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Dealing With Common Electrical Problems at Home

By April 11, 2019April 18th, 2019No Comments
Dealing With Common Electrical Problems at Home

Electrical problems require immediate solutions, as they can pose a threat to you, your house and everything inside it. That said, it’s best to seek a local licensed electrician for the proper repairs, as it can be tricky dealing with electricity. One way you can help, however, is by asking your neighbours if they are experiencing the same problem. This would mean that the problem isn’t originating from your home alone. If no one else has the same problem, you’d have to do some investigative work to determine its source. Here are a few of the most common issues homeowners have:

Electrical Surges

Lighting, faulty appliances and damaged power lines all cause power surges from time to time. However, while the surge itself only happens for a microsecond, frequent surges can eventually damage your home’s electrical components and degrade their life expectancy. Try removing cheaply made devices from your home’s outlets and observe if this lessens or completely prevents the surge. If it does not, it’s best to consult an expert.

You can protect your home and equipment by having a local licensed electrician install a panel-mounted surge suppressor and plug-in suppressors on individual outlets. We also recommend identifying safe circuits or those that don’t power large appliances and use them for electronic equipment to help avoid surges.

Tripping Circuit Breaker

Using high wattage items like hairdryers and microwaves on the same source can trip circuit breakers. Circuit breakers are designed to protect your home, so when it trips, it’s doing its job. That said, it’s best to avoid tripping circuit breakers too often as it can cause a circuit overload. Lessen circuit breakers by limiting the electrical use on a circuit when using high watt devices. You can also use a lower setting on the appliance you were using such as on a hairdryer. Make it a habit to remove devices that are not being used like phone chargers, as these can still draw power. It’s also best to spread your electrical usage around the house to not overburden a single circuit.

Flickering Lights

Flickering lights are often a sign of poor electrical connections. Fortunately, their source is very easy to locate as you simply need to trace the connection by taking note of which lights are flickering. If all the lights are flickering, then you have a bad connection in the panel. Most electrical companies offer emergency electrical repairs for this lighting problem to avoid further issues.

If the flickering bulb is only in one room, however, the problem is most likely just a bad switch. With the right tools, you can fix this yourself by replacing the light switch. When doing so, take the time to check the connection of all the outlets in the room as some may be wired to the light circuit.

ECS Services NSW offers 24/7 electrical services to help you deal with these issues smoothly and efficiently. We offer a wide range of services, from fault finding to surge protection. Schedule a consultation with our team today and get a free electrical quote.

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