Have you suffered an individual or general power failure?
The first thing to do in the event of a power outage is to check whether it only affects your building or whether the whole neighbourhood is affected. If the whole neighbourhood is affected, it’s probably a failure in the distribution network. Contact your electricity supplier by calling the number specified on your last bill.
If you are the only one to experience a power outage, this means the fault is in your installation. If this is the case, the following tips can help you identify the source of the problem. In some cases, you may be able to restore the electricity yourself. Something like a circuit breaker can easily be reset, for example.
If the issue is more complicated, the precautions you have taken make it easier for your technician to act. If in doubt, always contact an electrician.
Fuses and circuit breakers
Electrical systems are protected by circuit breakers which react to excessive current loads caused by the simultaneous use of too many appliances, a faulty appliance or a fault in the installation. This system protects you against fire in case of an overload or short circuit by automatically cutting off the current.
If a fuse has been damaged, it needs to be replaced by a specialist technician. If a current in excess of a certain value went through the fuse, the metal filament inside the fuse will melt.
Circuit breakers can be reset several times. Only if the circuit breaker has tripped can you “switch the power back on” yourself, simply by resetting it. In colloquial terms, we say that “the fuse has tripped (or blown)”.
The differential switch
In addition to the traditional function of a fuse or circuit breaker, which protects electrical circuits against overloads and short circuits, differential switches (a.k.a. residual current breakers) protect property and people against direct and indirect contact. The aim is to prevent any risk of electrocution.
Their role is to cut off the power supply in the event of an insulation fault (or loss of current) in an installation. They constantly compare the phase current rating with the neutral current rating.
In the event of an insulation fault, the current will be drained off via the protective earth conductor, enabling the residual current device to detect a potential difference and cut the power supply to the installation.
Triggering the general protection
If the power outage has been caused by a faulty appliance or too many appliances being used at the same time, in most cases you will notice this quite easily. The current will be cut off as a result of connecting either the damaged appliance or the “excess” appliance that has caused an overload.
In this case, after disconnecting the offending machine(s), check the protection device on your distribution panel. If you have an automatic circuit breaker, reset it. If the outage reoccurs when you connect a particular appliance, contact a technician. Act likewise if a fuse needs replacing or if you are in any doubt.