When you have faulty electrical wiring this means that you either have damaged wires or incorrect voltage running through them. This can either be because a previous electrician was cutting corners or because your house is old and your wires have started to deteriorate over time. Another reason could be that you have a rodents issue. Either way, having bad wiring can firstly, lead to higher electrical bills but secondly, also to dangerous fire hazards. Those get cause because certain locations can’t handle the heat that gets produced when bad electrical wiring cause electrical surges.
We will explain you 6 different signs showing that your house or apartment has bad electrical wiring.
1. Frequently tripping circuit breakers
Tripping of circuit breakers happens to prevent the overloading of a circuit. In order to do that, the breaker stops the electrical flow once a circuit is overloaded. The first thing you should do is ask yourself is this always happens when using the same device or not. If it does, than most likely you are using a faulty appliance that you need to replace. If not, try to reduce the number of appliances used in the circuit. If this does not help, then it might be that you need to replace the circuit breaker. And if even this did not solve your problem, then it is time to call a certified electrician to inspect your wiring.
2. Flickering Lights
There can be numerous harmless reasons for flickering lights in your apartment or house. It might be a loose light bulb, or an incompatible dimmer switch. But there might also be a bigger problem such as a loose electrical connection. This would cause the electricity to not flow correctly so that the lights starts flickering. Especially if this happens when plugging in more devices, you should ask a certified electrician to check.
3. Buzzing or cracking sounds
Normally electricity does not make a sound. If you still hear a buzzing or crackling sound, this is a sign for bad wiring. It might for example happen that when you turn on the slight, the switch starts buzzing. Generally, loose outlets or frying wire can cause the current to jump, which then produces the buzzing sound. Make sure to get it checked out by a professional.
4. Hot electrical outlets
Electrician appliances often generate heat and therefore get warm, but an outlet should never get warm. If it does, it is a sign that you hav faulty electrical wiring that causes more electricity than normal to arrive at the outlet. This energy leak that heats up the outlet could fry appliances or cause a fire. Therefore, you should immediately unplug the device used on that outlet. If the outlet gets hotter even though there is no appliance plugged in, this might be a sign for it being wired incorrectly. In either way, do not use that socket anymore and call a certified electrician to repair it.
5. Frayed or Chewed Wiring
If you see that the plastic coverage around electrical wires is broken this indicates that the electric circuit is open which allow electricity to arc. Exposed wires can start to spark or overheat and can cause a fire. You should check if you might have a rodent problem causing the issue. Make sure no children come close to these wires and call a certified electrician to fix the problem.
6. Burning or smoky smell
It shouldn’t surprise you that a burning or smoky smell is an immediate warning sign you should take seriously. Burning or melting plastic next to outlets means that the wiring has caused fire damage. You should immediately unplug everything and contact a certified electrician as soon as possible.
Get Expert Help
If you have detected one or more signs of bad wiring in your apartment or house, do not hesitate to contact VARG Inc electric to find your certified electrician around the Mississauga area. Click here to get to VARG Inc’s contact details and ask for a cost estimate.
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