Electricity is more than a comfort in a home; it’s a need. When a homeowner is faced with electrical problems, they are confronted with a complicated network of cables, potentially dangerous charges, and the fear of being left in the dark (literally). With wires running throughout the property and even variable electrical performance, diagnosing common electrical issues in the home can be tough.
While one room may light up nicely with the flick of a switch, others may have damaged switches or a variety of common wiring faults. Don’t panic if you’re having electrical issues in your home. There’s a good chance you’re having the same electrical problems as millions of other people in your house. Following are a few of the most common electrical issues home owners face.
Consistent Surges
Surges in electricity are one of many common electrical issues.
Summer storms have wreaked havoc on electricity lines. Even the power provider is sometimes to blame. A surge occurs when there is a significant increase in charge within the electrical lines. This raises the potential electrical energy, which boosts the current flowing through your outlet.
Boom! Your television is turned off. Frequent surges, even if only for a second, can harm your appliances and devices. Although lighting is the most well-known cause of power surges, it is not the most common cause. One billion volts of power can be contained in a single lightning bolt. It’s a miracle Ben Franklin survived!
Every second, roughly 200 cloud-to-ground hits occur around the planet. Sheet lighting, often known as “heat lighting,” is the most popular. When you see bursts of lightning in the clouds, it’s because it’s that time of year.
It’s lovely, but it’s also perilous. When one of those bolts reaches the Earth, it unleashes a massive amount of electricity. The electrical lines experience a massive surge as a result of this. If you frequently have surges that aren’t caused by lightning, you may have faulty wiring or a problem with your equipment.
Look for low-cost electronics all over your house. Perhaps the DVD player you found at a flea market? Electronics with lower costs use lower-cost components. The majority of the time, using a surge protector is sufficient. However, if you bought one for $2 at Booth A19, it’s unlikely to do much.
Because a surge protector can’t handle a lightning strike, it’s better to unplug your laptop, PlayStation, TV, and other electronic devices during a storm. If you’ve done all of that and still have surges, it’s time to call an electrician.
Dips And Sags
This isn’t the latest dance craze to go viral. Surges are directly linked to sags and dips in power. The majority of the time, it’s due to a tiny appliance that, once again, should have been left at Booth A19. Intermittent voltage drops are known as power sags and dips. Brown-outs are brief flashes of light that last only a fraction of a second. This is when your lights dim and brighten without completely turning off.
Brownouts can also occur when too many major appliances are turned on at the same time. It’s possible that they’re using too much power from an out-of-date electrical panel. Again, some of the problem might be attributed to old or bad wiring.
Circuit Overload
This isn’t the fault of the individual who works at Booth A19. We’re not blaming the weather or the wiring. An overloaded circuit is most likely caused by you. When the quantity of current flowing to an appliance or gadget exceeds its capacity, this occurs. Here’s how you might be to blame.
You’ve just overloaded your lamp if it’s rated for a maximum 60 watt bulb and you decide that’s not bright enough and replace it with a 100 watt bulb. What’s the worst-case scenario? The heat from the bulb melts the socket and the fixture wire insulation. The wires ignite, resulting in an electrical fire.
If your bulb or fixture doesn’t specify a maximum wattage, stick to 60. Check to examine what’s plugged into the circuit if you’re constantly resetting a tripped breaker. Check the wattage and type of bulb you’re using if it’s a light.
For the ladies, an overload can be caused by having too many curling irons, flat irons, and hair dryers plugged in at the same time. Your dryer is probably the worst culprit, especially if it’s a high-output type. Try utilizing only one at a time to see if that solves the problem.
Junction Boxes That Aren’t Covered
One of the hidden issues hiding inside your walls that you don’t think about is an uncovered junction box. A junction box is a box that holds various wires and is installed during the construction process. It’s also possible to add it as part of an electrical update.
You’ll find a small plastic or metal box around 2′′ x 3′′ if you dismantle a bit of your wall. This is your junction box, where a ROMEX cable from the main panel connects with other wires before heading to your fixtures. There should be a cover for this box. If you don’t, you can have some safety risks. An enclosed box’s aim is to keep people safe from electrical shocks. It also keeps a fire from spreading if it starts because of a faulty wire.
There Aren’t Enough Outlets
You may not consider a lack of outlets to be an electrical problem. After all, that must imply that nothing can be overloaded or that a circuit can be overloaded, right? Wrong. This is why. What do you do when you move into a new house and discover the master bedroom only has one outlet? If you’re like most people, you’ll get an outlet extension to allow you to plug in your television, cable box, and lamp. You may also go down to booth A19 and get a cheap extension cord.
The same can be said for a faulty outlet. You’ll need an extension cord to get power to that side of the room. There are a few issues with this “fix.” The first is that most extension cables are only meant to be used temporarily. They’re not designed to be your first choice for wiring.
If you’re going to use an extension cord as a permanent solution, make sure it’s a 14-gauge heavy-load extension cord or a UL-listed surge protector. You’re at risk of an electrical fire if every receptacle is plugged in or if you’re using a cheap or even long extension cord. Furthermore, you risk causing damage to your devices.
Extension cord safety is no laughing matter. Don’t use them in an attic or crawl space by daisy-chaining two or more together. Simply contact an electrician if you require additional outlets.
Panel That Has Been Over Circuited
We discussed the causes of overloaded circuits and how to avoid them. Now let’s look at a different sort of overloading: the panel. A panel that is overloaded or over-circuited is extremely dangerous. It’s yet another fire hazard, but it can also damage you.
