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Essential Troubleshooting

Utility Services

Switchplace is responsible for payment of utility services. On occasion, our utility service vendors (gas, electric, telephone, water/sewer, cable, internet) will mistakenly send bills to the apartment address rather than to our offices in Dallas, Texas. Should you receive any of these bills, please fax to 972-739-3191 or email service@switchplace.com to prevent interruption of service.

If you complete the troubleshooting steps below, and are still experiencing issues with any utility service, please contact SWITCHPLACE to restore your service.

Breaker Box (Power Panel)

Your breaker box supplies electricity to the various circuits in your apartment, usually located in a hidden area inside the residence (behind a door, inside a closet, or in a utility closet), or on the exterior of single-family homes. For any loss of electricity, please check the box to see if any breakers are “tripped,” or in the “Off” position – this should be clearly marked on each breaker. Turn the desired switch back to “On” and check the power again. Please submit a maintenance request if you still have a loss of power or the breaker continues to trip.

GFI/GFCI Outlets

If you lose power to a single outlet (for example: loss of power to a light or appliance which had previously been working), check to see if that outlet has a GFI/GFCI switch. Generally, there will be two buttons on the GFI outlet: a “test” button and a “reset” button. Press the “reset” button on the outlet and power should restore. If it does not, please submit a maintenance request. NOTE: Some GFI buttons will be multi-colored and some will be colorless, but they will always have the words embossed on them. Please look closely to determine which button you need to press.

Shut-Off Valves/Leaks

Each water fixture in your apartment will have a shut-off valve. If you experience any leaks, look for the valve underneath the sink or behind the toilet, and turn the knob or lever CLOCKWISE to shut it off until maintenance can repair it. Please report any leaks as soon as possible to avoid damages.

Lighting

If a light bulb burns out in one of the lighting fixtures (ceiling fan, track lighting, oven, bathroom vanity lighting, etc.), maintenance will typically replace the bulb for you, and you can submit a maintenance request to Switchplace directly. If a light bulb burns out in a floor or table lamp, the resident will be responsible for replacing those bulbs on their own.

Electronic Device and Internet Troubleshooting

Which Remote Should I Use?

Cable Remote This remote is provided by the CABLE UTILITY SERVICE PROVIDER, and is the remote you will use most frequently. It is typically the largest of the 2-3 remotes provided in the apartment. You will use this remote to do the following:

  • Change CABLE TV channels
  • Adjust volume
  • Check TV shows, show times, and available channels
  • Turn TV on and off
    • Push “TV” button at the top of the remote, then push the “Power” button.
    • If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to use the TV remote
    • To reset for usage, make sure to press the “Cable” button (may be labeled with the service provider’s name).

Television Remote

This remote is provided by the TELEVISION MANUFACTURER. It will be similar to the cable remote, but will include fewer options. It will have the same branding as the TV itself (LG, RCA, Sony, etc.). You will use this remote to do the following: • Turn the TV on and off if the cable remote does not work for this purpose • Change the “input” or “source” of media (for example: switching from cable to the DVD player) NOTE: If you experience any loss of cable service, please make sure that the actual TV is on channel 3 using the TV remote, or you will most likely not be able to view your cable programming.

DVD Remote

This remote will be used exclusively to operate the DVD player. To avoid confusion, we recommend that you place the remote on top of the DVD player or in a drawer.

To use the DVD player, please take the following steps:

  • Use the DVD remote to turn on the DVD player
  • Use the TV remote to change the “input” or “source to Video 1, 2, or 3 until you see the DVD player’s welcome screen
  • Insert your DVD into the player

Cable/Television Troubleshooting

If your TV or cable service is not working, please try the following:

  • Be patient – it will take approximately 10 seconds for the picture to appear on an LCD TV.
  • Ensure that the cable box is powered on as well as the TV
  • If you cannot operate either the TV or the cable box with the appropriate remotes, check the batteries are placed inside the remotes correctly and are working
  • Make sure the TV is placed on the correct “input or “source” by cycling through the settings on your TV remote.

If these steps do not solve the issue, you may need to reboot the cable box. Please try the following:

  • Unplug the power cord to the cable box from the electrical outlet
  • Wait approximately 30 seconds, then plug it back in. The box should begin rebooting itself.
  • Wait until the digital clock reappears on the display window of the cable box
  • NOTE: Some cable boxes may take up to 30 minutes to reboot

If you are experiencing no picture or a poor-quality picture on your TV screen, please try the following:

  • Make sure cable box is powered on
  • From the TV remote or TV itself, press the MENU button and scroll through the options for color and other settings until the proper or desired setting is located
Please contact SWITCHPLACE directly if you have taken all of these steps, but your TV or cable service still does not work.

Internet

If your internet service is not working, please check the following:

  • Make sure that all connections (coaxial cables) are tightened securely from the back of the modem to the coaxial wall plate
  • Make sure that the power source is in a grounded, surge-protected outlet
  • Make sure the cable modem is switched to “on”

After you have verified that all connections are secure and powered on, please reset your modem by following these steps:

  • Turn off your computer and unplug the modem from the electrical outlet
  • Wait 1-2 minutes
  • Plug the modem back into the electrical outlet
  • Wait for all the lights on the modem to come back on
  • Turn your computer back on.

If you are missing your login information to join the wireless network in your apartment, a label with that information can generally be found on the underside, back, or side of the modem. Sometimes the cable technicians change this information when they install services, so this may not be accurate.

Please contact SWITCHPLACE if you cannot find the wireless network information, or if your internet service does not work after trying the above steps.

Phone

If your landline phone service stops working and is NOT connected directly to a modem (e.g. a wall outlet), please try the following:

  • Make sure the telephone is completely on the hook
  • If the phone is cordless, make sure it is charged
  • Flip the power switches on the wall to the “On” position to ensure all outlets are activated
  • Reset outlet using the GFI/GFCI switch if applicable
  • Check the phone wires to ensure the security of the connection
  • Try plugging the phone into a different jack inside the apartment (if available)
  • If you’re still not getting a signal or dial tone, unplug everything connected to the phone from the electrical outlet, wait about 10 minutes, then plug back in to reset phone line

If your landline phone service stops working and IS connected DIRECTLY TO A MODEM, please try the following:

  • Unplug power cord from modem
  • Wait 60 seconds
  • Plug power cord back into modem, and the lights will begin to turn on in order
  • Check light for power downstream, upstream, online, and/or telephone
  • Be patient – this may take up to 30 minutes
  • Check your internet browser to verify connection (if the internet is working, the phone should be working, too).
Once you have completed these steps and the phone still isn’t operating properly, please contact SWITCHPLACE for assistance.
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