Hollywood movies may make us believe otherwise, but flickering lights don’t always point towards ghostly encounters; more likely it indicates an electrical issue in your home which must be taken care of immediately.
Common issues include frequently blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, dead outlets, warm wires and burning smells. To learn more about it, make sure to read this article: cinchhomeservices.com/faq-library/-/faq/does-a-home-warranty-cover-electrical-issues/
1. Too Few Outlets
If your home lacks sufficient outlets, and you rely on extension cords or power strips to function, it’s time to contact an electrician, especially if you want to sell your home. Doing this may lead to costly electronics and electrical failures due to surges.
One way to address this problem is with an outlet tap, which connects and plugs into existing outlets to add extra receptacles. There are options with three or six outlets and built-in surge protection; additionally, unplugging devices when not needed is recommended in order to free up outlets.
2. Circuit Overload
If your circuit breakers keep tripping, it may be time to contact a professional electrician. This indicates there is too much load on the circuit (e.g. too many lights or power-hungry appliances). Plug your appliance into another circuit to see if it works there or listen for any sizzling noises coming from outlets or wall sockets before calling an electrician.
Electrical circuit overloads can lead to overheating and fires in old wiring systems, so upgrading is recommended in order to limit extension cord usage and manage power usage more effectively.
3. Faulty Wiring
Faulty wiring can lead to high electricity bills, malfunctioning appliances and house fires. Damaged wiring allows electricity leakage that causes devices to heat up more than necessary while using more power than necessary. Short circuits, tripped breakers or ungrounded outlets could also occur as a result, increasing costs further or leading to overheating which can potentially spark home fires.
If you detect a burning smell from switches or outlets in your home, this is a sure sign of electrical wiring problems and should prompt you to seek professional assistance immediately. Call an electrician as soon as possible for help and get them help ASAP.
4. Faulty Outlets
Faulty outlets pose a severe fire hazard and should be immediately replaced or switched off to prevent harm to appliances or shock to anyone who touches them. They can cause an electrical short and shock should anyone come into contact with them; any outlet which produces sparks should also be immediately shut off and replaced as soon as it feels hot or produces sparks should also be immediately deactivated and replaced.
If an outlet regularly trips a circuit breaker or blows fuses, this indicates overload and should be replaced immediately. Also check your outlets for signs of wear such as dark discoloration or melting around them to confirm this diagnosis.
If any of these signs appear in your home, call in an electrician immediately for an inspection of its outlets and wiring. A pro can install new outlets as needed while making sure everything remains safe.
5. Faulty Switches
Snap, hiss, crackle or pop sounds when turning a switch could indicate live electricity arcing within it – posing a fire hazard. Feeling heat emanating from a switch or outlet also indicates there may be an issue; in such instances it is safest to turn off its associated circuit breaker before using an Ohms continuity tester to test. (For three-way switches ensure one pole of each terminal).
Professional electricians can inspect your wiring connections to ensure their safety, replacing broken switches or rectifying corroded breakers if necessary, as well as installing surge protectors to conserve energy and save you money.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
