top 5 electrical troubleshooting tips

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Is troubleshooting a skill or something you're born with? I think you can train to be a wire whisperer. Here are some tips, tricks and stories. What about you guys? What would you add?

(removed link....)
 
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cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
I always tell new guys to pay attention to what the symptoms are and then pay attention to what you did to fix it. If you just get lucky and fix it, then you haven't learned anything and you'll have to do it all over next time.

Also always start at the easiest place first. Receptacle not working go to the panel and check the breaker, then the connection and then the neutral connection and work your way out.

And never rule anything out right off the bat.
 

templdl

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
I always tell new guys to pay attention to what the symptoms are and then pay attention to what you did to fix it. If you just get lucky and fix it, then you haven't learned anything and you'll have to do it all over next time.

Also always start at the easiest place first. Receptacle not working go to the panel and check the breaker, then the connection and then the neutral connection and work your way out.

And never rule anything out right off the bat.
One thing that I feel that is important is to only make one change at a time. If you make more than one at a time it is difficult to know which one corrected the issue.
 

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
Ok. Good idea. I'll make sure I post the content

Ok...so, go ahead.

Anyway, I found your link because you posted it elsewhere on the internet with the exact same text in your comment. I felt like they were pretty vague tips to be "top 5", but decent tips.

I always ask the customer more than once when they noticed the problem and what was happening around that time. Many times after the second or third time I ask they come up with new information. For instance:
Me: When did this start happening?
Customer: Yesterday.
Me: Was anything happening yesterday? Any work going on or were you cleaning, organizing, hanging shelves? Anything like that?
Cust: No.
Me: OK, when was the last time they turned on?
Cust: Probably in the spring when it got dark earlier.
Me: Oh, so they probably haven't worked for awhile.
Cust: Yes, but I just noticed yesterday.
Me: Was there anything going on in the spring?
Customer: No...just... we had that shed delivered.

At this point, I walk out to the shed and see a wire sticking out of the ground that had been cut when they embedded concrete blocks to rest the shed on.
 

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
Give the breakers a light push to the off position, or better yet push each breaker off and back on. A tripped breaker may not look tripped.

An extension cord plugged into a properly working receptacle is good to use. Sometimes the lack of an EGC makes it difficult to reference when you're trying to determine if the hot or the neutral is the problem. Also, if you find a ground, but no hot or neutral you can look for a tripped gfci.

If you open a box and don't find a problem, don't close up the box until you HAVE found the problem. So many times it didn't look like there was a problem only to realize that wires were crossed that looked and tested totally normal. For example the travelers on a 3-way.

BULBS! Check the bulbs...er lamps. Even when the customer says they replaced the bulbs, it's still possible the new bulb was already burned out or broken or otherwise NFG.
 
Ok...so, go ahead.

Anyway, I found your link because you posted it elsewhere on the internet with the exact same text in your comment. I felt like they were pretty vague tips to be "top 5", but decent tips.

I always ask the customer more than once when they noticed the problem and what was happening around that time. Many times after the second or third time I ask they come up with new information. For instance:
Me: When did this start happening?
Customer: Yesterday.
Me: Was anything happening yesterday? Any work going on or were you cleaning, organizing, hanging shelves? Anything like that?
Cust: No.
Me: OK, when was the last time they turned on?
Cust: Probably in the spring when it got dark earlier.
Me: Oh, so they probably haven't worked for awhile.
Cust: Yes, but I just noticed yesterday.
Me: Was there anything going on in the spring?
Customer: No...just... we had that shed delivered.

At this point, I walk out to the shed and see a wire sticking out of the ground that had been cut when they embedded concrete blocks to rest the shed on.


If I had to pick one thing that differentiates a meh electrician from an awesome electrician, it’s troubleshooting skills. The ability to identify a problem and then fix it not only makes you look like a rock star but it feels pretty good too.

To often though, people who are good at troubleshooting are looked at as “the wire whisperer”. Guess what? It is a skill like everything else. This means it can be learned and practiced.

