Electrical Troubleshooting for Austin Homes
For the moment something isn’t working: what the symptom usually means, what is safe to check yourself, and when to stop and call.
Many electrical problems have a simple cause you can find in a few minutes, such as a tripped GFCI in another room or a breaker that has flipped to the middle position. Others are early warnings of a loose connection heating up behind a wall. The guide below sorts them. When in doubt, treat heat, smell, smoke and sound as reasons to stop.
Symptom Troubleshooter
Pick what you are seeing to get the likely causes, the safe checks and the point at which to call.
Choose a symptom from the list, then press the button.
Symptoms at a Glance
Swipe left to see the rest of the table.
| Symptom | Possible causes | Safe to check yourself? | Call an electrician if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaker keeps tripping | Overloaded circuit, a short, a ground fault, a worn breaker | Yes: unplug things and reset once | It trips again with little or nothing on it |
| Lights dim when the AC starts | Compressor start-up surge, loose service connection, undersized service | Only by watching when it happens | The dip is deep, long or getting worse |
| Dead outlet | Tripped GFCI elsewhere, tripped breaker, loose connection | Yes: GFCIs and breakers | Resets do not bring it back |
| GFCI won’t reset | A ground fault downstream, moisture outdoors, a failed device | Yes: unplug everything on it and retry | It still will not reset with nothing plugged in |
| Warm or discolored outlet | Loose or overheated connection, overload | No: stop using it | Right away; turn the breaker off |
| Buzzing panel | Loose connection, failing breaker, overloaded service | No: do not open the panel | Right away |
| Burning smell | Overheating wire or device, a motor burning out | No | Right away; if smoke, call 911 |
| Half the house without power | Lost leg of the service, main breaker problem, utility issue | Check for a utility outage | Neighbors have power and yours is half out |
Safe Checks
- Reset GFCI outlets in the kitchen, the bathrooms, the garage and outside: one can control several outlets
- Look for a tripped breaker sitting between on and off; push it fully off, then on
- Unplug what was running when the problem started, then try again
- Check with your utility or a neighbor for an outage on the street
Stop and Call for These
Sparks, smoke, a burning smell, a hot or scorched outlet, a buzzing panel or water near electrical equipment are not things to troubleshoot. Turn the circuit off if you can do it safely, keep away, and call. If there is fire or smoke, get out and call 911. The Emergencies page covers what to do first.
Questions About Troubleshooting
Why do my lights dim when the air conditioner starts in summer?
An AC compressor pulls a large surge of current for a second or two as it starts, and every light on the same service sees the voltage dip. A brief, slight dip is common. Dimming that is deep, lasts longer, or gets worse over the summer points to a loose connection, a weak neutral, an undersized service or a compressor that is struggling to start. In an Austin August, when the AC starts dozens of times a day, it is worth having the panel and the service connections checked.
Is it safe to keep resetting a breaker?
Once, after unplugging what was running, yes. A breaker that trips again straight away, or trips with nothing plugged in, is telling you about a short, a ground fault or a failing breaker. Leave it off and call.
Related Pages
- Repairs & Rewiring, for outlets, switches and circuits that keep acting up
- Panel Upgrades, when the service or the panel is the trouble
- Surge & Backup, after storms and outages