10 Common Electrical Problems to Watch Out For

Share This Post

Share on facebook
Share on linkedin
Share on twitter
Share on email

Electricity is one of the driving forces behind modern living; most of us can’t remember a time without at least having the convenience of light bulbs. Electrical units and appliances are very commonplace for many people. However, behind all the many helpful uses of electricity, there are quite a few problems to look out for. Electrical issues can lead to dangerous electrical emergencies, so they should be treated very seriously.

Here are 10 of the most common household electrical problems to look out for:

1. Electrical Surges

Frequent electrical surges can be the result of many things, including damaged power lines, a lightning strike, poor household electrical wiring, and even defective appliances. Normally, a surge will last only a fraction of a second; if an object experiences multiple frequent surges, it will be significantly damaged and not last nearly as long.

2. Faulty Light Switches

If any of your light switches are not working correctly, you have a couple troubleshooting options. Dimmer switches that have trouble adjusting properly are usually the fault of poor craftsmanship and material. A mysterious switch that doesn’t appear to connect to any fixture at all could mean anything from a faulty outlet, circuit, or wiring. It is always smart to check with a professional electrician if you have any problems with your home wiring

3. Dips and Sags in Power

Similar to electrical surges, these can be the result of poorly made devices connected to your electricity.

4. An Overloaded Circuit

This is one of the major causes of a tripped circuit breaker. Overloading a circuit can be very easy, especially in older homes that are unable to cater to the amount of electricity some appliances require. Some appliances draw more electricity than others, so it is good to take note of what uses the most power. It also helps to unplug anything that is not in use, including cell phone chargers.

5. A Tripping Circuit Breaker

While circuit breakers are meant to trip (that is their way of protecting your home), you should make sure to note exactly what is causing your breaker to trip. If it was something particularly high wattage like a hairdryer or a microwave, try using a lower setting if you are using them at the same time as other electrical appliances.

6. Electrical Shocks

Electrical shocks are an unfortunate experience, and at worst incredibly dangerous. Fortunately, they are normally a mild static shock level of pain, but they are still a frequent reminder to be careful when handling electricity. These shocks can be caused by an issue with an appliance’s wiring or the appliance itself, so always be careful when turning objects on and off.

7. Lights Being Kept Too Dim or Bright

Different lights may utilise different wattages; check your main connection and that your bulbs are correct.

8. Bulbs That Burn Out Too Quickly

If your light bulbs are burning out too frequently, here are some of the common causes behind it:

  • Poor circuit wiring
  • Too high of wattages
  • Your insulation is located too closely to the bulb
  • The dimmer switch (if applicable) is overloaded with too much wattage

9. Unusually Expensive Electrical Bill

Here are some tips to help lower your electrical bill:

  • Identify and fix any devices creating power surges
  • Unplug appliances and other devices when they are not in use
  • Make sure your electrical wiring is up to date

Light that Turns off and Turns Back on Later

Some lights, like downlights for example, are made with the safety feature ability to automatically turn off when the light itself heats up too much. This is caused by either your ceiling insulation being too close, or your bulb is too high wattage.

A great precaution against any potential electrical problems is to have a quality electrician inspect your home. Contact our team on our Richtek Electrical website for any electrical questions or issues you may have.

More To Explore

Electrical

How To Keep Warm This Winter

It’s only natural to stress out slightly when you open the mailbox to see a new electricity bill inside. This stressing out can easily develops

sidebar hashtag menu home office pencil images camera headphones music video-camera bullhorn connection mic book books file-empty files-empty folder folder-open price-tag barcode qrcode cart coin-dollar coin-euro mobile user users user-plus user-minus key lock unlocked glass mug spoon-knife fire bin switch cloud-download cloud-upload bookmark star-empty star-half star-full play pause stop backward forward first last previous next eject volume-high volume-medium volume-low volume-mute amazon google whatsapp twitter dribbble behance behance-black github appleinc finder windows8 skype pinterest pinterest-o chrome firefox edge safari opera file-pdf file-word file-excel html-five asterisk search search-plus search-minus cog arrow-circle-o-down arrow-circle-o-up edit share-square-o check-square-o arrows question-circle arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up arrow-down mail-forward expand compress eye eye-slash comment twitter-square facebook-square camera-retro cogs comments thumbs-o-up thumbs-o-down sign-out linkedin-square external-link sign-in unlock feed bell-o arrow-circle-left arrow-circle-right arrow-circle-up arrow-circle-down globe filter arrows-alt link paperclip bars envelope linkedin rotate-left bell angle-left angle-right angle-up angle-down desktop mail-reply mail-reply-all chain-broken chevron-circle-left chevron-circle-right chevron-circle-up chevron-circle-down html5 unlock-alt youtube-square youtube-play dropbox stack-overflow apple windows trello female male arrow-circle-o-right arrow-circle-o-left wordpress file-image-o paper-plane paper-plane-o share-alt cc-visa cc-paypal cc-stripe bell-slash bell-slash-o facebook-official trademark registered wikipedia-w question-circle-o