10 Common Electrical Problems Around Homes
Electricity consumes every aspect of our lives even if we do not realize it. It’s usually not until a major electrical problem comes up and there’s no power that we realize just how much we rely on electricity. And, how quickly it needs to be fixed.
Not all electrical problems require an electrician—some of them you can do on your own if you’re handy and have the right tools. Of course, our local electrical pros are here if you need a helping hand...Here is a list of the 10 most common electrical problems around your home and what you can do to identify and fix them:
1. Pesky Rodents
While Mickey and Minnie Mouse are popular around here and might look cute on TV, mice and rats are major issues when they find a way into your home.
Rodents are prone to chew on electrical wiring which can cause the wiring to become frayed or damaged. Having compromised wiring becomes an impending fire hazard.
If you notice any rodent activity in your home, call a local pest control company. Make sure to look around your outlets for any obvious damage. Calling an electrician at Axiom Power to further investigate any damaged wiring is also a smart move!
2. Burning Smells
A burning smell or funky, unfamiliar odor is an immediate warning sign that something is not right! The odor you probably smell is the wiring in your electrical system heating up enough to melt the plastic sheathing. This is a serious issue.
Immediately investigate where the odor is coming from. If you notice the smell is near an electrical outlet, make sure to unplug anything connected to it. Do not attempt to use the outlet again until a professional has looked it at.
If the smell is coming from your breaker panel or fuse box, you should call a local residential electrician immediately or risk a possible electrical fire.
3. Breakers Tripping Frequently
A circuit breaker is designed to trip when a circuit is overloaded. When a circuit breaker trips it prevents overheating and will eliminate any fire hazards associated with an overload.
When a breaker trips, it is not necessarily indicative of a problem, it is doing its job. A simple overload is okay, but if it is tripping frequently you may need to reevaluate what you are using that circuit for. You might be able to eliminate the problem by limiting the electrical usage.
For an easy fix, you can call an electrician at Axiom Power; we can add an additional circuit to your breaker. This will help offset the amount of electricity running through that particular circuit.
4. Power Sags and Dips
Sags and dips in power are related to surges. They only last seconds and are intermittent drops in voltage. You may have noticed this when your lights dim and get bright again, but never actually go all the way off. This is known as a brown-out.
A brown-out can happen when too many large appliances are running at the same time and drawing too much from an outdated electric panel. Sometimes faulty wiring is the culprit.
5. High Electrical Bills
No one likes to have high electric bills. You might be thinking this bill increase is normal, or just an increase in your local utility’s charges. But take a further look if you keep seeing higher and higher utility bills.
It is normal to see an increase in bills in high-peak seasons, but if you are seeing these increases in the spring and fall, this can be an indication of a bigger electrical problem.
To reduce your electrical bill, watch for these common issues:
Damaged wiring or circuits
Too many appliances/chargers plugged in while not being used
Electrical devices that may be causing power surges à use surge protectors and GFCI outlets
Not using a programmable thermostat
6. Electrical Shocks
It is not uncommon to receive an electrical shock, especially if you have an older home. Older electrical systems can have issues with grounding and poor insulation, which leads to electrical shocks.
If you own or rent a newer home, you can still have wiring issues, but more likely there is something wrong with the device or appliance plugged into the outlet.
If you are unsure if the shock is coming from the outlet or the device that you are plugging in, you can do a simple test—but be warned you may get a small shock. Or you can skip the shock and call in our team of experts. We’ll get the job done right, fast, and on budget!
7. Replacing Light Bulbs Often
Replacing light bulbs is not usually a common electrical problem unless you are doing it frequently. Then it may be a more serious issue than just overuse of that light.
Trying to figure out the root cause of the bulb burnouts may be tricky. Some common reasons are:
Light bulb wattage is too high
Insulation is too close to the light
Bad wiring on the circuit or mains
Too much wattage on one dimmer switch
Poor connection on the circuit
You could try to use a multimeter to test out the connection if you have one and are familiar with how it works.
8. Lights Are Two Different Levels Of Brightness
If you notice your lights are two different levels of brightness—one is brighter and one is dimmer—this can be a cause for alarm. But really it is a simple DIY fix.
First, check to see if the different shaded lights have the same wattage and/or are the same type of light bulb. If they are different, just change them out so they are the same.
If that does not fix your problem, then there might be a bad main neutral connection. This will continue to cause problems until a professional electrician fixes it.
9. Outlets Hot To The Touch
An outlet should never be hot to the touch! Even if your device is generating heat during use; it should never make the outlet itself hot. If you notice the outlet or switch plate covers are warm, immediately unplug and do not use the outlet until you can troubleshoot the issues.
The exception to this is if your dimming switch is warm. Dimmer switches commonly get warm to the touch since they disperse the excess electrical energy that creates the dimming effect.
10. Loose Outlets
If you notice the outlet is loose when you plug or unplug a device, you need to tighten it. If you keep ignoring this issue, the loose outlet will eventually shake its wires free leading to shorts, sparks, and potential fire hazards.
First, make sure you turn off the breaker. Then unscrew the cover plate and add outlet shims until the outlet is flush with the wall. Turn the breaker back on to use the outlet again.
Need Help from the Experts? Call Axiom Power
Have you been ignoring these common electrical problems at home? Do not ignore these potentially hazardous dangers anymore!
Get help fixing the problem from the licensed electricians at Axiom Power. Call us at 813-308-9328 or contact us online to book an appointment.