No power? These steps first
Many outages are caused by a tripped circuit breaker or a single faulty appliance. With a few calm checks, you can find out whether a technician needs to come out.
First: How widespread is the outage?
Whether a single socket, the whole flat, or half the street is without power determines who is responsible – and whether calling us will even help.
Just one room or one socket
- A circuit breaker in the distribution board is switched OFF
- Often a single appliance has tripped it
- You can safely check this yourself
- If the same breaker trips again, a professional should look at it
The whole flat or the whole house
- Often the RCD or the main switch
- Switching it back on once is fine
- If it stays dark, a measurement is needed
- The area before the meter and the service connection are off-limits to you
Neighbours and street lights are dark too
- Then the fault lies in the supply network
- This should be reported to the grid operator, not an electrician
- A technician visiting you won't help
- Once power returns, switch appliances back on one at a time
Four checks at the distribution board
This is the sequence our electricians go through with you on the phone before arranging a callout. All you need is a torch, no tools required.
From the outside in – without touching the system
- 1
Open the distribution board and take a look
The distribution board is usually in the hallway, basement, or stairwell. Check whether one toggle switch stands out from the rest: all switches are usually in the same position. The switch pointing the other way shows the affected circuit. Only touch the toggle switches, never the terminals or cables.
- 2
Check the RCD
The RCD is the wider switch, often with a test button. If it's in the down position, it has switched off the entire flat. First unplug all recently used appliances – especially kettles, irons, washing machines, fan heaters – and then flip the RCD back up once.
- 3
Switch appliances back on one at a time
If the switch stays up, plug the appliances back in one after another, waiting briefly each time. If the power cuts out again with a particular appliance, that appliance is the cause, not the installation. Unplug it and have it checked or replaced.
- 4
Note your observations and call us
If the switch trips again without an obvious appliance causing it, won't stay up at all, or you smell something warm, leave the circuit switched off and call us on +49 30 23125102. Please have the following ready: the affected rooms, the switch's label, the time it occurred, and the building's year of construction.
Causes
The most common causes at a glance
In most of the homes we visit, the cause is not a fault in the building's wiring but a single appliance. If you know what to look for, you can often narrow it down within minutes. The following four cases account for the majority of our fault callouts in and around Rendsburg.
Circuit breaker has tripped
The circuit breaker, commonly known as a fuse, cuts off a single circuit when too many appliances are running at once or a short circuit occurs. Only part of the flat goes dark, such as the kitchen or bathroom. You can spot it by the toggle switch that's the only one pointing down.
RCD has tripped
The RCD monitors whether current is leaking through an unintended path, for example through moisture in an outdoor socket or a faulty appliance. It switches off several circuits at once, which is why the whole flat usually goes dark.
Faulty appliance in the circuit
Kettles, fan heaters, old coffee machines, and power supplies are typical culprits. Often the power cuts out at exactly the moment a certain appliance is switched on. This timing is the most valuable clue for us over the phone.
Fault outside the flat
If there's no light in the stairwell or at the neighbours' either, the cause lies in the main distribution, the service connection fuse, or with the grid operator. These areas are sealed and may only be opened by professionals or the grid operator.
Fault repair service
How to prepare for the call
The more precisely you can describe what has failed and what you've already tried, the better we can judge which tools and materials to bring. This noticeably shortens the time needed on site. Note down the following points before you pick up the phone.
- Does the outage affect the whole flat, just one room, or just one socket?
- Do the neighbours or the stairwell have power?
- Which switch in the distribution board is in a different position from the others: a narrow circuit breaker or the wide RCD?
- Can the switch be turned back on, and does it trip again immediately?
- Was a device switched on or newly connected shortly before the outage?
- Was there water, moisture, smoke, or an unusual smell?
- Where is the distribution board located, and is it freely accessible?
When you should stop checking
What to have ready: the full address including floor, a phone number for queries, and, in multi-occupancy buildings, details of who can grant access to the basement or main distribution board. Property management companies should also provide us with the property name and an on-site contact.
Outage still there after checking?
Report the fault, and our fault service will take care of the next steps.