Control Panel Maintenance

Electrical Troubleshooting

How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels

Step-by-step guide to troubleshoot common electrical control panel faults with examples & FAQs.

How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels

Control panels are the nerve centers of electrical systems . They house circuit breakers, relays, contactors, PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and other protective/control devices that ensure electrical systems function safely and efficiently. However, like any electrical infrastructure, control panels can develop faults over time due to wear, environmental conditions, poor maintenance, or incorrect operation. In this article, we’ll explore common electrical faults in control panels , step-by-step troubleshooting methods , real-world examples , and best practices to prevent recurring failures. 🔎 Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels Tripped Circuit Breakers or Blown Fuses Cause: Short circuits, overloads, or faulty components. Symptom: No power to part of the panel or equipment suddenly stops. Loose or Damaged Connections Cause: Vibration, poor installation, or thermal expansion. Symptom: Intermittent operation, overheating terminals, or arcing. Overheating Components Cause: Overloaded …

About the author

Prasun Barua is a graduate engineer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a passion for simplifying complex technical concepts for learners and professionals alike. He has authored numerous highly regarded books covering a wide range of elec…

Post a Comment

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.blogger.com/static/v1/widgets/382300504-widgets.js"></script>
<script type='text/javascript'>
window['__wavt'] = 'AOuZoY69wopk1c_CbIbsxtJdLRn6k89dJA:1766269943462';_WidgetManager._Init('//www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID\x3d2109991347955854802','//www.prasunbarua.com/2025/09/how-to-troubleshoot-common-electrical.html?amp\x3d1','2109991347955854802');
_WidgetManager._SetDataContext([{'name': 'blog', 'data': {'blogId': '2109991347955854802', 'title': 'Prasun Barua ', 'url': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/2025/09/how-to-troubleshoot-common-electrical.html?amp\x3d1', 'canonicalUrl': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/2025/09/how-to-troubleshoot-common-electrical.html', 'homepageUrl': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/?amp\x3d1', 'searchUrl': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/search', 'canonicalHomepageUrl': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/', 'blogspotFaviconUrl': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/favicon.ico', 'bloggerUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com', 'hasCustomDomain': true, 'httpsEnabled': true, 'enabledCommentProfileImages': true, 'gPlusViewType': 'FILTERED_POSTMOD', 'adultContent': false, 'analyticsAccountNumber': 'G-JTY29NBCB8', 'analytics4': true, 'encoding': 'UTF-8', 'locale': 'en', 'localeUnderscoreDelimited': 'en', 'languageDirection': 'ltr', 'isPrivate': false, 'isMobile': false, 'isMobileRequest': false, 'mobileClass': '', 'isPrivateBlog': false, 'isDynamicViewsAvailable': true, 'feedLinks': '\x3clink rel\x3d\x22alternate\x22 type\x3d\x22application/atom+xml\x22 title\x3d\x22Prasun Barua  - Atom\x22 href\x3d\x22https://www.prasunbarua.com/feeds/posts/default\x22 /\x3e\n\x3clink rel\x3d\x22alternate\x22 type\x3d\x22application/rss+xml\x22 title\x3d\x22Prasun Barua  - RSS\x22 href\x3d\x22https://www.prasunbarua.com/feeds/posts/default?alt\x3drss\x22 /\x3e\n\x3clink rel\x3d\x22service.post\x22 type\x3d\x22application/atom+xml\x22 