What is a Partial Power Outage and What Can I Do About It?

November 21, 2016 | In Commercial

Simply put, a partial power outage is an outage that occurs in certain areas of a home or commercial space. This is in contrast to a full power outage, which occurs when power goes out all over the property.

If you have experienced a partial power outage, you may be curious about its root cause(s) and what can be done to prevent it in the future. Our guide is designed to help you better understand the problem and challenges associated with partial power outages.

What Causes Partial Power Outages?

First of all, before we talk about anything else, we want to warn most people not to attempt to fix electrical issues of any kind on your own. These issues should be addressed only by a licensed electrical contractor. Working with electricity is dangerous, so hire a pro to take care of it for you. Besides being much safer, you will know that things are being fixed as they should be.

Partial power outages can be a sign of your panel failing. If you have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco Panel, you should contact an electrician ASAP.

That said, there are some safe things you can do if a partial power outage occurs. For example, you may check to see if circuit breakers are flipped or if a fuse has been blown.

Sometimes power surges trigger partial power outages. Appliances may experience power surges which start the ball rolling. This may cause a fuse to blow or a circuit to flip. To deal with this, unplug the appliance that you believe may be the cause of the power surge. Then, look at your box and see if every tab is on one side. If one isn’t, flip it over and this may restore power.

Sometimes, the problem does require professional assistance from an electrician. Another possible cause of a partial power outage is losing a phase. This happens when 120-volt wires cease to function, for whatever reason. While this may lead to a significant expenditure, it is certainly well worth it. You should never try to repair this type of problem on your own.

Consider Yearly Electrical Inspections

While every home or commercial space tends to experience partial or full power outages now and then, they should not happen frequently. If you want to ensure that your electrical system is in mint condition, we advise booking annual electrical inspections. Doing so is a smart way to protect your home investment and ensure that your wiring is in good shape. Call Prairie Electric and talk to the experts to discuss what works best for you.