Usually, we don’t think about the wires and circuits in our homes until we flip a switch and something unexpected happens. Our insightful experience at Right Touch Electrical has taught us trouble can lurk within any home’s walls. If you notice the silent signs we share with you today, dealing with them before they cause major headaches could save you time and money in the long run with our electrical troubleshooting service.
Your Power Bill Suddenly Spikes
This can certainly be a seasonal issue. Most of us employ more kilowatt-hours when the temperature rises because we turn on our air conditioners, for example. If increased appliance usage does not explain your spike, your residence likely has an electrical problem. Your home may have one or more issues that can be properly addressed after professionally inspecting your system.
You Find Tangled Wires in Your Walls
Have you ever looked inside your home’s walls? You may have an access panel, or you might have done a little remodeling. If you have seen the wires within your home and felt uneasy about their messiness, trust your response.
Tangled wires could signify that the people who originally installed your home’s electrical system were not interested in details. When folks don’t pay attention, they make poor electrical connections. Eventually, those poor connections cause serious problems. If you are suspicious of your home’s wiring, put trained eyes on it. Expert inspection can tell you if your current wiring situation is safe or if you should have your home rewired.
Power Surges Occur Frequently in Your Home
We all experience surges in our homes. After all, power grids are quite susceptible to lightning strikes. If you notice power surging in your home more frequently than in your surrounding neighborhood, you should have your electrical system inspected.
Letting this problem go unaddressed may damage appliances and devices you use daily. Surely, that is a costlier option than professionally correcting your home’s problematic power surges.
Your Circuit Breaker Repeatedly Trips
This could be a big problem, and it may be related to the previous sign on our list. Still, circuit breakers also trip due to overloaded circuits. While your circuit breaker protects your home, overloading a circuit is a serious safety issue. Circuits get overloaded when we plug too many devices and appliances into them. As a result, excess heat builds on an overloaded circuit. That heat can cause a fire.
You may be able to easily solve this problem by unplugging devices from your overloaded circuit and moving them to other circuits. If your breaker stops tripping, then you don’t have a major problem. Alternatively, your home may need an additional circuit installed by a qualified electrician.
You Feel Mild Shocks When Turning On Devices
We have all felt an occasional, accidental shock when the air is dry. This scenario is a bit different. If you get shocked when you turn on a device plugged into your home’s electrical system, your home’s wires may have a serious issue.
Clearly, all electrical products have lifespans, so the shock may be caused by the device going bad. Faulty wiring can also be the cause. It is unsafe to troubleshoot this problem yourself, so we advise you to contact a trained electrician.
Wall Plates in Your Home Get Hot
When you flip a switch to turn off a light, do you notice heat? This is due to a problem with the wiring leading to that switch.
Often, people will let this sort of thing go in their homes. You must stop using this switch immediately. Turn off the circuit that feeds the switch, too. You are facing a strong fire hazard if you have even one wall plate with this heat issue. Multiple electrical problems can cause this heat, so have this issue looked at by experienced industry professionals who can troubleshoot it and fix it for you.
You Get Burned by a Light Bulb
If a light bulb causes you intense pain, you may have a serious problem. Light sockets have a maximum safe wattage. If the bulb you screw into that socket greatly exceeds that wattage, extreme heat will result. This issue can do more than burn your skin. It can melt insulation around the light socket, and it can cause house fires. To avoid this problem, simply find bulbs with the proper wattage for your light sockets.
Suddenly, You Smell Plastic Smoke
When you detect the faint smell of plastic burning, switch off everything in your home immediately. That smell indicates a high fire risk. You are smelling the coating on your home’s wires melting. This problem must be properly inspected, so contact professionals before you use your home’s power again.
Plugs Slip Out of Your Home’s Electrical Sockets
Have you ever walked by a lamp and found its plug on the floor? Such an occurrence can seem funny or quaint, but it is also a fire hazard. Even if your plugs only slip partially out of your electrical system’s sockets, your house has a major electrical problem. Time and gravity cause this issue. The plugs on appliances and devices should fit snugly in electrical outlets. As an outlet ages and wears, it can lose its capacity to grip a plug.
If you are comfortable with tools, you can replace old outlets in your home with today’s GFCI outlets. These outlets prevent electrocution, and they reduce fire potential in your home. Before replacing your own outlets, remember to switch off the appropriate circuits. To save time and possible frustration, have expert electricians install your new GFCI outlets.
You Discover Evidence of Mice Living in Your Home
Most of us don’t enjoy finding uninvited rodents in our homes, but you may not realize that they can indirectly start house fires. The clearest evidence of mouse activity in a home is droppings. If you see rodent evidence anywhere in your house, we advise you to check for chew marks on wires behind access panels and near your circuit breaker.
Whenever rodents chew through the coatings on electrical wires, sparks may fly, which can ignite nearby sawdust. We urge you to take the possibility of rodent damage on your home’s electrical system seriously and consider a professional inspection. After all, evidence of one mouse in your house is proof of more.
If you discover any signs of a major electrical problem in your house, reach out to Right Touch Electrical. We are your whole home wiring solution, and we can help you troubleshoot your home’s unique electrical issues.
