FIVE MOST COMMON ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN YOUR HOME

“The real problem is that most of us are idiots, we just like to think we are not idiots because we use a bunch of s#$t that smart people have figured out, but how many of us actually know how any of that s#%t works?” – Joe Rogan.

Although no one likes to admit it, Joe Rogan has a point. Walking through your house, it is likely that we don’t actually understand how a single appliance works.

In this case, these elusive ‘smart people’, as Rogan calls them, are electricians. Understanding just how perplexing electrical faults can be to untrained people, we have compiled a list of five most common electrical problems that you will find in your home.    

Light bulbs burning out frequently

While not an overly dangerous phenomenon, the short lifespan of many light bulbs is easily one of the most prominent electrical issues that you will come across in your home. This could be the result of numerous issues such as faulty wiring of the circuit or mains, having a larger wattage then the fixture is meant to handle, a total wattage output that is too large on a dimmer switch or a poor connection on the circuit. If you are going through light bulbs faster than you think is normal, then you should contact an electrician to correctly diagnose the issue before you blow through a lifetime of bulbs.

Light fixtures and switches are overheating   

If you are noticing your light fixtures and switches are warm and are clearly over-heating, then you are running into another extremely common electrical fault in your home. This is often caused by inadequate insulation or the incorrect wattage of installed light bulbs and can become a fire hazard.

Replacing your bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs is a step in the right direction if this is occurring because these lights emit far less heat than incandescent bulbs.

Flickering lights 

If you’re a fan of horror movies you might recognize the tell-tale signs of your house being haunted by a belligerent spirit by the flickering of your lights. Before you let this get to you, this is also one of the most common household electrical errors. Again, most likely related to the light bulb, this issue may be caused by a loose or defective light bulb. If upon replacing the light bulb the issue remains, it is likely to be a more serious problem with the fixtures connections to blame. In this situation, it is essential you use a licensed electrician to absolve the issue.

Sparking plugs and appliances

Another extremely common household electrical fault is sparking appearing when you first plug in an appliance to the wall. If this is occurring frequently or the sparks are quite large, this could indicate that there is an issue with your outlet or the circuit. Also, if there is an audible popping or crackling sound then you may have a loose wire. This is also an incredibly dangerous situation because it could cause an electric shock, or quickly become a fire hazard.

Appliances trip the circuit breaker

Some high wattage items which run simultaneously can overload the circuit and continuously trip your circuit breaker when used. To absolve this issue, we advise you move the appliance to a different area/circuit, install a separate circuit altogether. Piggybacking appliances and overusing certain plugs is sure to cause issues.

Gillett Electrical is an electrical contractor servicing the Sunshine Coast

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