Bad wiring causes thousands of electrical fires in the United States every year. Here are some signs that the wiring in your house may need repair or replacement.
Flickering Lights
It’s not uncommon for a single lightbulb or light fixture to flicker or dim, but if multiple light fixtures are flickering or dimming in your house, the circuit for that room may be running too much power. If you can’t move anything from that circuit to another, ask an electrician if a larger capacity circuit breaker can be used. It may also be a problem with the electrical wiring in the walls, which is a bigger issue.
Frayed Wiring
If you see any wiring that looks frayed and/or chewed, and the casing is damaged or missing, do not ignore it. It likely means that rodents have been gnawing on your wiring. This can lead to serious electrical problems, and even an electrical fire. Call an electrician to determine the extent of the damage and what can be done.
Bad Outlets
If your house is old, it may have some outdated outlets. You’ll want these replaced with a safer GFCI outlet, or AFCI electrical outlet wiring. If your outlets are fairly new but still have problems such as smoking or sparking, this indicates a wiring problem that will need to be examined by a professional.
Strange Odors
If there’s a burning smell coming from a fixture, an outlet, inner wall, or any other location with electrical wiring, shut off that circuit’s breaker and call an electrician right away. This means that there’s an electrical problem that has already caused some amount of combustion, and there’s significant danger of electrical fire.
The Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping
Decades ago, most houses had fuse boxes. If a circuit got overloaded, the fuse would blow and have to be replaced. Now we have circuit panels with circuit breakers, which flip to the OFF position when there’s a surge. The breaker can usually be switched right back to ON and work again. It’s normal for this to happen occasionally but if it happens often, the circuit may be overloaded from powering too many appliances. See if something can be moved to another circuit. If that doesn’t help, the problem is probably either that circuit breaker or the wiring in the house. Have an electrician take a look at the problem.
For all your electrical needs, call Hoover. Established in 1980, Hoover Electric, Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling has been serving customers in Southeast Michigan ever since, offering courteous, professional service. Because we offer all the services you need for residential maintenance under one roof, we’re able to offer extremely competitive pricing while maintaining great customer service and guaranteed satisfaction. When you’re looking for top-quality electrical, plumbing, heating, or cooling services in Clinton Township and Troy, MI, contact Hoover through our website or call 586-232-9204 today.
