Common Electrical Problems
Are you suffering from electrical problems that you can’t seem to fix yourself?
It could be one of these:
- Flickering lights
- Loose outlets
- Exhaust fan over your stove that is burned out or not working
- Rooms that are darker than they should be
- GFI’s (ground fault interrupters) in your kitchen or bathrooms
None of these items are emergencies, but they are a nuisance that you can take care of and have one less nuisance in your life.
Keep in mind that many electrical problems can lead to an electrical fire if not addressed. You will want to attend to these problems even if they are not an emergency. Your local electrician can often diagnose the problem quickly and fix it in a short period of time and give you peace of mind.
Here are 4 common electrical problems:
- Intermittent power. This is often caused by problems with your wiring which may be loose, frayed or exposed to the elements. You can determine the cause of this problem by tracing back your wiring from the unit down to the plug. By using wire strippers, you can remove the coating around the wires and often fix the problem by cutting out the damaged portion of the wiring. Another alternative would be to simply replace the cord with a new one. This may require taking the unit apart and re-attaching the cord. Be very careful when you reconnect the cord to the outlet.
- Power surges – Cannot be controlled by you because they are caused by an increase of power from the electrical company. This often happens during a storm and is the reason you should always unplug any unused appliances. A great protection again power surges is whole house surge protection. This service is offered by your local electrician and can save you the loss of costly appliances and electrical equipment.
- Redundant wiring – caused by not all of the wiring being used. Often live wires are left in the open and have not been disconnected. You will see these more often in new homes. If you are moving into a newly built home, you will want to inspect for any wiring that seems to be coiled up in unexpected places and have your builder address the problem.
- Overloaded circuit – Often people will shortcut adding additional outlets by purchasing a power strip and plugging in several devices. This often leads to short fuses and outages in specific areas of your home. An electrical contractor can check the power drain and make suggestions for adding additional outlets. You goal is to make sure that there is a balance on each circuit of your home.
If you come across any of these common electrical problems in your home, you will want to contact a professional. Electricity is not something you want to tackle on your own, there are just too many ways things can go wrong and you or someone in your family could get hurt.