What does that mean for you? Fame, fortune, love? Sure all of those things but also being able to go to bed knowing that you can trouble shoot electrical problems like a boss.

Here are a list of tips that I have compiled. This list is in no particular order and is by no means the most definitive list out there. Feel free to add and share (because sharing is caring boys and girls)

1-Your most valuable tools.
Yeah you need a meter and hand tools, but when it comes to troubleshooting your two most valuable tools are you eyes and your nose. Take a look around, don’t just wait for the problem to present itself, go looking for it.

Often times a fault is accompanied with a burning smell. I have found many a problem by sniffing it out.

2- It’s not me it’s you.
When it comes to Electrical troubleshooting make sure that the problem is a local one and not more widespread. What I mean is, are you sure that the problem is just in the house/plant/building that you are at? Perhaps it is a utility problem. I wish I could have all the time back I spent trying to track down a problem only to discover that the utility company had a line out. As an example I received a trouble call from a customer who lived a fair distance away. He called stating that all his baseboard heat wasn’t working and that about half of his circuits were on the fritz. I talked him through a bunch of steps on the phone when I realized something. I asked him to go over to his next door neighbour and ask if they were having the same issues. Turned out that they did and a quick call to hydro confirmed that a tree had knocked out a line.

When you’re troubleshooting electrical problems, it’s not always you problem.

3- Don’t trust anyone.

Often times when a customer calls they are in a panic. They may not be telling you the whole story or don’t even really fully understand what the issue is. Check it out for yourself. When working out of a service truck I would have many people tell me exactly what the problem was. When I would arrive on site, it would have nothing to do with what they described.

People mean well and unfortunately some people think they know more than they do. Another problem I ran into with electrical troubleshooting was people not telling the complete truth. I would get called out to plants for an issue only to find that there was no issue. The operators wanted some down time and completely made the fault up. At that point you are looking for something that does not exist and this can be beyond frustrating.

4- What is it supposed to do?
Investigate the process. What is the system supposed to do? Maybe a motor won’t turn on until a limit switch has been tripped. Maybe the baseboard heaters are interlocked with the cooling system? Ask what the sequence of events are, there is a chance it hasn’t run through its sequence yet.

5- Read the fine print.
Try to get your hands on as much documentation as you can and look it over. Plant prints, schematics, wiring diagrams, manuals; treat these like maps. If you can’t find any, get out your smart phone and look it up (this is the one time it is acceptable to look at your phone). There are lots of clues and places to look in the documentation, don’t neglect it.


Bonus round
Ok I know the title says 5 but there are a couple more that I think are important and who has heard of a top 7 list?

6- Ask questions.

Don’t try to be a hero and lone ranger it on your own. While it is great to push yourself and figure it out on your own, there also comes a time to call in the troops (Even he had Tonto).

Make sure you have someone in your company or network that you can bounce ideas off of. This goes for apprentices right up to 40 year veterans. There is no shame in asking for help. Perhaps they can see something that you have missed.

As cliche as it sounds, the only stupid question is the one not asked.

7- Be safe.
I know, I know, all the safety stuff can be a pain in the ass but you know what? They work and are there for a reason. Make sure you are wearing the proper PPE, isolating where possible, communicating with whoever you need to, but most of all go home at the end of the day.

No work day is worth being your last day on earth.

Final thoughts?
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are a ton more tips and tricks out there. What would you like to add to the list? What have you done in the past? Any stories? This is a place to share so lets hear them.

Make sure to share this with your fellow electricians in the troops.

Stay Classy


Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
 
If I had to pick one thing that differentiates a meh electrician from an awesome electrician, it’s troubleshooting skills. The ability to identify a problem and then fix it not only makes you look like a rock star but it feels pretty good too.

To often though, people who are good at troubleshooting are looked at as “the wire whisperer”. Guess what? It is a skill like everything else. This means it can be learned and practiced.

