In the standard household, over 50% of energy consumed goes towards heating and cooling, with only 18% going towards hot water and 6% to lighting. Your home’s electrical system is something often taken for granted and seldom thought about until something goes wrong. However, it is important to understand the warning signs of electrical failure and degradation before it turns into a safety hazard. If you’ve been concerned about your electrical system, here are some signs you should be on the lookout for.
1. Your Circuit Breakers are Tripping
If you’re tripping your circuit breakers a lot, it may be a sign of a problem. For instance, if you’re regularly losing power when turning too many things on, it could be an indication that the circuit powering that part of your house isn’t up to par. An electrical contractor can replace the circuit breaker to allow for more power; however, if the wiring in your home isn’t designed to handle the greater load, you could run into further safety hazards. The best thing to do is have a professional come out and look at the situation so they can advise you on the best course of action.
2. Your Outlets are Hot to the Touch
If your outlets feel hot to the touch you could be looking at a serious safety hazard. Unplug everything from that outlet and call a professional ASAP to make sure the problem doesn’t grow into something very dangerous.
3. Your Lights are Dimming or Flickering
Dimming or flickering lights could also be a sign that your electrical system isn’t up to snuff when it comes to handling the load. If this tends to happen when you’re plugging in an appliance — such as a hairdryer or vacuum — it could be due to limited circuit capacity. However, if it tends to only happen at random, then there could be a problem with the wiring supplying that particular light. If multiple lights in different rooms are experiencing this problem, then you could be looking at a significant problem that needs professional attention.
The wiring and electrical systems in our homes tend to go ignored until something starts going wrong. If you are experiencing any of these issues, reach out to an electrical contractor as soon as possible to ensure that you’re not facing any dangerous issues that could be a fire hazard.