title\x3d\x22Prasun Barua  - Atom\x22 href\x3d\x22https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2109991347955854802/posts/default\x22 /\x3e\n\n\x3clink rel\x3d\x22alternate\x22 type\x3d\x22application/atom+xml\x22 title\x3d\x22Prasun Barua  - Atom\x22 href\x3d\x22https://www.prasunbarua.com/feeds/1308301840032965198/comments/default\x22 /\x3e\n', 'meTag': '', 'adsenseClientId': 'ca-pub-8736637194399168', 'adsenseHostId': 'ca-host-pub-1556223355139109', 'adsenseHasAds': true, 'adsenseAutoAds': true, 'boqCommentIframeForm': true, 'loginRedirectParam': '', 'isGoogleEverywhereLinkTooltipEnabled': true, 'view': '', 'dynamicViewsCommentsSrc': '//www.blogblog.com/dynamicviews/4224c15c4e7c9321/js/comments.js', 'dynamicViewsScriptSrc': '//www.blogblog.com/dynamicviews/daef15016aa26cab', 'plusOneApiSrc': 'https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js', 'disableGComments': true, 'interstitialAccepted': false, 'sharing': {'platforms': [{'name': 'Get link', 'key': 'link', 'shareMessage': 'Get link', 'target': ''}, {'name': 'Facebook', 'key': 'facebook', 'shareMessage': 'Share to Facebook', 'target': 'facebook'}, {'name': 'BlogThis!', 'key': 'blogThis', 'shareMessage': 'BlogThis!', 'target': 'blog'}, {'name': 'X', 'key': 'twitter', 'shareMessage': 'Share to X', 'target': 'twitter'}, {'name': 'Pinterest', 'key': 'pinterest', 'shareMessage': 'Share to Pinterest', 'target': 'pinterest'}, {'name': 'Email', 'key': 'email', 'shareMessage': 'Email', 'target': 'email'}], 'disableGooglePlus': true, 'googlePlusShareButtonWidth': 0, 'googlePlusBootstrap': '\x3cscript type\x3d\x22text/javascript\x22\x3ewindow.___gcfg \x3d {\x27lang\x27: \x27en\x27};\x3c/script\x3e'}, 'hasCustomJumpLinkMessage': true, 'jumpLinkMessage': 'Read', 'pageType': 'item', 'postId': '1308301840032965198', 'postImageThumbnailUrl': 'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwahxj99vy3jjx1bjQQVv3CHxRs4HI3LSs_iRcKoDHFSTse_X-CHrZoPdmAaueu0uZyHYL1VnaKNx-ge4u97LzRb1z07B1UIR3LeFFPl9z6L8nJ-ko74U2e1yEy3KFZid0-XnkIQrybPnHzw76faNjtshJVK9S67arBXnEKv0S9JPzlGveC705xkh-55I/s72-w640-c-h398/How%20to%20Troubleshoot%20Common%20Electrical%20Faults%20in%20Control%20Panels.png', 'postImageUrl': 'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwahxj99vy3jjx1bjQQVv3CHxRs4HI3LSs_iRcKoDHFSTse_X-CHrZoPdmAaueu0uZyHYL1VnaKNx-ge4u97LzRb1z07B1UIR3LeFFPl9z6L8nJ-ko74U2e1yEy3KFZid0-XnkIQrybPnHzw76faNjtshJVK9S67arBXnEKv0S9JPzlGveC705xkh-55I/w640-h398/How%20to%20Troubleshoot%20Common%20Electrical%20Faults%20in%20Control%20Panels.png', 'pageName': 'How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels', 'pageTitle': 'Prasun Barua : How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels', 'metaDescription': 'Step-by-step guide to troubleshoot common electrical control panel faults with examples \x26 FAQs.'}}, {'name': 'features', 'data': {}}, {'name': 'messages', 'data': {'edit': 'Edit', 'linkCopiedToClipboard': 'Link copied to clipboard!', 'ok': 'Ok', 'postLink': 'Post Link'}}, {'name': 'template', 'data': {'name': 'custom', 'localizedName': 'Custom', 'isResponsive': true, 'isAlternateRendering': false, 'isCustom': true}}, {'name': 'view', 'data': {'classic': {'name': 'classic', 'url': '?view\x3dclassic'}, 'flipcard': {'name': 'flipcard', 'url': '?view\x3dflipcard'}, 'magazine': {'name': 'magazine', 'url': '?view\x3dmagazine'}, 'mosaic': {'name': 'mosaic', 'url': '?view\x3dmosaic'}, 'sidebar': {'name': 'sidebar', 'url': '?view\x3dsidebar'}, 'snapshot': {'name': 'snapshot', 'url': '?view\x3dsnapshot'}, 'timeslide': {'name': 'timeslide', 'url': '?view\x3dtimeslide'}, 'isMobile': false, 'title': 'How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels', 