Having electrical problems in your house could be frustrating and worrying. Luckily, not every problem is too complicated to be solved by yourself. Before calling a professional electrician, you can try fixing any of the following problems.
1. Power Surges
This is one of the most common electrical problems. It happens when you plug in more electrical appliances at the same time or when you switch on electrical appliances with a higher power. In most households, there is a maximum contracted electrical power. When this power is exceeded, there will be an increase in the electrical voltage, the fuses will be triggered, the power supply will no longer be sufficient, and it will be cut off.
How to fix: you will need to switch off or unplug some of the electrical appliances with the highest consumption, turn down the circuit breakers and wait a few seconds before switching them on again, from right to left, with the last one being the main switch. If, after doing this, the power has not returned, you should contact a qualified electrician who will check everything properly.
2. Frequently Tripping Breakers
A circuit breaker is an important safety device. When the flow of electricity gets too high, the circuit breaker will cut off it through a circuit. Fires, shocks and other accidents would be much more common if modern homes weren’t fitted with circuit breakers and fuses. There are many causes contributing to circuit tripping, especially when it happens often over the period of time. It is usually a sign that there is something wrong with the circuit. There could be a short circuit in one of the appliances or somewhere in the wiring, there could be a ground fault causing the breaker to keep tripping and there could be a circuit overload.
How to fix it: First, locate the circuit box. Then turn off the breaker by moving the switch or handle to the off position, and then turn it back on. At this step, you may want to step away from the breaker in case there are any sparks coming from it. If the problem occurs because of a circuit overload, you can try disconnecting some appliance from the circuit, and using another circuit for the electrical power instead.
If the breaker still continues to trip, this is a sign of a short circuit which involves broken and/or rogue live wires touching each other. A short circuit happens when a hot, or active, electrical wire and a neutral wire touch, causing a large amount of current to flow and overload the circuit. Please proceed with caution since it can be dangerous due to the high temperatures from the current flow which can pose a fire hazard. We recommend calling a qualified electrician to diagnose the problem.
Another cause could also be because your circuit breakers are getting old or your electrical panel has not been serviced in at least the last 10 years. These are signs of a bad circuit breaker:
- A breaker that won’t stay reset
- A burning smell in the electrical box
- A circuit breaker that keeps tripping frequently
- Signs of damage to a breaker, like scorch marks
Contact a professional electrician to install a new one.
3. High Energy Bill
There are many reasons resulting an outrageously expensive electric bill. The key to fixing a high electric bill is to check your electrical usage (look for kWh) as electricity prices can go up and down.
How to fix: The easiest quick fix is to unplug devices when not in use. Only use high-quality devices or eliminate cheap ones. If you have an electric water heater, turn it down to the maximum temperature.
4. Flickering Lights
Flickering light bulbs are annoying and could be concerning. Some causes are easy to fix, whereas there are bigger electrical issues that you should always rule out to make sure your home is functioning safely.
How to fix: Try the simplest fix first by tightening up the bulb. Make sure the bulb is screwed in entirely and the plug is completely in the socket. Ask your neighbors if they’ve had any issues because sometimes damaged power lines are to blame. If the source of the problem doesn’t appear to be the bulb itself, check the wall switch.
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