6 Signs Of Common Electrical Wiring Problems

An important piece of every home finishing is its electrical wiring. To perform essential activities around the home such as the use of kitchen appliances, powering the living area with air-conditioners, televisions and lights, the electrical wiring of your home needs to be set up properly. If you notice any issues with your lighting or sockets, you’ll want to take care of them immediately as not doing so could cause extensive damages to your home. Your best chance of fixing electrical problems is contacting a licensed electrician to diagnose and repair.

If any of these signs are present in your home, it’s time to make the call.

1. Flickering Lights
If you have probably experienced flickering lights at some point over the years, this isn’t ghosts trying to reach out or scare you; actually you watch too many movies. The culprit is often too much load on a circuit or too much electricity being consumed by one of your major appliances. Generally, this happens with appliances that heat or cool such as air-conditioners, microwave ovens, cookers and refrigerators.

A licensed electrician would be able to fix this problem by testing your electrical wiring to determine where the extra load is coming from. They may recommend switching your interior lights to different circuits, in the interest of balancing the electrical load.

Another solution that might be proposed is installing new lines dedicated to your major appliances. In this case you won’t have to worry about any appliances working too hard, putting pressure on your circuits and causing your lights to flicker repeatedly.

2.Running Too Many Extension Boards
Extension boards play an important role in many homes today, but they can be problematic if too many of them are used at one time. Their long design makes them susceptible to kinks or twists stopping the flow of current, which can cause shortages with some of the wires in your home. Kinks can also damage your sockets and potentially cause fires. If you have experienced a stuck extension board plug in a socket, then you understand what I’m talking about.

This is why it’s important to limit the number of extension boards used in your house. If it becomes necessary to use several at a time, be sure to limit their usage. Only keep them plugged in when you’re actually at home so you can monitor them thoroughly. If you find it challenging to go about your activities with just a couple of extension boards plugged in, then its time to have additional sockets installed at various sections of your house. This way, you can reduce your family’s risk of overworking the electricity in your home and causing damages.

3.Sparking
You know how dangerous it is to experience sparks in your house even if it only occurs occasionally. Sparking is one of the most pressing issues you would have to deal with. This often occurs when you go to plug in an appliance, and it could mean faulty wiring within the walls.

Even if the sparking doesn’t happen often, you should still have electrical components inspected by a qualified electrician. They can quickly identify why sparking keeps happening, whether it’s because you need a new outlet or there’s something wrong with the appliance itself. Having these issues addressed promptly is paramount for preventing costly damage and potential fires.

4.Hot Outlets/Sockets
It is super easy to detect this sign even if you have very little or zero knowledge about cables and electricity. The test involves placing one hand on sockets around the home to make sure they are not heated while in use. If one or multiple outlets are hot to the touch, a myriad of problems could exist.

One of the most common is having too many appliances plugged into one socket. Or, there maybe faulty wiring inside your home’s walls because of improper configuration. Often, older homes have these issues, and a repair should be imminent.

There could also be too much demand on the circuit. This may require re-working some wires so that the circuit is balanced correctly. Or, the problem could even be with the socket itself. Sockets – over time – will stop working at an optimal rate. They’ll thus need to be replaced eventually for correct operation.

5.No GFCI Outlets Present
If your home is older, it’s possible there aren’t any GFCI outlets in it. Although this may seem minor, it poses a lot of potential dangers for you and your family. For example, standard outlets in the kitchen and bathroom are not well equipped to handle these wet environments. You’re thus more susceptible to shocks, which could be fatal in specific instances.

GFCI outlets are designed to detect abnormal flows of current. When these currents are detected, the outlet immediately shuts off to protect those nearby from abnormal surges and shocks. If you notice that your home doesn’t have them, particularly in wet areas, you need to have them installed promptly.

These specialized outlets are relatively inexpensive and there are multiple sizes you can select from, depending on how many appliances you plan on using. Just be sure to set up a service call to ensure these outlets are properly installed, the first time.

6.Constant Buzzing Noises
Just because you can’t see electricity, doesn’t mean you can’t hear it. If you continuously hear buzzing noises when using appliances or turning lights on, something may be seriously wrong with your home’s wiring. Normal wiring doesn’t make any sounds, which is why it often goes unnoticed for years.

If a buzzing noise is present, there could be loose prongs in outlets or some of your wiring may be frayed. The latter is particularly important to fix so that these damaged wires don’t have the opportunity to create sparks and thus set your entire house on fire.

The moment you hear buzzing, be sure to contact an electrician. They’ll run various diagnostic tests to identify the source of the buzzing. The solution may be as simple as changing an old outlet or re-doing the entire wiring in your home. Whatever needs to be done, you’ll receive a full report along with a cost breakdown of the damages present.

Out of all the components in your home, the electrical wiring is perhaps the most important. Without it, you could hardly do any of your favorite activities like read a book at night or watch television. To ensure it works correctly and safely over the years, look out for certain electrical warning signs. The earlier you detect them, the less you have to worry about costly damage or putting your entire family in jeopardy. Even simple maintenance and repairs go a long way.

Conclusion
It is essential to detect these signs as soon as possible as minor electrical problems can develop into major problems costing you money you haven’t planned for. Hire a certified electrician today at HouseClap via the online booking system or call 0200054188

credits: EasyAC