'description': 'Step-by-step guide to troubleshoot common electrical control panel faults with examples \x26 FAQs.', 'featuredImage': 'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwahxj99vy3jjx1bjQQVv3CHxRs4HI3LSs_iRcKoDHFSTse_X-CHrZoPdmAaueu0uZyHYL1VnaKNx-ge4u97LzRb1z07B1UIR3LeFFPl9z6L8nJ-ko74U2e1yEy3KFZid0-XnkIQrybPnHzw76faNjtshJVK9S67arBXnEKv0S9JPzlGveC705xkh-55I/w640-h398/How%20to%20Troubleshoot%20Common%20Electrical%20Faults%20in%20Control%20Panels.png', 'url': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/2025/09/how-to-troubleshoot-common-electrical.html?amp\x3d1', 'type': 'item', 'isSingleItem': true, 'isMultipleItems': false, 'isError': false, 'isPage': false, 'isPost': true, 'isHomepage': false, 'isArchive': false, 'isLabelSearch': false, 'postId': 1308301840032965198}}, {'name': 'widgets', 'data': [{'title': 'Prasun Barua  (Header)', 'type': 'Header', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Title', 'id': 'Header01'}, {'title': 'Looking for something?', 'type': 'BlogSearch', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Search', 'id': 'BlogSearch01'}, {'title': 'Header Icon', 'type': 'TextList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Icon', 'id': 'TextList01'}, {'title': '', 'type': 'Profile', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Icon', 'id': 'Profile01'}, {'title': 'Bookmark Posts', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Icon', 'id': 'LinkList02'}, {'title': 'Translate', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Header_Icon', 'id': 'LinkList03'}, {'title': 'Navigation Menu (Simple)', 'type': 'PageList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Nav_Widgets_1', 'id': 'PageList01'}, {'title': 'Tabbed Menu', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Under_Header', 'id': 'LinkList05'}, {'title': 'Blog Posts', 'type': 'Blog', 'sectionId': 'sec_Main_Widgets', 'id': 'Blog01', 'posts': [{'id': '1308301840032965198', 'title': 'How to Troubleshoot Common Electrical Faults in Control Panels', 'featuredImage': 'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwahxj99vy3jjx1bjQQVv3CHxRs4HI3LSs_iRcKoDHFSTse_X-CHrZoPdmAaueu0uZyHYL1VnaKNx-ge4u97LzRb1z07B1UIR3LeFFPl9z6L8nJ-ko74U2e1yEy3KFZid0-XnkIQrybPnHzw76faNjtshJVK9S67arBXnEKv0S9JPzlGveC705xkh-55I/w640-h398/How%20to%20Troubleshoot%20Common%20Electrical%20Faults%20in%20Control%20Panels.png', 'showInlineAds': false}], 'footerBylines': [{'regionName': 'footer1', 'items': [{'name': 'author', 'label': 'Published by'}, {'name': 'timestamp', 'label': 'On'}, {'name': 'comments', 'label': 'Comment'}, {'name': 'share', 'label': ''}]}, {'regionName': 'footer2', 'items': [{'name': 'labels', 'label': 'in'}]}, {'regionName': 'footer3', 'items': [{'name': 'location', 'label': 'Location:'}]}], 'allBylineItems': [{'name': 'author', 'label': 'Published by'}, {'name': 'timestamp', 'label': 'On'}, {'name': 'comments', 'label': 'Comment'}, {'name': 'share', 'label': ''}, {'name': 'labels', 'label': 'in'}, {'name': 'location', 'label': 'Location:'}]}, {'title': 'Table of contents', 'type': 'HTML', 'sectionId': 'sec_Main_Widgets', 'id': 'HTML11'}, {'title': 'Popular Posts', 'type': 'PopularPosts', 'sectionId': 'sec_Side_Widgets', 'id': 'PopularPosts01', 'posts': [{'title': 'Solar Hydrogen Power Plant Explained: Green Hydrogen from Solar Energy', 'id': 2026509787260740147}, {'title': 'Wind Turbine Blade Design and Optimization: Complete Engineering Guide for Maximum Efficiency', 'id': 4925187118617597724}, {'title': 'How to Build a Simple Solar Tracker for Maximum Efficiency', 'id': 7215709196054122949}, {'title': 'What Is Reactive Power and Why Is It Important in Power