Tools

  • Flashlight
  1. Turn off and unplug whatever electrical items you were using before the lights went out.
  2. Open your service panel (see “Safety Musts” below) and see which breaker switch—also called a toggle—is in the “off” position (some breakers trip to a middle or neutral position, rather than completely off). The tripped toggle will be the one in a different position from the others.
  3. Flip that toggle all the way to the “off” position, then flip it to the “on” position.
  4. Now go back and, one by one, plug in and turn on whatever electrical items you were using before the breaker tripped. If it trips again, you have overloaded the circuit and need to plug some of those items into a different circuit branch. Another possible cause for tripping a breaker may be that one of your electrical items is short-circuiting or overheating. Check each element for damaged or hot cords, smoke residue or a burning odor.


Safety Musts: I’m Not Asking—I’m Telling You to Read This!

  • Do not touch your service panel with both hands—you could receive a shock, since your body would be creating a closet circuit if both hands touch the panel at the same time. So always keep one hand at your side.
  • Water and electricity don’t mix! Be aware of your surroundings and be sure you’re not standing in any water.


Excerpted with permission from Chix Can Fix by Norma Vally. All rights reserved. Copyright © Norma Vally, 2006. Photo ©