place of wire break. In the second version, the outlet closest to the shield is opened, the wires coming from the shield are disconnected.
Outlets in one or two rooms do not work
If a switchboard is installed, which has an input circuit breaker and several outgoing ones, we try to determine which circuit breaker feeds that part of the wiring where the outlets do not work. Most often, the socket and lighting wiring in one room or in two rooms are combined into one group, powered by one machine. Sometimes sockets are installed on the same wall in different rooms. Check if all the machines are turned on, if so, check the voltage at the input and output of the machines. If there is a disconnected machine, we turn it on. If the flipped toggle switch does not rise in the shield, there may be two reasons:
- the mechanical drive of the machine is faulty and the device must be replaced;
- The circuit-breaker has just tripped and the thermal release has not cooled down yet.
In the first case, it is necessary to purchase an automatic machine of the required face value and replace it with a faulty one. In the second case, we are looking for a place of damage. Since the wiring in modern apartments is hidden, access to the wires is possible only in the shields, junction boxes (if they are installed and not walled in the wall) and in the outlets themselves.
Armed with a multimeter, we measure the resistance between the phase and zero wires of the found group, of course, by disconnecting the voltage. This measurement is made from the input shield. Upon detection short circuit, trying to track the route of the wiring group we are interested in. You need to find a junction box into which two wires come showing a short circuit. If the box found has a lid, open it, remove the insulation from the twists, disconnect the wires and release the pair that showed a short circuit. We measure the resistance of this pair towards the input shield. Resistance close to zero means that the damage is located on the wiring section between the input shield and the junction box. If there is no possibility to remove the wires, it remains only to lay new wiring in this section.
Damage to hidden wiring rarely occurs on its own. It is not uncommon for a wiring malfunction to be detected after a repair. When drilling holes in walls, for example, to suspend a cabinet or shelf, the wiring or its insulation may be damaged. To prevent this from happening in the future, we recommend that you read our tips on how not to get into the wiring when drilling walls.
A short circuit can occur after a wiring harness when a heating or water pipe breaks, or after a flood in the bathroom from neighbors from above. The insulation of the wiring may have minor defects that do not appear while the wires are dry. When wetted, cement dust with water forms a conductive medium, resulting in a short circuit, burnout of insulation and sintering of wires between each other.
Problems with one outlet
If one socket in the room does not work, one of the reasons may be the weakening of the contact, as a result of which the wire may simply fall off. In this case, troubleshooting is reduced to what you need turn off the lights in the apartment, take out the socket from the strobe and check its connection. The video below demonstrates the repair technology:
Where to go for help?
This question is relevant for those who are not ready to independently carry out the above actions. It is best to call the dispatching service of your management company, if any.You can call an electrician from any organization that provides services of this kind. The dispatcher should be informed what specifically stopped working, whether there is light, how it happened: after the appliance burned out, after a short circuit or flood. As you understand, you or your neighbors will have to pay for the services of an electrician if the wines are on their side (for example, they flooded you, as a result of which the outlets in half of the apartment or one room stopped working).
Now you know what to do if the sockets in the apartment do not work and what are the causes of this situation. We hope the tips provided have helped you fix the breakdown yourself!
It will be useful to read:
Loading...
