Who this is for: Hosts and Cleaning Companies working in a Landing home.
When to check the breaker box
Check the breaker box if any of these happen while you are on a job.
The washer or dryer is not working, or stops while you are using it
The dishwasher is not working, or stops while you are using it
The lights go out while you are working
The outlets in a room are not working
The air conditioning is not working, or stops
The fridge is not working
The oven is not working
The garbage disposal is not working
A tripped breaker is a common cause of all of these, and it is often a two minute fix.
Staying safe around a breaker box
Before you touch anything, stop and look. Do not open or touch the panel if any of the following is true.
There is a burning or scorched smell
Any part of the panel is discoloured, scorched, or melted
The panel is buzzing, crackling, or humming
The panel or the floor around it is wet
You would have to stand in water to reach it
In any of those cases, leave it alone and start a chat with Landing straight away.
Otherwise:
Use one hand only, and keep your other hand off the panel and off anything metal.
Do not remove the panel cover. You only need the switches, which are visible with the door open.
If a breaker is hot to the touch, do not reset it. Report it.
If you are not comfortable doing this, you do not have to. Tell Landing and they will handle it.
How to find the breaker box
The breaker box is a grey or white metal panel with a hinged door, usually mounted flat on a wall at about chest height. Check these places, in roughly this order.
A utility closet or laundry closet, often alongside the water heater or the internet equipment
A hallway or entryway wall, sometimes behind a plain door that matches the wall
A bedroom closet, usually on the back wall
The kitchen or a pantry, more common in smaller apartments
A garage or parking area, in ground floor or townhouse style homes
If you cannot find it, ask the property. Staff will know where the panel is in that building. If that does not work, start a chat with Landing.
What a tripped breaker looks like
Each switch has three positions: on, off, and tripped.
A tripped breaker sits between on and off, so it looks slightly out of line with the switches either side of it. That misalignment is the quickest way to spot it, rather than working through the panel one switch at a time. Some breakers also have a small coloured window that shows when they have tripped.
If the breaker box is labelled
The labels tell you which switch controls which room or appliance.
Find the switch for the appliance, room, or lights that are not working.
Push the switch fully to off first, then back to on. This matters. A tripped breaker will not reset if you only push it up from the middle position.
Restart the appliance, or turn the lights back on.
If it still does not work, start a chat with Landing straight away, so Landing can submit a maintenance request or delay a member check in if that is needed.
A label reading Receptacles means the outlets in that part of the home.
If the labels are only on the inside of the door
Many panels have no labels on the face, but a directory chart printed or handwritten on the inside of the door. Read across from the switch number to find what it controls.
These charts are often incomplete, with only the first few circuits filled in. If the switch you need is listed, treat the panel as labelled and follow the steps above. If it is blank or you cannot make it out, treat the panel as unlabelled.
If the breaker box is not labelled
Do not start flipping switches to find the right one. You risk cutting power to something that is working, including a fridge or an appliance mid cycle.
Start a chat with Landing straight away, so Landing can submit a maintenance request or delay a member check in if that is needed.
If the breaker trips again
If a breaker trips again shortly after you reset it, that is a fault rather than a one off. Do not keep resetting it.
Submit a maintenance request. See Making a Maintenance Request for how, and set the Issue Type to Electricity.
Tell Landing in the chat as well, so they know the home has an electrical problem before the next member arrives.