Six Step Approach to Fault Finding
A practical, structured troubleshooting method developed from assessing over 1,000 maintenance professionals.
During the course of assessing more than 1,000 candidates over a 15 year period, MCP has found fault finding to be the second biggest weakness in maintenance trade tests. Here, John Saysell, Managing Director of MCP Technical Training, explains his Six-Step Approach to Fault Finding.
Equipment reliability is critical. No maintenance department wants costly downtime or repeat failures. To help technicians diagnose faults faster and more effectively, MCP has developed a course focused on a logical, disciplined approach to fault finding.
The programme has evolved through customer feedback and now incorporates root cause analysis, recognising that it does not make financial sense to keep returning to the same issue.
Why Do Technicians Struggle With Fault Finding?
Common weaknesses include:
Jumping to conclusions without gathering sufficient evidence
Replacing components without structured diagnosis
Failing to identify and remove the underlying cause
Not verifying system performance after repair
A logical method prevents these issues and strengthens reliability performance.
The Six Key Steps in Electrical Fault Finding
Here are six key points to consider:
1. Collect the Evidence
All evidence collected must be relevant to the problem at hand. If in doubt as to whether something is relevant, include it initially and reject it later if clearly unnecessary.
Gather relevant information before forming conclusions.
The quantity of information is unimportant — relevance is what matters.
Observe the system running, if safe to do so. Use all your senses:
Smell (burning)
Hearing (vibration or unusual sounds)
Touch (temperature changes)
Sight (unusual conditions or damage)
Refer to all relevant documentation.
What supporting data do you have?
2. Analyse the Evidence
Consider all the evidence collected and reject any information that, upon further consideration, is not relevant.
Apply logical thinking to narrow down the problem.
Study the core evidence and, through careful, logical reasoning, diagnose the likely fault or at least identify the area or region of the fault.
3. Locate the Fault
This stage continues the analytical process. The suspected regions are systematically reduced in size until a specific faulty component can be identified.
Systematically reduce the search area.
For example, if a doorbell does not ring, only a structured, step-by-step approach will determine whether the issue lies in the power supply, wiring, switch or the bell itself.
4. Determination and Removal of the Cause
If the cause of a fault is not removed, the problem will recur, even if the immediate fault has been rectified.
Prevent recurrence by addressing root cause.
Using a simple analogy:
A flat bicycle tyre may result from a puncture. Repairing the puncture removes the fault. However, if a nail remains embedded in the outer tyre, the issue will return. The cause must be removed.
This step introduces disciplined root cause thinking.
5. Rectification of the Fault
Carry out corrective action based on earlier findings.
Rectification may be straightforward or complex. Regardless of scale, it must be a specific action informed by the previous diagnostic steps.
6. Check the System
After the fault and its cause have been addressed, it is essential to confirm that the equipment or system is functioning normally.
Verify normal operation and restore optimum performance.
In simple systems this may be obvious. In more sophisticated systems, fine-tuning may be required to restore optimum working conditions.
How can I improve my fault finding techniques?
MCP’s Six-Step troubleshooting procedure should form part of professional maintenance training. Our programmes have been delivered across the UK and internationally, strengthening technical capability and improving reliability performance.
Develop your team’s fault finding capability today.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
A structured fault finding process typically includes collecting evidence, analysing information, narrowing down the fault location, identifying and removing the cause, rectifying the fault and verifying system performance. A disciplined approach prevents repeat failures and reduces downtime.
-
Without a logical process, technicians may replace parts unnecessarily or misdiagnose symptoms. A structured method improves accuracy, reduces wasted time and supports equipment reliability.
-
Fault finding identifies and rectifies the immediate problem. Root cause analysis goes further by determining why the failure occurred, helping prevent recurrence and improving long-term reliability.
-
Improvement comes through structured training, practical exercises and adopting a step-by-step methodology. Formal fault finding and root cause analysis training strengthens diagnostic thinking and technical confidence.
-
Yes. MCP delivers a Logical Approach to Fault Finding and Root Cause Analysis course, combining practical troubleshooting exercises with structured RCA tools to improve reliability and technical performance.
