In this fast-moving world, we cannot afford setbacks. Especially when those setbacks arise due to common electrical problems that occur at our home.
Most of the time, these problems are going to occur because of faulty or old wiring in your house, and other times it is going to be technical faults in the accessories like switches and bulbs.
But don’t you think that every time something like this happens you should at least have enough knowledge to figure out what happened? Knowing electrical problems should be General Knowledge.
So here goes. Common Electrical problems with solutions:
Electrical surges: Surges are common and they can happen due to reasons like the wiring of the house going faulty, faulty appliances, and even lightning strikes.
A once in a while surge is okay but if they start happening frequently then check for the device connected to the home grid and try disconnecting the poor quality powerboards or devices. If the surging stops then you know what’s the problem but if it doesn’t then you need to call the electrician to take a look at the wiring.
- Switches of lights not working: There are only two reasons why the switches of lights won’t work. It is either poor workmanship or substandard switches or wiring that adjoins all the parts. And this is a big red flag ⛳
If it is the poor workmanship then take a lesson from this and always hire a skilled electrician who’s a professional with a proven track record.
If the problem is because the switches are of poor quality then now you know that never trade for quality over cheap. Get switches from a reliable and quality brand like us!
Check out our exclusive and latest switch designs for your new/refurbished home.
- Overloading: Overloading is also a major electrical problem that you should be aware of. The way to tackle this problem is to make sure that your light fixture has a higher watt capacity than the bulb or any other device. If it is opposite then the high heat from the bulb or the other device can melt the fixture, its wiring, socket, and the switch causing an electrical fire.
So it is always advised to use bulbs or any other devices within the wattage limit. If there is no wattage marking on the fixture then buy bulbs that are up to 60 watts only.
- Flickering and Dimming: As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to ignore flickering or other variations in your home electrical service. Even if the flickering seems harmless, it could be a sign of a more serious underlying issue with your electrical wiring that could present a dangerous fire hazard to your home.
No doubt, flickering can happen due to many reasons. Some are harmless and others hazardous.
Here’s why you probably don’t need to worry about lights flickering and dimming in the house if:
- Your lightbulbs are incompatible with your dimmers.
For instance, flickering LED lights when they’re on a low setting can be annoying but they’re not dangerous. Possible solution: change the brand or type of LED (light-emitting diode) light. - A badly-fitting light bulb is flickering. This isn’t typically a cause for alarm, and changing the bulb generally does the trick. Make sure you allow it to cool before handling it.
- However, flickering lights in the above cases could also be caused by a faulty switch or dimmer, requiring the attention of a qualified electrician.
- Another problem that could be a cause for concern is lights flickering throughout your home.
If the reason for flickering isn’t any one of them then you need to cut off the main power supply immediately and get an electrician immediately before something hazardous happens.
Note: Flickering and Dimming can also occur due to bad weather interfering with your power supply or a problem with your local utility substation. So it is advisable to turn off the main source of electricity supply and wait till the weather clears.
5. Tripping circuit breaker: Tripping in your circuit breaker happens when you are using high powered items before and you plug in a microwave or a hair dryer.
Tripping is actually a sign of an electrically protected and safe home. To avoid it however you will need to identify which gadget is causing the Tripping and try to use a lower setting on the device that’s causing the circuit to Trip.
6. Electric shocks
Electric shocks actually happen when the electricity is not properly used. Back in the early times, shocks were common because the circuits in the days were not as advanced as these days.
An electric shock happens when you switch on or off a device. The issue can either be with the appliance or the wiring. To check the issue, you can test with another device. But to be on the safer side, just talk with your electrician to resolve the issues
7. No RCCB (Residual Current Circuit Breaker)
RCCB is also known as Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB). RCCB is essential to disconnect the load from the main supply when the circuit has residual current. By using RCCB you ensure protection against direct and indirect contact, electric fire, and protection of earthing against corrosion.
8. Frequent burning out of light bulbs.
If your light bulbs burn out too often, these might be the possible reasons for that.
➤ High wattage
➤ Poor wiring on circuit and mains
➤ More wattage on a dimmer switch
➤ Insulation is near to light
9. High electric bill
Other than the ever-rising energy prices. There can be other reasons why your electricity bill is always suspiciously high. And these reasons are:
➤ Repairing damaged circuits or wiring
➤ Unplugging electronic devices when not in use
➤ Relying on a cost-effective service provider
➤ Recognizing power surging devices
10. Aluminum wiring
Aluminum wiring is also a big reason for an electrical problems. You see Aluminum wiring has a high danger level as aluminum was used as a cheap substitute for copper in earlier days but it was never a safe option as copper is.
This is because of the corrosion that takes place when aluminum is in contact with copper and when the connections loosen, it causes fire.
The solution for this issue is retrofitting a dielectric wire nut for an aluminum wire to copper connection in case of light fixtures. This helps in stopping corrosion due to the grease in the nuts. If you didn’t get that then you know that your electrician can.
11. Pushed-back wires
The last reason that can cause an electrical problem in your home are the pushed back wires that may be loose for new switches than those anchored around screw terminals. This is not a red flag as it is allowed for new constructions too.
However, the risk occurs only when the loose wires are worst in case otherwise it stops the switch from working.
So Check if your wires are pushed back, and if so, release it and fix them to the respective screw terminals on the receptacle.
Before you go, here are some tips for troubleshooting your electrical problems easily so that you can take the necessary precautions before it’s too late.
➤ Be safe first
It is very important to make sure of your safety while working with electrical problems and solutions.
➤ It is advisable not to work with energized wires or circuits.
➤ Switch off the circuit and tag it to keep off so that other wont switch it on again
➤ Before you test, insulate the wires with electrical tape if it is to be turned on. You can insulate the hot wire with red or black to identify from others (also known as hot wire flagging).
➤ If you don’t know anything about resolving your electrical issues, kindly contact an electrician.
Lastly, always be mindful when you are looking for signs of electrical failure. A problem is never susceptible if it is big or small. There are times when electronic appliances go bad or problems occur due to faulty wiring and get worse when environmental conditions are bad. So even If your house is perfectly electrically healthy, have an inspection done every 6 months or a year. It’s worth it.