Every home is susceptible to a variety of electrical issues, but even small issues can become hazards if left unchecked. Here are five common electrical problems to help you notice hazards in your home before they become serious safety risks.
Flickering or Dimming Lights
Flickering lights are often ignored as the issue doesn’t seem that serious. While the occasional flickering or dimming isn’t a cause for concern, daily occurrences are. Double-check your problem isn’t with your light bulbs by switching them out. If they continue to flicker, it could be a sign of a poor connection and can lead to eventual arching – loose or corroded connections making intermittent contact that could result in sparking and overheating.
Frequent Light Bulb Burnout
One of the most annoying electrical problems is frequent bulb burnouts. You keep buying bulbs but no matter what, they all seem to go out after a short while. What gives?
First, don’t blame the bulbs. It’s likely a problem in your own home causing them to go out. There are quite a few reasons for bulbs to burn out frequently. It might be a voltage issue, your bulb might be too tightly fixed, or you could have a loose connection in the socket or circuit.
Plugs Falling out of Outlets
Outlets have contact points that grip cord prongs for a secure connection. If plugs constantly fall out of your outlet, the problem is likely your outlet receptacle. The receptacle is the two narrow slots your plugs go into, and it wears out over time. This can create greater electrical resistance and heat, which can cause problems with the wiring. While you may use outlets every day, you may not notice the state of your outlet receptacle. The good news is if it’s worn out, you can fix it by replacing it.
Too Few Outlets
It may seem like an inconvenience to you, but too few outlets in your house is a bigger problem than you might realize. A scarcity in outlets can lead to overloading your existing outlets. Homes that don’t have enough outlets to accommodate the needs of its residents can lead to a dependence on extensions cords and an increased probability of experiencing surges.
If your home has too few outlets, your temporary solution is to use a heavy-duty extension cord to extend the cord range while you wait for a qualified electrician to install new outlets.
Frequently Tripping Breakers
Your circuit breaker is your home’s first defense against damages caused by short-circuiting or overloads. So occasional trips mean it’s doing its job to protect you and your home. If your circuit breaker keeps tripping, it’s usually a sign there are some bigger problems at hand. It could be a ground fault, bad wiring, your circuit breaker box itself going bad, or something more complex.
Speck Family Electric is Here to Help
These common electrical problems have the potential to do serious damage, but not if you catch them early and fix them right away. No matter which of these problems you might be dealing with, let Speck Family Electric assist you. We’re always here to help our beloved Tennessee homeowners. We service those in Sparta, Chattanooga, Cookeville, Crossville, Gallatin, Lebanon, McMinnville, Mount Juliet, Murfreesboro, and Smithville.
