3 Warning Signs of a Faulty Home Electrical System

Most homes have their electrical wiring behind walls and ceilings, away from plain sight. For this reason, you may not immediately see a problem with your electrical system. Thankfully, most electrical issues have signs that you can identify before things get worse.

Even so, some symptoms may not always spark your interest. You might even shrug off a buzzing sound or dim lighting in some of the rooms in your house. However, you risk tremendous damage to your home if a faulty wire causes an electrical fire. Also, you or your family member might get electrocuted if you accidentally touch a naked wire

The warning signs below could be a result of overheating, short circuits, or overloading. Learn more about how you can identify them quickly to avoid unexpected problems.

1. Dim or Flickering Lights

Occasionally, dim or flickering lights may not seem like much of an electrical emergency. But they could be a warning of a much more serious issue with your home's electrical system.

For instance, if your lights dim slightly when you turn on your kitchen blender, a fault could be in the power distribution system. The wiring may not be capable enough to handle a larger power demand.

Similarly, if your lights seem to flicker or dim off during a windstorm, you may have frayed wiring near the supply inlet. Exposed cables could cause a short circuit when they move in the wind. Besides the lighting inconvenience, frayed cables can easily cause house fires when they touch.

If all the bulbs and lighting fixtures go dim or flicker, you may need to replace the entire wiring system. But if the problem is only in certain isolated areas, a routine inspection can unmask the cause and reveal potential fixes.

2. Hot or Sparking Outlets 

Home appliances may sometimes feel hot to the touch when in use. But the outlet you plug them into shouldn't. Also, mild shocks from switches and outlets are often clear signs of trouble with your electrical system.

Sometimes, these fixtures could just be faulty, if only one of them has unusual behavior. But if you notice problems in all your outlets, you may have reason to worry. Your home wiring system could be faulty or outdated. Also, the power demand could be too much for your system.

If you ignore the problem, you risk damaging your home appliances or having multiple dead sockets. To be safe, ask your electrician to take a closer look at your system and suggest possible solutions. 

3. Frequent Circuit Breaker Tripping 

Circuit breakers protect your electrical system from overloading or overheating. They cut off the power supply to parts of your home when they detect a hazard. Without a circuit breaker, your home could easily catch fire from electrical faults.

Periodic tripping could be a sign of simple overloads that you may not need to worry much about. However, if your circuit breaker frequently trips, a more deeply seated issue might be the likely cause. The circuits in your home may not be enough to serve all your electrical demands.

If you have several appliances that connect to one circuit, you might need to remove some appliances. But if you can't identify any obvious overloads, contact a reputable electrician for a professional assessment.

If you notice any of the signs above, let a qualified electrician handle the problem instead of performing DIY repairs. Besides risking further damage, you also put yourself and your household in danger if you're not sure what to do. Fortunately, our licensed technicians at  Reinhold Electric Inc  are always ready to help solve any electrical issues you might have.