Common Electrical Problems in Your Home
Home utilities such as electricity, water, and internet installations are very important. It is common for these installations to experience some problems, which need immediate attention from a technician. Water and internet installations are not dangerous and may sometimes wait for repair, depending on the magnitude of the damages. However, electrical faults are dangerous and can sometimes lead to fires. Here are some common electrical problems in your home that should be repaired immediately.
Recurring Transients
Transients are commonly known as surges. They are electrical problems that are, in most cases, caused by high-voltage, especially in the flow of electricity. Surges happen in split seconds, and it is very difficult to detect them. Surges are commonly known for damaging connected electrical devices in homes when they occur. Damaged electric kettles and other electrical devices can be a clear indication that your home is experiencing surges.
Tripping Circuit Breaker
Circuit breakers are necessary components in any electric system. They are essential in breaking the entire circuit when they sense something wrong with the flow of electric current in your home. If everything is working normally, circuit breakers are not supposed to trip. However, when you find that your circuit breaker is regularly tripping, you should contact an electrical technician to help solve the problem. If you need an electrician in Seattle, Brennan Electric is your reliable partner.
Frequent Bulb Burnouts
Many homes experience frequent bulb burnouts. The problem is that people tend to think that modern-day bulbs are not as good as they were in the past. It’s time to stop blaming the bulbs and look deeper into the electrical problem that is facing your home. There are many reasons that cause frequent bulb burnouts, and you need to make sure that you find the root cause of the problem. Some of the leading causes of frequent bulb burnouts include tightly fixed bulbs, improper air circulation, and high voltage.
Backstabbed Outlets/Wires
Backstabbed wires are current-carrying wires that have holes or cuts on them. Due to these cuts, such live wires are exposed and can easily cause electrocution in homes. This is a serious electrical fault that you should address immediately before an accident happens. You can tape the torn part of the wire, but you should know that this does not provide a permanent solution. The ultimate solution lies in calling an electrical company to solve the problem by replacing the wire.
Sags and Dips
Sags and dips are common electrical problems, and many people are likely to confuse them for transients. They all behave the same, and you can, mistakenly diagnose one for another, especially when you don’t involve a professional electrician. However, sags and dips are mostly caused by a grid that is drawing more power than your electrical devices can hold. It is also important to check whether your power-controlling device is outdated, thereby drawing too much power from the main grid.
Dysfunctional Switches
Your On/Off switches could have been working, but all of a sudden, they stop. This usually occurs when switches are overridden by heavy electrical current. It may occur due to recurring surges, but other electrical problems could cause this issue. Electrical technicians cite improper electrical wiring as the main cause of dysfunctional switches. However, this will only be the case if electricity has just been connected to your home. An old or damaged switch can also exhibit such a problem and needs to be replaced immediately.
Too Bright or Too Dim
There is the standard light that you are expecting from each bulb. Bulb manufacturers indicate the light intensity that one should expect from different bulbs. Any variance to the manufacturer’s rating indicates that something is wrong. If some bulbs are brighter than others, you need to call a technician to solve the problem. Check whether such bulbs consume the same wattage or power or consider analyzing the main power panel for technical problems.
Getting High Electrical Bills
Simple problems could be causing an increase in electrical bills. If you have drastically seen an increase in electrical bills, allow one of our technicians to perform an assessment and get to the source of the problem. Simple electrical faults such as damaged circuits, leaking electrical systems, and outdated electrical devices could be the reason for an increase in electrical bills.
Electric Shocks
As an adult, you already know how electrical shocks feel. You don’t want to endure that feeling again. As you already know, electric shocks could be dangerous for young children as well. Therefore, you should make sure that this problem is solved before it becomes a matter of safety concern in your home. In most cases, electric shocks are caused by simple and common electrical faults in homes such as faulty electrical appliances, backstabbed wires, and power leakages.
Over-Lamping
Over-lamping is a common electrical problem that occurs in homes. Over-lamping involves using a bulb of a higher wattage demand on a fixture that cannot be able to meet the demands of the bulb. The fixture will end up overheating and finally burning out. For example, a simple fix in bathrooms would be swapping out your 60-watt bulbs for 20-watt bulbs. One of our electricians can come out and suggest such changes to your home. In dangerous situations, over-lamping can lead to electrical fires in homes, which explains why it should be solved immediately.
Over-Loaded Panel
Overloading a circuit has already been discussed as one of the major problems in electrical connections. Most electric panel manufacturers indicate the amount of load that a panel can hold. An overloaded panel is a fire risk that can have devastating impacts on homes. The only solution to this is to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for maximum load.
Not Enough Outlets
Not having enough outlets is a common problem in many homes. The situation becomes unsafe when customers use an extension cord to increase outlets. This is a dangerous ‘fix’ that may not work in the long term. Extension cords should be used as temporary solutions and not permanent sources of home outlets. The best solution is to call an electrician to increase outlets in your home and avoid unsafe scenarios.
Rely on Brennan Electric
Since 1987, Brennan Electric has been working hard to be a leading electrical company providing reliable electrical services to homeowners in Seattle and the surrounding areas. On top of that, we have won the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 13 years in a row, and we are accredited by the BBB with an A+ rating.
At Brennan Electric, we work with our communities in supporting worthy causes. Our partnership with Northwest Harvest has yielded over 179,600 meals for local families.
Customers can turn to us for hassle-free scheduling of residential electrical services such as home electrical inspections, full-service changes, whole panel surge protection, circuit upgrades, maintenance and repairs, low voltage solutions, troubleshooting, hot water tank circuits, light fixture installations, fuse replacements, and 220-volt to 110-volt conversion among many others. Contact us today for all of your household electrical jobs.
