The root cause of a nonworking light fixture isn’t always easy to pinpoint, but figuring out why it’s suddenly gone dark will help homeowners get the lights back on sooner. As a leading residential electrician in Tacoma, WA, S&E Electric has a few suggestions to help you assess why the lights in your home have gone out.

When the lights go out, here are five potential culprits:

• Blown Fuse: Check to see if other electrical fixtures in the same vicinity have also stopped working. If so, it’s possible you’ve blown a fuse and simply need to reset the breaker.
• Faulty Bulb: Bulbs don’t always last as long as their promised lifespan. If one lamp in particular is failing to turn on, try replacing the bulb. It’s also possible the bulb may have come loose and just requires a little jiggle to set it right.
• Bad Socket: Should you find the previous two problems aren’t the issue, the socket could be to blame. Before trying to find out, make sure you’ve shut off the power to the socket. You can then see if the socket tab has been bent, which could prevent it from making a connection to the bulb. If that doesn’t appear to be causing it, you can also purchase a socket tester to see if the socket is bad altogether.
• Old Cord: Either the cord connectors or the cord itself could be the reason an older fixture is no longer working. Check both for any significant wear and replace them if needed.
• Interrupted Circuit Path: If you’ve gone down the troubleshooting list and the problem still occurs, there could be a problem occurring within your circuit path, which means it’s time to give your local residential electrician a call.

While some minor electrical hiccups have easy fixes, others require the help of a trained electrician and should be left to the professionals for safety reasons. If your home needs any type of electric repair, call S&E Electric at (253) 272-5813 for prompt, reliable service. You can also visit the commercial and residential electrician online to learn more.