Common Wiring and Electrical Issues: How to Fix Them!

Identify the source of any common wiring and electrical issues in your house and get expert assistance as soon as possible.

Faulty wiring is always a threat. For example, in the United States, wiring issues are responsible for tens of thousands of home fires each year. Like, only in Nashville last year, thousands of fire incidents happened due to faulty electric wiring. 

However, wiring accidents can be avoided by evaluating and repairing minor problems before they become major issues. Damaged electrical wiring can be identified by looking for the following signs.

Things to Remember

You may be able to change a light bulb or turn a switch on your breaker without assistance. However, most experts believe you should let the pros take care of it when it comes to serious electrical issues. It is not safe to try and fix major home electrical problems without the help of an expert. 

If you are living in Nashville you can contact a professional Nashville Electrician for taking care of your electrical work. However, there are other professionals nearby if you live somewhere else and need assistance.

Common Issues and Their Solutions

Here are some of the common home wiring and electric-related issues and how to resolve them!

Power Surges

Thunderstrikes, damaged power lines, malfunctioning appliances, and defective wiring are widespread in Nashville, resulting in electrical surges. Although an actual surge only lasts a microsecond, numerous high voltage abnormalities can shorten the life expectancy of the electrical components in your house.

Electronics that are poorly built and have outdated wiring are likely to blame. Unplug any cheap gadgets in your home. If the transients persist, lousy wiring could be the reason. Look for guidance from an experienced electrician on the best course of action.

Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping

Microwaves, hairdryers, and other high-wattage appliances can cause circuit breakers to trip, especially if used with other high-wattage appliances. When a circuit breaker trips, it is protecting you and your house.

There are several factors for a circuit to trip repeatedly. Once the circuit box is located, flip the breaker to “off” and then “on.” A variety of factors contribute to the circuit becoming overloaded. First, unclog your circuit by removing plugged-in devices to circuits with lower demand. 

Breaker trips are a sign of a short circuit, which occurs when two live wires, one broken and one rogue, are combined. It is better to contact a trained electrician soon to discover and diagnose any potential short circuit.

Electric Shocks

Getting an electric shock is an unpleasant feeling. Despite often being light, equivalent to a static shock, it reminds us that electricity can be harmful if not used correctly.

Electric shocks can cause slight discomfort to death. However, open wiring and circuitry that is not quite right should be avoided at all costs. Therefore, it is essential to know when to call an electrician for such issues. An average person can resolve many issues, but getting the help of professionals can save a lot of time, effort, safety risks, and even money.

Frequent Bulb Burnouts

Make sure your light bulb has the correct wattage, is of good quality, and is installed in the correct order before using it. You may face a problem if the connection is either too tight or loose. A defective cable can be the cause if it continues. 

Make sure the device is disconnected from the fixture before removing it. Wires that are stripped or damaged should be sought out. Replacing the fixture and bulb is the only option if everything is in order. You can use LED bulbs instead of regular bulbs, as LED provides better and longer support.

Outlet Not Working

The first step is to figure out what is wrong. Next, is checking other outlets in the room for electricity by plugging different devices into the outlet causing the problem. Malfunctioning equipment or a power outage might be to blame. 

It is common for many outlets to lose power at the same time. Also, make sure to check and reset any tripped breakers. Circuit issues are more common than malfunctioning outlets.

High Electric Bill

Electrical troubles are not the only ones that can cost you money! Even if you cannot change providers, there are always ways to lower your monthly bill. First, avoid using low-cost equipment. Next, disconnect your gadgets while they are not in use to save energy. 

Finally, reduce the maximum temperature on your electric water heater if you have one. You can also use electricity savers to reduce your electricity costs.

Flickering Lights

Other than Halloween, flickering lights are not all that exciting. To fix the flickering lights following steps need to be adopted:

• Make sure the lightbulb and the plug are both in place.
• The plug must be fully inserted into the socket, and the bulb must be plugged in all the way.
• Try to find out whether your neighbors are facing the same problems.

Damaged electrical lines might also be a factor. Slowly turn the “on/off” switches to find out whether they are flashing at the same time. Besides, an overloaded circuit can be the cause. A voltmeter, that you can find at your local hardware shop, will allow you to determine the standard voltage in your house.

Over Wired Panel

There are too many circuits in an over-wired electrical panel. A bigger board or an additional side panel can fix the problem.

If a panel has too many connections, it is considered a code violation. While selling the property it can be a concern if the home inspector finds it. 

Backstabbed Wires

Cutting off the insulation from the ends of neutral or hot wires and pushing them into the rear of an outlet is known as “backstabbing.” There are perforations to hold the wires in place. Backstabbing may have made installation easier and quicker. 

However, it becomes less secure over time. Since the technique has been proved to increase fire hazards, it should be discouraged.

Turn off the circuit at the breaker box to examine whether any outlets have been backstabbed. Remove the wall outlet next, and replace it with an outlet with screw connections if there are wires implanted in its back. Make sure to get expert help if you have any doubts about the job.

Conclusion

Make sure that you do not try to fix complex electrical issues independently. Consider contacting professionals. It is easy to dismiss your issue as not necessary. But why put yourself at risk for something that can go wrong? Good Luck! Also Read: What Is the Difference Between a Magnetometer, Gaussmeter, and Teslameter?