Dealing with electrical problems is never fun. It can hold up your life when you need to take time to deal with electrical issues and if you don’t understand why a problem is happening it makes the situation all the more stressful! Let’s break down the 5 most common electrical problems found in a home.
1. Electrical Surges
Electrical surges can be caused by a variety of things from lightning strikes to faulty appliances or bad electrical wiring in the house. Frequent surges are not just inconvenient, they can damage the electrical components connected to your home.
In a home that experiences frequent surges, the culprit is likely an electrical device. Check your home for any cheaply made devices or powerboards and unplug them from the outlet to see if this stops the surges. Also take a look to ensure you don’t have any overloaded outlets, if you think one may have too many connections disconnect or re-locate some to see if this helps. If these don’t correct the issue, get in touch with your electrician to investigate and fix the problem.
2. Light Switches Not Working Properly
It’s not uncommon to find switches that don’t seem to turn anything on in a new home. This is either a sign the switches have been superseded and fixtures removed, or it could indicate an issue with the outlet, circuit, or wiring. If you have dimmers in your home that don’t adjust the light this can often be attributed to poor workmanship or sub-standard products. It’s best to get these checked by a professional electrician to correct the issue and ensure it does not cause safety issues in the future.
3. Circuit Breaker Tripping
If you notice devices like microwaves or your hairdryer tripping the circuit breakers, you may have to adjust some things in your home. A breaker will trip if there is too much draw on one circuit, so try moving some high draw appliances around onto different circuits, or temporarily unplug them when you want to use your hairdryer or another high draw device.
4. Unexplained Expensive Electrical Bills
Expensive electrical bills are bad for your wallet and bad for your home. But what’s causing your bill to be so high? Go around your home and identify electrical devices that may be causing power surges. Be conscious of how much you use high draw devices or appliances, like your washer and dryer. Also try to unplug devices and charging cords when not being used. And lastly check your home for any necessary repairs that need to be done on your hot water heater, wiring or circuits, or an appliance that isn’t working properly that may be drawing power unnecessarily.
5. Lightbulbs Burning Out Frequently
If you have a few light bulbs that seem to burn out constantly there may be a few things that are to blame. If the wattage of the bulb is too high this can cause your bulb to burn too hot and bright, reducing it’s life expectancy. Bad wiring on the circuit, or on your mains, may cause light bulbs to burn out prematurely also. If you’re experiencing a flickering light it probably has a poor connection to the circuit. There are other reasons why your bulb may be burning out, so we recommend reaching out to an electrician who will be able to find the root cause of the problem and solve it.
If you’re having trouble with any of these common problems, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help. Trained and experienced electricians, like the crew at AJ’s Electrical, will be able to locate any electrical problems and fix them quickly and correctly so that you can enjoy your home. Get in touch with us today!
