If your apartment loses power, it’s important to know who to call. Not only will the power company help you get it back on, they will also be able to take care of any damage that may have occurred in your apartment.
First, check your breaker box and circuit breakers. Many modern circuit breakers have little windows that will change color when the switch has been tripped.
Check Your Breaker Box
Your breaker box, also called a fuse panel or main electrical panel, is the key to your home’s power supply. It protects your appliances and equipment from excess electricity, and it shuts off automatically when an overload occurs.
Most breaker boxes are located in a basement, garage, or utility closet. They’re usually painted gray or matte white to blend in with the surrounding area.
Depending on your brand of breaker, you’ll see several toggles inside the breaker box. Look for one that is stuck in between the on and off positions, indicating that it’s tripped.
Another clue is a little indicator window that shows green or black. If the window is displaying red, or halfway between green and black, the breaker has tripped.
If the breaker is tripped, flip it all the way to the off position. This resets the internal mechanism that allows you to turn it back on.
You should be able to turn on your lights, heaters, and other appliances again. If you don’t want to risk resetting the breaker, you can turn off your appliances and try again later.
It’s best to only run a few devices on a circuit at once, and avoid running multiple devices in the same space. This will help you save energy, but it may also create short circuits that trip breakers.
Tripped breakers can be caused by overloading a circuit, or by a short circuit in the wiring. Typically, these trips happen when a hot wire comes into contact with a neutral or copper ground wire.
The safest way to test a breaker is with a multimeter. Place the black wire in the COM labeled port and the red in the neutral bar, then measure current with your meter.
If you’re unsure of the location of your breaker box, ask your landlord or property manager to show you where it is. Knowing where it is will help you troubleshoot when the power goes out and save money on calls to a professional electrician.
Check With Your Neighbors
One of the best ways to deal with a power outage in an apartment is to check with your neighbors. Depending on the situation, you might be able to get some assistance in figuring out what to do next, like how to turn off your water or gas, and who to call when power goes out in your area.
When power goes out, it’s easy to feel lost and confused about what you should do next. You may be tempted to reach out to your property manager and ask them to send someone out to fix the problem, but that can be very time-consuming and risky.
The first step is to check your breaker box and see if the power has come back on. The breaker box is usually located on the wall, often behind a gray cover.
If it doesn’t, try checking with your neighbors and nearby friends to see if they have electricity. This can be an extremely frustrating and worrisome task, but it can also help you figure out what to do next.
Another option is to conduct a background check on your neighbors, especially if you suspect that one of them has a criminal past. Using a service like TruthFinder, you can find out their criminal records and whether or not they have a sex offender record, for instance.
A criminal record doesn’t mean that your neighbor is dangerous, but it can alert you to a problem with their behavior. For example, if you notice that a neighbor who was convicted of a drug crime recently starts having frequent drive-by visitors at their home, it might be worth looking them up on TruthFinder to find out more about their past.
If you’re a busy parent with multiple kids, it can be difficult to find time to talk with your neighbors or stay in contact when the power is out. Keeping in touch via video chat and email can help you and your family stay connected during a power outage, so it’s a good idea to set up these communication channels as soon as possible.
Contact Your Property Manager
When power goes out in an apartment, it can be a stressful situation. No one wants to handle an emergency, but it’s important to have the right information and resources on hand to help you get through the crisis.
First, make sure that your breaker box is working properly. You should always check this before there’s an issue, so you can fix any problems before they become bigger.
If your breaker is working fine, then the next step is to check with your property manager about what’s going on. They should be able to tell you what’s happening and what steps the electric company is taking to remedy the situation.
Another thing to do is to look around your building or complex for signs of an outage. If the windows in all of your neighboring buildings are dark, this is a sign that there’s an issue with the power system for the entire complex.
In addition, your property manager can also let you know what is occurring in the community and whether or not it affects your unit. This can be a good way to determine what is the best course of action to take, so you can avoid unnecessary stress and damage to your apartment.
You should always keep a contact number with you at all times, especially for emergencies that occur after normal operating hours. This way, you can be accessible to answer your tenant’s questions, guide them on their next steps and maintain a good relationship with them during their tenancy.
It’s also a good idea to provide your tenants with key fobs instead of traditional metal keys so that you can access their apartments in the event that they lose their keys. You can also have them give you a call in the event that they’re locked out, so that you can get them a new key.
Providing your tenants with a good experience during their tenancy is the best way to encourage them to stay long-term. By keeping them informed and helping them with any problems that they may encounter, you can create a strong and positive relationship with them that will make them more likely to stay in your building when it comes time to renew their leases.
Call the Electric Company
When power goes out in your apartment, it’s important to know who to call and how to contact them. Whether your outage is due to a storm, malfunction in your electrical system or a faulty appliance, the electric company needs to be contacted immediately.
Fortunately, this process is relatively simple. First, you’ll want to check your breaker box. This can be found in a bedroom closet or on a wall in the hallway. Most breaker boxes are labeled with the corresponding breakers, and they have little windows that change color when they’re tripped. If you’re not sure what the breaker for your apartment is, ask someone who knows.
Once you’ve checked your breaker, call the electric company and let them know about the outage. This will help to ensure that they can send someone to your apartment as soon as possible to fix the problem.
If the outage is a long one, you’ll need to have a backup plan for your electronics and phone. Having a charger for your laptop and cell phone will be very helpful, as will extra batteries for flashlights and other battery-powered equipment.
Additionally, you’ll need to have bottled water and other supplies on hand that don’t require electricity. This includes non-perishable foods, a flashlight and a battery-operated radio or TV.
Having these items in your apartment can help make the outage much less stressful and will allow you to keep up with news and updates while you wait for your electricity to be restored. Also, having these items on hand will help you get through the outage without spending money on gas for a car or other travel expenses.
You’ll also need to make a list of your emergency contacts, including your property manager or landlord, and keep this on hand. You may want to consider storing these documents in waterproof containers. In addition, it’s a good idea to establish relationships with people in your neighborhood so that you can better communicate during a power outage.