A certain number of circuit breakers are installed in your electrical panel. These breakers are designed to fit into slots. By opening the panel door and peeking inside, you can see how many yours holds (pretty simple, so far). The size of the panel you’ll require is determined by your home’s maximum load capacity. Once upon a time, a 60-amp service was sufficient. Today, it isn’t the case.
As long as you don’t have central air conditioning or electric heat, a 100-amp service will be enough for residences under 3,000 square feet. If your home is at least 2,000 square feet and you have central air conditioning or electric heat, you’ll require a 200-amp circuit.
You can now determine that each slot contains a breaker. Except that sometimes people try to game the system by installing a tandem breaker instead of two single-pole breakers in a slot. Breakers with two poles are also available. Here’s the distinction: A single-pole switch appears to be a single switch. A double-pole switch resembles two switches joined together.
You may check which is which right now by opening your panel. But what if you come into a tandem breaker? That is a violation of the law. A tandem breaker isn’t a two-slot breaker. It appears to be two switches in one cartridge. This is how a panel is over-circuited. If this happens, contact an electrician to install a sub-panel or replace the panel with one that can handle more power.
Frequently Tripping Breakers
Your breaker tripping is typically one of the most common electrical issues homeowners face. Microwaves and hair dryers, for example, are high-wattage appliances, right? Right. This is due to the fact that too many gadgets are consuming power from the same source.
It’s actually a good thing when your circuit breaker trips. When your GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) (ground-fault circuit interrupter) (ground-fault circuit interrupter) (ground-fault circuit interrupter) (ground-fault circuit interrupter) (ground-fault circuit interrupter) This indicates that these items are doing their functions.
Reduce the number of objects that take power from the same source to avoid tripping your breakers. Alternatively, reduce the settings. If this does not solve the problem, contact the electrician. It could be a problem with the panel itself, or it could be a problem with the wiring.
Inconsistent Lighting
Even something as simple as your lighting can alert you to a larger issue. As a result, various lighting difficulties lead to various perpetrators. The most common electrical issues associated with inconsistent lighting are following:
- Lights that are brighter or dimmer – You could have one of two problems if some lights are brighter than others or some are dimmer than usual. Different wattages are possible. What’s the solution? Check to see if they’re all the same. A faulty neutral connection is another major issue.
- Lights That Flicker – It’s possible that you have frayed wire if your lights are flashing. While this isn’t a code violation, it has the potential to cause a fire. If your lights flicker and it isn’t due to a damaged light bulb or a loose connection, get your wiring checked by an electrician.
- Frequently Burning Out Lights – There are a number of reasons why your lights go out sooner than they should. If you replace all three light bulbs in a fixture at the same time, they will all burn out at the same time. However, it’s possible that the problem is with the light bulb batch. If you bought a multi-pack, it’s possible that all of the bulbs are defective. However, there are a few other suspects:
- The wattage is excessive.
- The light source is close to the insulation.
- On the circuit or the mains, there is a problem with the wiring.
- On one dimmer switch, there is too much wattage.
A Faulty Circuit Connection Is Another Of Many Common Electrical Issues
Unplug the light from the outlet and plug it into a receptacle on a different circuit. If the light remains on, the original circuit has a bad connection. You may have a problem with the fixture itself if it goes out. If the bulbs in a stationary fixture, such as in your kitchen or bathroom, are going out, you may need to use a multimeter to check them. Alternatively, you can have an electrician come out and look at it.
Shocks From Electricity
Unfortunately, electrical shocks are prevalent in homes with outdated electrical systems. One cause could be that your insulation is inadequate. Another possibility is that your wiring isn’t properly grounded. Electrical systems and codes today are far safer than they were just a few decades ago. Even if your house was built in the last 20 years, you may still have electrical problems. However, there’s a good chance that anything is wrong with your appliance.
Another small appliance can be used to test the outlet. It’s the wiring if you turn it on and get shocked. It’s the appliance if you turn it on and everything works fine.
Exorbitant Electric Bills
Electric bills that are too high are a source of frustration for everyone. Summer and winter bills are expected to be higher for obvious reasons. Especially if your heat source is electric rather than gas. However, if your expenses are especially high during the off-season, such as spring or fall, it could indicate a larger issue.
During the summer, use a digital or smart thermostat and set it to a higher temperature at night. Set it to begin cooling down before everyone arrives home. That way, you’ll be in a relaxing environment to spend time with your family. In the winter, the opposite is true. Reduce the temperature till an hour or so before everyone arrives if no one is home during the day. If you feel that your circuits or wires are damaged, call an electrician right once. It’s not only potentially dangerous, but it’s also costly.
Surge protectors and GFCI outlets are another option to save money on your electric bill. These will prevent too much electricity from reaching your gadget, saving you money while also protecting your item.
Summary: Common Electrical Issues
Electricity is more than a comfort in a home; it’s a need. When a homeowner is faced with electrical problems, they are confronted with a complicated network of cables, potentially dangerous charges, and the fear of being left in the dark (literally). With wires running throughout the property and even variable electrical performance, diagnosing electrical problems in the home can be tough.
While one room may light up nicely with the flick of a switch, others may have damaged switches or a variety of common wiring faults. Don’t panic if you’re having electrical issues in your home. There’s a good chance you’re having the same electrical problems as millions of other people in your house.
Calling a certified electrician is the simplest way to solve these electrical issues. While there are some things you can do on your own, such as ensuring your light bulbs are the right wattage, most electrical work should be done by a skilled and licensed electrician.
If you have outdated wiring, such as aluminum, updating your system is the safest option for you and your family.
If you have any questions about common electrical issues contact me today.