Zap! 4 Signs of Electrical Problems in the Home

electrical problems

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Over 53,000 fires per year. That’s how many fires are estimated to have started because of electrical issues in homes. If you don’t watch for these problems, your home might end up in those statistics.

Luckily, there are signs of electrical problems in the home that you can keep watch for. Below are four signs of home electrical problems that you need to know.

1. Regular Circuit Breaker Failure

Your circuit breakers are designed to work all the time. There should never be a point where they regularly go down during the day. If you find yourself constantly flipping your breakers back on, you likely suffer from electrical problems in the home.

The first thing to check is the number of appliances you have plugged in. Too many machines hooked up to one circuit can cause it to overload and fail.

The other common problem a circuit breaker fails is blown fuses. Breakers wear down over time, so you’ll need to replace your blown fuse to correct the problem.

2. Burning Smell

Sometimes electrical problems can go on for a long time without anybody noticing. When this happens, your electrical system degrades and becomes a fire hazard. If things get too bad, you might start noticing a burning smell.

A burning smell is a sign that an electrical fire is getting ready to break out. Call an electrician immediately and stay on standby with a fire extinguisher in case a fire sparks.

3. Flickering Lights

A dying light bulb isn’t the only reason a light flickers. If your light keeps flickering after you change a bulb, there might be a problem with your electrical system.

If you only have a single flickering light, your problem might be with that one light fixture. Otherwise, you’ll need to look back further in your electrical circuit to fix the problem.

When dealing with electrical problems in old homes, the problem might be in your breaker box or utility drop. In this case, you’ll need to contact an electrician to solve the problem.

4. Signs of Pests

Many people think they only need to call an exterminator when they see signs of pests. The problem with that is you never know what damage the pests caused when you weren’t aware of their presence.

If you see pest droppings near your electrical outlets, there’s a chance that they chewed on your wires around that area. Once you get rid of the pests, check into your wiring to ensure that your wires are still in great shape.

Now You Know the Signs of Electrical Problems in the Home

The last thing you want to do is to let an electrical problem go on for too long and end up with a hazard. Now that you know the signs of electrical problems in the home, you need to find issues and fix them. If you see any of the issues above, get in touch with an electrician to repair your electrical issues.

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