Service call troubleshooting routine, what do you check first? where did you stumble first?

[Alan]

End of January 2026 check in for the Electricians Forum. I want to start a practical thread for the benefit of newer electricians who are building their service call troubleshooting routine. A lot of time gets burned chasing symptoms when a simple first check would have pointed to the real issue.

What’s your go-to routine when you walk into a service call, and what do you always check first? Share the order you like to follow, what questions you ask the customer, and what quick tests save you the most time. Real-world examples are welcome, because those are the ones people remember on the next call.

 

[ViktorArseid]

I ask the customer to show me exactly what “not working” means and what else is on the same area. Any recent DIY, new appliance, water event, or flickering before it died. I used to skip that and jump into the panel, then realize later it was tied to a timer, a smart switch, or a tripped GFCI in a totally different room.

 

[General_Valeria]

First check is always the obvious power path. Breaker not half-tripped, GFCI upstream, switch actually feeding, and neutral continuity. Quick win is asking them to recreate it while you watch, because “it does it sometimes” turns into a pattern fast.