Electrical safety at home is the top priority for Unified Electrical. We deal with lots of different electrical problems every week including old or damaged electrical wiring, poorly located or insufficient power points and damage to electrical appliances. However, there are some issues that occur more frequently than others so we thought we’d highlight some of the common problems we encounter with electrical safety at home and our tips for dealing with them:
Poor electrical wiring
There are a number of signs that you might need to review the wiring in your home including frequently flickering or dimming lights, buzzing noises from fixtures or appliances or power points that no longer work. The problem with electrical wiring in the home is that you can’t easily tell if you have a problem.
If you notice any issues that make you think you may have a problem, it’s always best to have a professional electrician take a look. Too many house fires are caused by people ignoring or not being aware of tell-tale signs that there is an unseen problem with their electrical wiring.
Light bulbs frequently burning out
There are a number of reasons your light bulbs might be burning out too frequently. While faulty wiring on the mains or the circuit might be to blame, some of the other reasons might be that the wattage is too high or the insulation is too close to the light. If your light bulbs are frequently flickering, there may be a poor connection on the circuit.
Check the obvious things first like the wattage but if there is no obvious reason, a good electrician should be able to help you get to the bottom of the problem.
Overloaded circuits
This is a big one that we’re seeing more and more. One of the biggest issues in most homes now is that we don’t have enough power points to manage all of our appliances especially, for example, in the lounge room with all the technology around the TV. Overloading power boards is one of the most common causes of frequent circuit breaker tripping.
Never ‘daisy-chain’ power boards. Installing new power points is a quick and easy job for an electrician so if you’re finding that you don’t have enough sockets to manage all of your electrical needs, give us a call.
Electrical surges
Electrical surges can be caused by anything from faulty appliances, electric storms and of course bad electrical wiring in the house. While an actual surge might only last a second or two, frequent surges can damage the electrical components connected to your home, causing long term damage.
If you experience frequent electrical surges, it may be a specific electrical device connected to the home grid or a problem with the wiring in the home. Once again a professional electrician will be able to help you determine the root cause of the problem.
Electric shocks
An electric shock generally comes from something not being properly earthed. Minor electric shocks can feel like a a bit of static shock and typically happen when turning a device on however, they should never be ignored as it can be a sign of something a little more serious from an electrical perspective.
You need to test to see if the issue is with the appliance or the wiring. You could do this by plugging another device into the same outlet to see if a similar issue occurs. However, the safer option wold be to have an electrician identify the underlying issue.
Electrical safety at home should never be overlooked. If you have experienced any of these issues or you would like an electrical safety inspection on your home or business premises, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
