What to Do When the Power Goes Out?

Losing power in your Perth home is stressful at any time but particularly so late at night or over a weekend when getting help feels harder. Before you call an emergency electrician there are a few things worth checking yourself because some power outages are network issues that Western Power needs to resolve rather than faults inside your home. Here is a clear guide to what to do and when to pick up the phone.
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Check whether the outage is affecting your street or suburb

The first thing to do when you lose power is check whether your neighbours are also affected. If the houses around you are dark there is a strong chance the fault is on the Western Power network rather than inside your home. Western Power maintains an outage map at westernpower.com.au that shows current faults and estimated restoration times across the Perth metro network. You can also call Western Power directly on 13 13 51. If there is a confirmed network outage in your area then Western Power's crews are already working on it and there is nothing an electrician can do until the network supply is restored.

Check your switchboard if the outage is isolated to your property

If your neighbours have power and you do not then the fault is inside your home. Go to your switchboard and look at the circuit breakers and safety switch. Circuit breakers that have tripped will typically sit in the middle or off position rather than clearly on. The safety switch will have a test button and a reset lever and if it has tripped the lever will be in the down position.

If a circuit breaker has tripped switch it firmly to the off position first and then back to on. If it trips again immediately there is a fault on that circuit and you should leave it off and call an electrician. If the safety switch has tripped try resetting it by pushing the lever firmly upward. If it resets and holds you can then check whether the issue was caused by a faulty appliance by unplugging everything on that circuit and resetting again. If it trips again with nothing plugged in there is an earth fault in the wiring and you need a licensed electrician.

Know when to call an emergency electrician without delay

Some electrical faults can wait until the next business day and some cannot. Call an emergency electrician immediately if you notice a burning smell coming from your switchboard or any power point in the home, if you see sparks from any fitting, power point, or at the switchboard itself, if the safety switch will not reset or keeps tripping every time you push it back up, if you have partial power loss throughout the home and cannot identify which circuit is affected, or if there is any visible damage to wiring, fittings, or the switchboard enclosure.

These situations present a genuine risk of electrical fire or further fault progression if left overnight and they should be treated as emergencies regardless of the time. Nexus Electrical Co answers emergency calls 24 hours a day seven days a week across all Perth metro suburbs and a real person picks up the phone rather than an answering machine.

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What the electrician will do when they arrive

When an emergency electrician arrives at your home they will carry out a fault finding process that typically begins at the switchboard and works through the affected circuits systematically. They will use testing equipment to identify where the fault is located, whether it is in the wiring, a fitting, or an appliance, and what is needed to make the installation safe again. In most cases a temporary isolation of the affected circuit is possible so the rest of the home can be returned to power while the repair is scheduled. In more serious cases a full shutdown may be required until the fault is repaired the following day.

Nexus Electrical Co — 24 hour emergency electrician Perth

Nexus Electrical Co is based in Balcatta and responds to electrical emergencies across Perth metro around the clock. Call 0449 574 575 at any time of day or night and a member of the team will answer and advise you on the next step.