What does that mean for you? Fame, fortune, love? Sure all of those things but also being able to go to bed knowing that you can trouble shoot electrical problems like a boss.

Here are a list of tips that I have compiled. This list is in no particular order and is by no means the most definitive list out there. Feel free to add and share (because sharing is caring boys and girls)

1-Your most valuable tools.
Yeah you need a meter and hand tools, but when it comes to troubleshooting your two most valuable tools are you eyes and your nose. Take a look around, don’t just wait for the problem to present itself, go looking for it.

Often times a fault is accompanied with a burning smell. I have found many a problem by sniffing it out.

2- It’s not me it’s you.
When it comes to Electrical troubleshooting make sure that the problem is a local one and not more widespread. What I mean is, are you sure that the problem is just in the house/plant/building that you are at? Perhaps it is a utility problem. I wish I could have all the time back I spent trying to track down a problem only to discover that the utility company had a line out. As an example I received a trouble call from a customer who lived a fair distance away. He called stating that all his baseboard heat wasn’t working and that about half of his circuits were on the fritz. I talked him through a bunch of steps on the phone when I realized something. I asked him to go over to his next door neighbour and ask if they were having the same issues. Turned out that they did and a quick call to hydro confirmed that a tree had knocked out a line.

When you’re troubleshooting electrical problems, it’s not always you problem.

3- Don’t trust anyone.

Often times when a customer calls they are in a panic. They may not be telling you the whole story or don’t even really fully understand what the issue is. Check it out for yourself. When working out of a service truck I would have many people tell me exactly what the problem was. When I would arrive on site, it would have nothing to do with what they described.

People mean well and unfortunately some people think they know more than they do. Another problem I ran into with electrical troubleshooting was people not telling the complete truth. I would get called out to plants for an issue only to find that there was no issue. The operators wanted some down time and completely made the fault up. At that point you are looking for something that does not exist and this can be beyond frustrating.

4- What is it supposed to do?
Investigate the process. What is the system supposed to do? Maybe a motor won’t turn on until a limit switch has been tripped. Maybe the baseboard heaters are interlocked with the cooling system? Ask what the sequence of events are, there is a chance it hasn’t run through its sequence yet.

5- Read the fine print.
Try to get your hands on as much documentation as you can and look it over. Plant prints, schematics, wiring diagrams, manuals; treat these like maps. If you can’t find any, get out your smart phone and look it up (this is the one time it is acceptable to look at your phone). There are lots of clues and places to look in the documentation, don’t neglect it.


Bonus round
Ok I know the title says 5 but there are a couple more that I think are important and who has heard of a top 7 list?

6- Ask questions.

Don’t try to be a hero and lone ranger it on your own. While it is great to push yourself and figure it out on your own, there also comes a time to call in the troops (Even he had Tonto).

Make sure you have someone in your company or network that you can bounce ideas off of. This goes for apprentices right up to 40 year veterans. There is no shame in asking for help. Perhaps they can see something that you have missed.

As cliche as it sounds, the only stupid question is the one not asked.

7- Be safe.
I know, I know, all the safety stuff can be a pain in the ass but you know what? They work and are there for a reason. Make sure you are wearing the proper PPE, isolating where possible, communicating with whoever you need to, but most of all go home at the end of the day.

No work day is worth being your last day on earth.

Final thoughts?
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are a ton more tips and tricks out there. What would you like to add to the list? What have you done in the past? Any stories? This is a place to share so lets hear them.

Make sure to share this with your fellow electricians in the troops.

Stay Classy


Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Sorry for the delay :)

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
 
Ok...so, go ahead.

Anyway, I found your link because you posted it elsewhere on the internet with the exact same text in your comment. I felt like they were pretty vague tips to be "top 5", but decent tips.

