What are traffic jams?
For those who are not good at electrical engineering, but are left with a dim light, it is worth first understanding what these elements of electrical equipment are.
The electric plug resembles an incandescent lamp in appearance, only with a body made of dialectical material and a slightly reduced size. Its main purpose is to protect the circuit of conductive parts from fire, so when there is a short circuit or a network reboot, they automatically de-energize the entire system.
There are two types of traffic jams:
- With a fuse link, which after tripping need to replace the internal fuse;
- Automatic, equipped with on and off buttons.
Regardless of the type, plugs are required in all current circuits, and it is recommended to install several similar elements that control individual wiring elements. Thus, it is popular to divide machines into apartment rooms or separate powerful appliances (refrigerator, titanium, washing machine).
How does a circuit breaker work?
Before finding out the main reasons why circuit breakers fail, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the structure and operating principle of the unit. The machine includes several electromagnetic disconnectors, thermal disconnectors and power contacts.
The peculiarity of the thermal disconnector is that it operates slowly when the rated current is exceeded. The electromagnetic device is triggered in a fraction of a second when the current is excessive or there is a short circuit.
Why does the protection work?
There are only three reasons why a traffic jam can be knocked out:
- Short circuit;
- Excessive load;
- Damage to the device itself.
The most dangerous reason is a short circuit, which can be triggered by a weakened or melted insulating sheath of wires, water getting into them, or a burnt electrical appliance.
With such an outcome, a sharp jump in current occurs in the network, the wiring heats up, and the voltage quickly drops, and traffic jams detect the emergency and automatically de-energize the network. Otherwise, a fire or wiring will burn out.
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If plugs in the meter often break out without dire consequences, then the reason lies in the network overvoltage. By connecting several devices to one branch at once, you risk exceeding the permissible rating, which for a machine is 16 amperes, and for one plug is no more than 2.5 kW.
An excessive load on the circuit is fraught with a short circuit and fire, so it is necessary to control the power and the number of devices connected to one outlet group. Also, the protection is triggered by very powerful motors, since when turned on they cause a strong jump in the circuit.
It is not often that a knocked-out plug signals a malfunction, because, like any device, it can simply fail and turn off falsely. Also, a sudden breakdown of a large household appliance triggers the protection mechanism.
Why does the machine gun knock out in the dashboard: special cases
For a better understanding, let's consider the issue of disconnection in relation to different situations.
Washing machine
When purchasing and connecting a washing machine, you must take into account the power it consumes. The amount of current consumed when heating water to 90 degrees can reach 10 Amperes. That’s why, when you turn on the washing machine, the machine can be knocked out due to a banal overload.
But there are other reasons why the machine in the dashboard knocks out. They are associated with equipment failure.
The main defects of the washing machine that can lead to the shutdown of the AV:
- Failure of the heating element. During washing, the heating element is in the water, where the powder and particles of clothes from the drum are dissolved. This impact has a negative effect on the surface. The shell gradually corrodes, and moisture gets onto the main spiral. The result is a short circuit. The only solution in such circumstances is to install a new heating element.
- Failure of the control board. Like other elements of the washing machine, the control board is exposed to moisture. Oxidation processes occur at the contacts, which over time leads to a short circuit and shutdown of the AP. If such a malfunction is detected, the board must be replaced or repaired.
- Motor failure. The motor is no less a source of risk in a washing machine. When the seal deteriorates or ages, water enters it. The result is a short circuit. The machine in the panel reacts to a sharp increase in current and immediately knocks it out. If an engine breakdown is detected, it must be repaired or replaced.
- The power button is broken. It is this element that bears the greatest load during operation. Over the years, contacts wear out, and due to high humidity, the risk of oxidation increases. Against this background, the probability of short circuit and knocking out of the AB increases. In this case, you need to change the button or make a revision.
We cannot ignore other reasons why the machine knocks out when the washing machine is turned on. The cause may be a damaged socket or a short circuit in the power cord of the device.
Switching off the machine in the panel without load and under load
There are also completely strange situations when the machine in the panel goes out without load. The device appears to be in good condition and should work. There are several possible reasons for this:
- circuit breaker malfunction;
- errors in AV connection;
- short circuit in the network between the AV and sockets or light switches.
To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to inspect the wiring for damage, assess the condition of the sockets and pay attention to the fact that the machine is in good working order.
When you turn on the light
Situations often occur when, at the moment the light is turned on, the machine in the input panel is knocked out. In this case, the entire apartment or house remains without voltage.
The main reason is the combustion of an incandescent light bulb or a short circuit in its base.
To diagnose a breakdown, you need to unscrew each lamp and look at its condition. Another possible reason is a burnt contact in the switch.
In addition, modern chandeliers often have a 12-volt transformer included in the design of the device. Sometimes it fails, causing the machine in the dashboard to be knocked out.
The standard situation cannot be ruled out: network overload. With a small AB rating (6, 10 A), the probability of operation is high.
