Here’s what you can do before you call Glenco
- Keep a torch handy – the first thing we always say is keep your torch handy If all the power goes out (especially at night) its good to know where your torch is kept so you can use it to see what you are doing
Do you know where your switchboard is?
It is helpful for you to get to know where your electrical switchboard is. It can help in situations where the power goes out suddenly and you need to get it back on quickly.
Normally main switchboards in houses, townhouses, and duplexes are found down one of the sides of the property. It is usually in a 600mm x 600mm metal box inside is a meter and a switchboard. If the sub-board (the one with safety switches and circuit breakers) is not in there please see the next point.
Apartments will also have a main switchboard room normally. This room can be in either the basement or the in a central position in a hallway. It is also good to check what kind of key your switchboard room has; most electricians will carry an NMB key which can sometimes open those rooms but sometimes the keys are building-specific (which is generally called an ABLOY keys). If these keys are not available then they may need to be organised through the building manager or strata manager. It is good to have a look at the lock on the door, most of the time the lock with either say NMB or ABLOY.
So what do I do when a breaker actually trips and I have no power?
1. Check to see if all switches are on – Always have a look to see if every circuit breaker and safety switch is on. Make sure you check the main switch board as well (not just the sub- board in your property)
2. Basic Fault Finding – this step is where we use elimination to try and find the problem. You will need to unplug every single appliance in your house toaster, microwave, computers etc., then turn the safety switch back on, if the power holds you can then start plugging things back in one at a time. Through this you could find it is an appliance issue that’s needs to be fixed.
3. Check for scheuduled power outages – your energy provider will update their website when they are planning to turn the power off in a certain area to conduct essential or emergency work.
https://www.endeavourenergy.com.au/outages/current-power-outages
https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/outages-and-faults/power-outages
https://www.ausgrid.com.au/Outages/Current-Outages
4. Call an Electrician – if the above approaches did not work and your power is still tripping this is when you should call us here at Glenco to come out and give you a hand with getting your power back on.
It can be quite stressful when you lose power and you don’t know what to do but it is also good to remember that Glenco has a 24/7 service to help with all your electrical and air conditioning needs. Call us on 9700 9996 for more information.
