When things stop working, you may feel a lot less “at home” in your own home. This applies to plumbing, HVAC, and especially electricity. When the electricity isn’t working, it’s difficult to feel at home. Electrical problems at home are also more than just an inconvenience. They can be expensive, time-consuming or even dangerous.
Maintaining your electrical system plays a major role in keeping your home safe and livable. To do this, you need to know when something is wrong with your electricity. Get to know your electricity by paying attention to these five main signs that something is wrong. If you notice any of these problems, it’s probably time to rewire your home.
Your home’s wiring hasn’t been updated in decades.
According to FEMA, electrical problems are the cause of nearly 10 percent of all home fires. In most cases, these electrical problems are due to outdated wiring in a home. Many homes in the United States are at least thirty years old. As wiring gets older, it can deteriorate or fail, causing all sorts of problems.
Older cables may also not respond as well to modern power demands as they should (it’s all those iPads). If your home is older and you have never replaced your electrical wiring, it may be time to think about it. You’ll be surprised at the difference modern wiring can make to the efficiency and security of your home.
Your Outlets and Switches appear discolored.
Discolored plugs are usually caused by loose connections or damaged cables. Loose cable connections can cause electricity to escape in the form of sparks. These sparks can cause small fires that deform and scorch outlets and switches. Of course, these sparks also pose a significant safety risk.
Loose connections and deterioration only get worse over time. The worse these problems get, the greater the sparks they create. The larger the sparks, the greater the risk of fire and electric shock. Remember: Ten house fires are due to electrical problems. A discolored switch could be the first sign that something is wrong.
There’s a persistent burning smell without source.
This sign goes hand-in-electrified-hand with the last one. If you have loose connections or faulty wiring near an outlet, sparks will burn the outlet’s plastic. Sometimes, however, loose connections or faulty wiring happen in your walls, where you won’t be able to see it.
Even if you can’t see electrical burning, however, you may be able to smell it. If you smell a faint, persistent burnt plastic scent in your home, you probably have wiring issues. A sparking wire is probably burning away its plastic casing inside your wall. You should always address sparking wires as soon as possible. Those sparks could easily start something besides a wiring casing on fire.
Your Lights Flicker a lot.
Before you rewire your entire house to fix flickering lights, ask yourself a few questions. First of all, are all my light bulbs screwed in correctly? If your light bulbs are a little loose, they may occasionally flicker. Secondly, is my house haunted? Ghosts love to make lights twinkle. If you don’t experience any of these problems, you probably have faulty wiring.
When the wiring doesn’t work properly, the current flowing through it doesn’t always reach its destination. The result is an irregular connection and flickering light. Unfortunately, faulty wiring is relatively common and occurs naturally over time. In fact, it’s probably more likely than our second option. If your wiring is faulty, it’s best to simply replace it.
Circuit Breaker Trips a lot.
There is a circuit breaker that turns off the power when a particular circuit exceeds the allowable amperage. When functioning properly, they prevent dangerous electrical surges that can lead to electrical fires.
However, like anything else, circuit breakers can fail over time. If your circuit breakers no longer accurately measure the current flowing through them, they may trip too frequently. Over time, worn circuit breakers may stop working at all. Replace them (or your cables) before this happens.
McBride Lighting & Electrical Services has electricians who can take care of all of your home’s electrical needs. We can even carry out safe, code-compliant rewiring work throughout your home. If you have noticed any of these signs, call us today. We identify the problem and resolve it quickly. We want to help you feel “at home” in your home. That’s what we do.
