An Appliance Stops Working

If only one appliance suddenly stops working and there were no flames, sparks or big bangs to indicate that it was a malfunction in the appliance itself, unplug it and try it in a different socket. If it is still not working, check the cord’s connection with the plug, as well as the appliance, If one of the connections seems loose or frail, unplug the appliance and try to repair the connection. You will either have to unscrew the plug, or dissemble the appliance to get to the cord connection.

If it seems that you are going to have to take apart the appliance, we suggest you have a look at the guarantee. If it’s still valid, hands off! Just take the appliance back to the store and let them fix it. If the guarantee is no longer valid and you are adventurous at heart, go ahead, have a ball. It’s not working, so as long as you make sure you cannot electrocute yourself by unplugging the appliance before you start, you really don’t have much to lose. And you’ll feel super cool if you actually manage to fix it. Look for a loose connection, or something that looks out of place.

If you don’t feel adventurous, take the appliance to someone who is actually qualified to fix it. Check what a new appliance would cost you and get a quote for the repairs so that you can make a sensible decision about having it repaired or simply buying a new one.

If the appliance actually worked when plugged into another socket, check the switchboard to see if anything has tripped. If so, follow the instructions below. If not and you have ascertained that only that one socket is malfunctioning by testing other appliances on it, you may need to call in a qualified electrician (let your fingers do the walking …).

Several things stop working

Check the switchboard — you will probably find one of the switches down. Switch off all the appliances that could possibly have caused an overload. Unplug all of them. Restore the switch on the switchboard to its active position (up). Re-plug and switch on each of the appliances one at a time. If nothing trips it again it means that too many appliances where on at the same time drawing too much electricity. Be selective with which appliances you want on at the same time to prevent this from happening again or redistribute them, if possible.

If switching on one of the appliances causes the power to trip again, you’ve found the culprit — hey presto! There may be a short in the wiring or, if it’s the kettle, water on the plug or the wiring. See the instructions for when one appliance stops working for further information.

Nothing works

If you’re working on a pre-paid system, make sure you haven’t run out. If you have a meter and you have definitely paid your electricity bill, something may have tripped the main switch. Follow the same procedures as above to identify the trouble maker and if you succeed, try to rectify the problem by checking the wiring to the plug and the appliance. If the main switch trips on a regular basis, or when you switch on a light, for instance, there may be a problem with the wiring of your home and you need to have this checked by a qualified electrician.

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