I always ask the customer more than once when they noticed the problem and what was happening around that time. Many times after the second or third time I ask they come up with new information. For instance:
Me: When did this start happening?
Customer: Yesterday.
Me: Was anything happening yesterday? Any work going on or were you cleaning, organizing, hanging shelves? Anything like that?
Cust: No.
Me: OK, when was the last time they turned on?
Cust: Probably in the spring when it got dark earlier.
Me: Oh, so they probably haven't worked for awhile.
Cust: Yes, but I just noticed yesterday.
Me: Was there anything going on in the spring?
Customer: No...just... we had that shed delivered.

At this point, I walk out to the shed and see a wire sticking out of the ground that had been cut when they embedded concrete blocks to rest the shed on.


lol. If we had a dollar for every trouble call like that we wouldn't have to be electricians.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
I love troubleshooting and have been told I am good at it. I think that is the best tool to have, a love for the task. If you hate troubleshooting and get frustrated easily and start throwing things around, troubleshooting is not for you.

To me it's like detective work or hunting. As far as tips, I could write a book on them. Customer stories would make a good sized chapter.

Each job is so different that it's hard to apply any one 'tip' to all jobs, other than if you like it, stay at it and you will get better and faster.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
One person either said or implied that troubleshooting can be learned. I agree and disagree. People can develop decent skill, but I think good troubleshooting is an innate skill. Just like athletics or music. You can become decent with hard work. You can only be great if you are born with it. Troubleshooting is a set of skills. Not troubleshooting electrical, or troubleshooting cars, but troubleshooting ANYTHING.

That said, my additions to the topic:

First and foremost and it was mentioned as like #4. Figure out what the thing is supposed to do. I have always said, "If can figure out what it is supposed to do and how, I can fix it."

Second Don't go off willy nilly. Think about what you are going to do. Know what you expect as a result of what you are going to do. And then evaluate the results against this. Don't stick a meter in somewhere and THEN think, "Why did it read this?"

Third, split the system in equal parts. I can explain easiest with a car. There are three basic categories of problems. fuel, spark (electricity) and mechanical. Don't start with checking the pressure of the fuel pump or that the spark plugs aren't fouled. First determine whether the problem is fuel related or electrical related.

One last thing. Don't forget to check the obvious things. Is it plugged in?
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
  1. Is it plugged in?
  2. Are you SURE it's plugged in?
  3. Are you REALLY sure it's plugged in?
  4. Is the power on?
  5. Are you SURE the power is on?
Eliminates about 80% of trouble calls...
 

gar

Senior Member
Location
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Occupation
EE
150620-0913 EDT

flinnagin72:

To make a direct precise copy of a picture or written material without permision is a violation of copyright law.

If you take a photo of anything then that is automatically copywritten at the time of creation. Same for written material. There are some rules for copying a portion of copywritten material, but these are moderately limiting.

.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
150620-0913 EDT

flinnagin72:

To make a direct precise copy of a picture or written material without permision is a violation of copyright law.

If you take a photo of anything then that is automatically copywritten at the time of creation. Same for written material. There are some rules for copying a portion of copywritten material, but these are moderately limiting.

.
Gar, the material is his.

Roger
 

ATSman

ATSman
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Occupation
Electrical Engineer/ Electrical Testing & Controls
Dried Grease Is Our Friend

Dried Grease Is Our Friend

Ok, I may as well put in my two cents. I know this is pretty specific but it can be applied to other apparatus as well. I would say that about 80% of the problems I see with Automatic Transfer Switches are mechanical (not electrical) in nature.................DRIED GREASE![/ Over time and due to the lack of PROPER PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE the petroleum based greases (and I don't care what type it is, except for Mobil 32 SHC) dry out causing mechanical linkages to bind and not move or reset properly. Solenoids cannot switch and lock in the contacts and with the old relay logic, sit there and burn up. I can't tell you how many ATS units I have replaced solenoids and rewired due to this problem. This also applies to Air Frame Circuit Breakers not closing, or opening as well.....
All Manufacturers (I am sure ZOG can attest to this.)
Customers do not like to hear it when I tell them "Dried Grease Is Our Friend!" ;)
 
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