This problem is eliminated if LED or fluorescent light bulbs are installed in the apartment or house. The cause of the knockout may be the machine itself, which is not connected correctly or is out of order.
Where to go for help?
What to do if the light in the apartment goes out for no obvious reason? If such a question arises, it is better to immediately contact the electricity supply company. Emergency services also operate around the clock, where a dispatcher will quickly answer a call at any time and dispatch a specialist to solve the problem.
However, you can install and fix the problem yourself.
Out of traffic jams where to call
Often, residents who have lived in the house for a long time have their own keys. In this case, after an emergency blackout of the apartment, the panel must be closed.
This will protect curious children and adult residents of the house from injury. The apartment panel may contain several groups of switches. One group may be responsible for the light in the rooms, the other for the current in the sockets.
In order to de-energize the apartment in this case, it will be necessary to move all the toggle switches of the machine to the lower position or find a common switch to which phase and zero are connected. It is this switch that is responsible for introducing electricity into the apartment.
Such a switch is located under your group in the electrical panel. If the condition of the consumer’s home is unsatisfactory, the percentage of emergencies and accidents increases sharply, so a representative of the housing inspection makes a decision to stop the supply of electricity to the emergency room.
Who to call if there is a traffic jam in your apartment. What to do if there is no electricity in the house
The next step is to check the plugs or circuit breakers (circuit breaker, in common parlance, circuit breaker) on the panel.
Everyone can cope with this. Circuit breakers are designed to protect circuits from overloads.
If the power supply is unstable, the consumption rate is exceeded, the plug is short-circuited, or the machine “knocks out.” If there is: any damage to the power transmission cables (power lines), as well as wiring in the house or on the territory, the smell of burning and melting plastic, the appearance of smoke, charring of the wires, you cannot try to fix the problem yourself, turn on knocked out plugs or machines!
You should contact a professional electrician if a problem occurs in your home or call a power line maintenance service.
How to turn it back on
The instructions on how to turn on the plugs if they are knocked out are simple:
- For a plug with a fuse, unscrew the element (you can do it without gloves, since the body is made of non-conducting material), install a new insert, and screw it into place;
- For a machine - press the power button or raise the lever to the operating position.
Important! Don't rush to turn on the current again! Before restarting the network, it is necessary to clearly determine the reason for the protection operation and eliminate the source of the trouble.
What you need to know in advance
First and most important: if you have knocked out old type plugs with “bugs”, do not reinstall them, not only for safety reasons. Repairing any modern equipment included in a faulty network can cost much more than buying several automatic plugs.
Go to section: Panel equipment
Secondly, before looking for the reasons for the operation of circuit breakers, you must turn off everything that is plugged into the sockets or through standard switches. Trial switching on and off are carried out only on de-energized wiring sequentially: first we turn off the general circuit breaker, then we remove the plugs from the sockets and turn off the switches. If you need to check any device or lamp, first plug it into the outlet and only then turn on the machine. Follow this procedure each time until the problem is identified or until you check everything.
Third, to check the presence of voltage in the apartment during a test run and not risk expensive equipment, use a tester.
View the tester on the website
We look for reasons and fix the problem
Even an experienced electrician will not immediately say what caused the sudden power outage. In order to draw accurate conclusions and begin repairing or adjusting the circuit, you must take the following troubleshooting steps:
- Make sure that the traffic jams have been knocked out and that the electricity has not been cut off for external reasons;
- Check the voltage supply to the shield;
- Go around all living areas, carefully inspect sockets and switches for fire (burning smell, darkening of the surface, sparks, smoke);
- Re-engage the plugs.
If the next knockout does not occur, then the reason was a malfunction of the machine and the problem was successfully resolved. If the situation repeats, the investigation should be continued:
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- Disconnect all electrical appliances from the network, light switches, heated floors and other network elements.
- Reapply voltage.
Broken plugs at this stage are a signal of problematic wiring. Never turn on the power, call an electrician, or check the entire circuit yourself, from the junction box to the outlets.
If the network functions normally without load, then the situation is a short circuit, network overload or a malfunction of a specific device.
Then we proceed according to the scheme:
- Carefully inspect each outlet: unscrew the decorative plastic cover and try to detect signs of a short circuit (charred wires, smoke, burning smell).
- Visually examine the functionality of all devices, check the integrity of the case, plug, and cords.
- Plug in each electrical appliance one by one.
- If all devices work correctly individually, it is recommended to reconsider the network load: redistribute the devices across several branches, draw a new wiring line for particularly powerful equipment.
Causes of power outage
Don’t immediately panic and call the emergency services or a familiar electrician. Perhaps the reason is trivial, we can handle it ourselves. Loss of electricity is an unpleasant, often unexpected moment. But there are only two reasons for his absence:
- Power supply is temporarily limited. Work is underway on a section of the electrical network - city, street, public, or an accident has occurred;
- Malfunction of apartment wiring, equipment, household appliances or appliances located inside.
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