Systems?', 'id': 7918976861674359801}, {'title': 'RTL to GDSII Flow: A Step-by-Step Guide', 'id': 1413069920329501745}]}, {'title': 'Labels', 'type': 'Label', 'sectionId': 'sec_Side_Widgets', 'id': 'Label01'}, {'title': 'Take me back', 'type': 'HTML', 'sectionId': 'sec_Error_404', 'id': 'HTML404'}, {'title': 'Prasun Barua', 'type': 'Image', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Organization', 'id': 'Image21'}, {'title': 'Social Media Links', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Organization', 'id': 'LinkList21'}, {'title': 'Explore', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Widgets', 'id': 'LinkList22'}, {'title': 'Resources', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Widgets', 'id': 'LinkList23'}, {'title': 'About', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Widgets', 'id': 'LinkList24'}, {'title': 'Contact', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Widgets', 'id': 'LinkList25'}, {'title': 'Credit', 'type': 'HTML', 'sectionId': 'sec_Footer_Bottom', 'id': 'HTML21'}, {'title': 'Mobile Menu', 'type': 'TextList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Mobile_Menu', 'id': 'TextList99'}, {'title': 'Labels', 'type': 'Label', 'sectionId': 'sec_Theme_Hidden', 'id': 'Label41'}, {'title': '\u09af\u09cb\u0997\u09be\u09af\u09cb\u0997 \u09ab\u09b0\u09cd\u09ae', 'type': 'ContactForm', 'sectionId': 'sec_Theme_Hidden', 'id': 'ContactForm41'}, {'title': 'Pageviews last month', 'type': 'Stats', 'sectionId': 'sec_Theme_Hidden', 'id': 'Stats41'}, {'title': 'Cookie Consent [NoTitle]', 'type': 'LinkList', 'sectionId': 'sec_Addon_Widgets', 'id': 'LinkList63'}]}]);
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HeaderView', new _WidgetInfo('Header01', 'sec_Header_Title', document.getElementById('Header01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_BlogSearchView', new _WidgetInfo('BlogSearch01', 'sec_Header_Search', document.getElementById('BlogSearch01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_TextListView', new _WidgetInfo('TextList01', 'sec_Header_Icon', document.getElementById('TextList01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ProfileView', new _WidgetInfo('Profile01', 'sec_Header_Icon', document.getElementById('Profile01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList02', 'sec_Header_Icon', document.getElementById('LinkList02'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList03', 'sec_Header_Icon', document.getElementById('LinkList03'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_PageListView', new _WidgetInfo('PageList01', 'sec_Nav_Widgets_1', document.getElementById('PageList01'), {'title': 'Navigation Menu (Simple)', 'links': [{'isCurrentPage': false, 'href': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/', 'id': '0', 'title': 'Home'}, {'isCurrentPage': false, 'href': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/p/about.html?amp\x3d1', 'id': '4671355189679507864', 'title': 'About'}, {'isCurrentPage': false, 'href': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/p/blog-archive.html?amp\x3d1', 'id': '961325708692677582', 'title': 'Archive'}, {'isCurrentPage': false, 'href': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/p/sitemap.html?amp\x3d1', 'id': '3123546275232652879', 'title': 'Sitemap'}, {'isCurrentPage': false, 'href': 'https://www.prasunbarua.com/p/contact.html?amp\x3d1', 'id': '8011943488416645236', 'title': 'Contact'}], 'mobile': false, 'showPlaceholder': true, 'hasCurrentPage': false}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList05', 'sec_Under_Header', document.getElementById('LinkList05'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_BlogView', new _WidgetInfo('Blog01', 'sec_Main_Widgets', document.getElementById('Blog01'), {'cmtInteractionsEnabled': false, 'lightboxEnabled': true, 'lightboxModuleUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com/static/v1/jsbin/2485970545-lbx.js', 'lightboxCssUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com/static/v1/v-css/828616780-lightbox_bundle.css'}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML11', 'sec_Main_Widgets', document.getElementById('HTML11'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_PopularPostsView', new _WidgetInfo('PopularPosts01', 'sec_Side_Widgets', document.getElementById('PopularPosts01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LabelView', new _WidgetInfo('Label01', 'sec_Side_Widgets', document.getElementById('Label01'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML404', 'sec_Error_404', document.getElementById('HTML404'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ImageView', new _WidgetInfo('Image21', 'sec_Footer_Organization', document.getElementById('Image21'), {'resize': true}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList21', 'sec_Footer_Organization', document.getElementById('LinkList21'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList22', 'sec_Footer_Widgets', document.getElementById('LinkList22'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList23', 'sec_Footer_Widgets', document.getElementById('LinkList23'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList24', 'sec_Footer_Widgets', document.getElementById('LinkList24'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList25', 'sec_Footer_Widgets', document.getElementById('LinkList25'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_HTMLView', new _WidgetInfo('HTML21', 'sec_Footer_Bottom', document.getElementById('HTML21'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_TextListView', new _WidgetInfo('TextList99', 'sec_Mobile_Menu', document.getElementById('TextList99'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LabelView', new _WidgetInfo('Label41', 'sec_Theme_Hidden', document.getElementById('Label41'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_ContactFormView', new _WidgetInfo('ContactForm41', 'sec_Theme_Hidden', document.getElementById('ContactForm41'), {'contactFormMessageSendingMsg': 'Sending...', 'contactFormMessageSentMsg': 'Your message has been sent.', 'contactFormMessageNotSentMsg': 'Message could not be sent. Please try again later.', 'contactFormInvalidEmailMsg': 'A valid email address is required.', 'contactFormEmptyMessageMsg': 'Message field cannot be empty.', 'title': '\u09af\u09cb\u0997\u09be\u09af\u09cb\u0997 \u09ab\u09b0\u09cd\u09ae', 'blogId': '2109991347955854802', 'contactFormNameMsg': 'Name', 'contactFormEmailMsg': 'Email', 'contactFormMessageMsg': 'Message', 'contactFormSendMsg': 'Send', 'contactFormToken': 'AOuZoY4mHLk0KiV8xmJwEk4G44byKskrOA:1766269943462', 'submitUrl': 'https://www.blogger.com/contact-form.do'}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_StatsView', new _WidgetInfo('Stats41', 'sec_Theme_Hidden', document.getElementById('Stats41'), {'title': 'Pageviews last month', 'showGraphicalCounter': false, 'showAnimatedCounter': false, 'showSparkline': true, 'statsUrl': '//www.prasunbarua.com/b/stats?amp\x3d1\x26style\x3dBLACK_TRANSPARENT\x26timeRange\x3dLAST_WEEK\x26token\x3dAPq4FmCyg1hMJP0eV7T8D6Qn1vTFEcix3BOQce8mLxY0lTaKTftxBGXHpMroEdpsgUuCgs97x3zT2V1swd6_MqC3QuuHlbjJDA'}, 'displayModeFull'));
_WidgetManager._RegisterWidget('_LinkListView', new _WidgetInfo('LinkList63', 'sec_Addon_Widgets', document.getElementById('LinkList63'), {}, 'displayModeFull'));
</script>
</body>