10 Common Electrical Issues at Homes You Cannot Afford to Overlook

When household electricity is concerned, the aspect of safety stands paramount. Unreasonably high utility bills, frequently damaged appliances, and flickering lights are some of the common problems of the electric circuit in your home, says a qualified electrician based in London. 

In the following paragraphs, let us explore few common such problems and their appropriate solutions.

1. Electric surges occurring frequently

There can be different reasons for frequent electrical surges at your home. These reasons range from damaged power lines, lightning strikes, low-quality electric wiring to faulty appliances. One of the best emergency electricians says, an actual surge lasts hardly a microsecond but when surges occur frequently electrical components in your home are at high risk to get damaged.

If you’re facing electrical surges a little too frequently, then either you have faulty wiring or a faulty electrical device connected to the home grid. First, try identifying and then isolate that culprit device. If the problem continues, then you better consult your electrician and you may have to get the wiring redone. 

2. Dips and sags in power supply

Dips and sags in the electrical supply stand at the opposite spectrum of electrical surges discussed above. These issues too occur because of the same cause – faulty or substandard devices. As a result, those devices suck excessive power whenever switched on. 

3. Malfunctioning light switches

When dimmer switches fail to adjust light properly, either you have a substandard product or some incompetent electrician worked in your home. If you have shifted into a new home and see the switches malfunctioning, you should not ignore the problem. This problem arises because of any of the following reasons:

• The switches have superseded
• Fixtures have been removed
• The outlet, circuit, or wiring is faulty

You must consult a registered electrician to resolve the problem.

4. Frequently tripping of the circuit breaker

Hairdryers and microwaves are high-wattage gadgets and they are known for tripping circuit breakers. This fault particularly occurs when you plug in other power-consuming gadgets at the same source. The role of a circuit breaker is to protect your home or property and so when it trips, you can rest assured the device is working fine, says the emergency electrician. It is important that you plug in limited gadgets on a single circuit at a time especially while using any high-wattage device.

5. Circuit overloading

When the circuit breaker trips frequently, chances are high that the power boards are overloaded. Both homes and apartments – including the newly built ones – usually lack sufficient power-points to cater to the standard domestic needs. This makes the electrical circuit easily overloaded and the circuit breaker trips frequently. 

Here are some effective tips to overcome the problem:

• Remove gadgets that are presently not in use (phone charger for example – it still consumes power even when it is not charging the phone)
• Never overload a circuit
• Smartly spread your electrical needs all over your home
• Belittle conscious about what electrical devices you connect and how around your home

6. Lights either excessively bright or too dim

Some lights around the household are too bright while the rest are excessively pale and dim. This is another common electrical problem across homes. According to one of the electricians, this occurs because of any of the two following factors:

• Different lights have different wattage and you better check all the globes that all are the same
• Faulty neutral connection in your circuit

 You need a qualified professional to resolve the problem.

7. Receiving electrical shocks

Receiving electrical shock is undoubtedly a nasty experience. Even if those are static shocks and are pretty mild but they are scary. Electricity is potentially dangerous if we are not careful with it and do not use it in the right way. 

Most electrical shocks are received when you switch a device on or off. Probable causes include the following:

• Faulty appliance
• Faulty wiring

You can plug in another device and if yet receive another shock then probably the wiring has a problem. Else the previous gadget was faulty. However, in either case, you have to risk getting another shock. You better summon an electrician in handling such cases. 

8. Unreasonably excessive power consumption bills

Here are some tried and tested ways to reduce your power consumption bills:

• Identify the gadgets that are likely causing a power surge
• Patch up leaks in the hot water system
• Repair any damaged or malfunctioning electrical circuit or wiring
• Unplug chargers and appliances when you’re not using them

9. Light bulbs burning out frequently

A number of factors are identified for your light bulbs burning out frequently. These include the following:

• Much higher wattage
• Insulation is placed too close to the light 
• Faulty circuit wiring
• Faulty wiring at the mains

There can even be many other causes behind the problem. You should better call an electrician to survey the site and pinpoint the actual culprit.  

10. Recessed light turns off and then on again

Recessed lights come with an additional safety device, which cuts off the power supply whenever the light gets excessively hot. This problem denotes either the insulation in the ceiling is placed a little too close to the bulb or the wattage is excessively high. 

If you have overhead lights installed, make sure to check them at routine intervals for the following conditions:

• Whether the lights producing excessive heat
• Whether proper insulation is in place 

Overheated lights are known to trigger electrical fire and so, you just afford to ignore this problem, suggest qualified electricians. It is also important measuring the total wattage in the circuit at regular intervals. 

If your home faces electrical issues, you have no alternative but to consult a registered electrician.