Don’t Trip: 3 Fixable Home Electrical Problems We Tend to Ignore
Electricity: you depend on it every day to do so many normal, routine tasks. At the same time, when there’s electrical problems in your home, it can be easy to ignore unless it turns into a major disruption.
Fortunately, many electrical problems are fairly easy fixes, ensuring you can get your electrical system back to full power while preventing any major damage from occurring.
Flickering Lights
A flickering light bulb could be a symptom of many different types of electrical problems. Fortunately, most of these issues are fairly easy to correct.
It could be simply a light bulb that is getting ready to go out. It could be a fixture that has gotten old and is in need of replacement.
Or, it could be symptomatic of wiring that is shorting out due to missing insulation. If you replace the light bulb and nothing changes, it may be time to go ahead and call in an electrician who can pinpoint the exact source of your problem.
Of course, an old light bulb or fixture are easy to fix on your own, while bad wiring certainly should be corrected by an electrician.
Tripping Breaker
If you’ve got a circuit breaker that trips fairly often, it’s important to take a look at it as soon as you can, as any cause of this problem has potential safety implications.
It could be that you simply have too much load on the circuit. This is especially easy to do if you’re using a space heater, which typically uses at least 12 amps of a 15 amp circuit.
If you’ve removed the load from the circuit and it still continues to trip, it’s time to call in some assistance. The breaker may be going bad and in need of replacement, or you may have another problem in the breaker box.
Either way, this is something you definitely don’t want to attempt on your own.
Burning Smell
If you smell a burning smell coming from switches or outlets while they’re in use, the bad news is that you likely have a fairly significant problem that needs to be addressed immediately.
The good news is that, despite its seriousness, this is typically a fairly easy problem to correct. Wires that are missing insulation can begin to arc, causing an overload on a particular outlet, leading to a potential electrical fire.
Of course, there are other causes for burning smells from electrical devices, and in all cases you need to bring in an electrician to help avert potential disaster.
Be Smart
While it can be frustrating to be interrupted by an electrical problem, it’s important to take your time when finding a solution.
After all, electricity at the right voltage can kill you in less than two seconds. So, be sure to take every precaution if there is work that you are performing yourself, and if you have any questions, stop what you’re doing to bring in some professional assistance.
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Category: Home Improvements
