Electricity is one of the best discoveries in the world. Learning to harness it has progressed technology and the standard of living in many countries at an incredible pace.
We use electricity for so many things each day from turning on your lights at home to battery powered items, like your toothbrush. With all the benefits of electricity, you have to assume there will be some issues too.
Electrical issues are not uncommon in homes. Here are four common home electrical issues you might have.
Whether you are fixing a single outlet, or if you’re an electrician who buys in bulk, make sure you have good electrical products to work with, as quality products will make a huge difference.
Tripped Breakers
This is one just about everyone is familiar with, and if you aren’t you should be. Circuit breakers are essentially watchdogs for the electrical system in your home.
When there is too much power flowing through a circuit, it becomes a serious danger. To prevent this, when a circuit becomes overloaded a spring-activated switch flips off, cutting all power to that circuit.
The circuit’s connection to the electrical current is broken, hence the name, breaker. This can be the result of overloading a circuit with too many plugs and power strips.
All that needs to be done in this situation is to go to your electrical service panel and flip the breaker back to on, and the flow of power will resume.
Short Circuits
A breaker can also trip due to a short circuit, or a large increase in power flow. This can happen due to wiring problems in an outlet or appliance.
This is more serious and it can be dangerous. The faulty wiring essentially is letting the unimpeded power flow through that circuit into the appliance in use.
The electricity will try and escape to the ground and will travel through anything it can to get there. So if you are using a hairdryer with poor wiring, the electricity will try to escape through you.
This is an issue that is usually best left to a professional as it is hard to diagnose.
Flickering Lights
When I say flickering lights, I am talking about lights that flicker when the appliance or lightbulb is turned on. One common cause is simply a loose light bulb.
If the bulb is loose, then the light will flicker. It the bulb is fitting well, and the flickering is present, then it’s likely something more serious.
Flickering lights are usually the result of loose wiring somewhere. This can be dangerous, as it can lead to fires.
This something an electrician can easily look into. Don’t delay getting this problem checked out if you notice it, any strong gust of wind or vibration can cause the problem to worsen, and that can be catastrophic.
Dead Outlet
This one of the most annoying problems, as it has a number of potential causes. It could just be as simple as a tripped breaker, but could also be the result of a short circuit.
Dead outlets will not work, and if you find an outlet is dead, you should unplug anything that is plugged in. Check other outlets that are close by, because they are on the same breaker, you can either confirm or rule out a tripped breaker easily.
Electricians can easily diagnose and fix the problem here, especially if it requires replacing any part of the outlet.
Don’t hesitate to seek the help of a professional if needed. Problems can be easily fixed, and you can remain safe.
While a dad may be able to resolve some of the home appliance problems, there are times when it’s wiser to call for professional help. Especially when the investment is one of the household’s most expensive appliance like an HVAC system.
It’s wise to know when and when not to take on “repair” jobs. Get some pointers to help you know what you can probably handle by yourself and when he should make an appointment with a professional HVAC service.
