Five Warning Signs of a Potential Problem with Your Home’s Electrical System

February 13, 2023

Tucked away within the walls of your home are hundreds of kilometres of electrical wiring, providing the power needed to run everything from your coffee machine and washing machine to your lights and home electronics. But what happens when something is amiss with your home’s electrical?

Because your electrical is mainly unseen, we have to rely on clues to tell us when something isn’t quite right as these clues could be subtle like a persistent flickering of the lights, or more evident, like an explained burning smell. Whatever the cause, concerns related to your home’s electrical should be taken seriously.

Signs You Need Help for a Residential Electric Services Professional

Last year in British Columbia, over 10% of residential fires were directly linked to electrical failure. Most of these were attributed to faulty wiring or wiring issues like loose connections – safety problems easily rectified with help from a qualified residential electric services provider.

Persistent Circuit Breaker Problems

It’s perfectly normal for your circuit breaker to trip occasionally as this is how the system protects itself in the event of an overload. However, if your circuit breaker is frequently tripping, it could be a sign of an overloaded circuit breaker or a more significant issue with your home’s wiring.

The electrical demands of modern households are often much higher than older electrical panels were designed to meet. Frequent breaker trips could mean you need an electrical panel upgrade (or fewer electric appliances). However, frequent tripping could also be a sign of short circuits or faulty wiring, which are potential fire hazards that need to be addressed immediately.

Remember, a qualified residential electric services provider must handle repairs or upgrades to your breaker.

Flickering or Buzzing Lights

Lights that are continually flickering or producing a buzzing noise are not a nuisance; they could be a sign of potentially serious issues with your wiring. If the flickering or buzzing is limited to one fixture, the problem could be a single loose connection, faulty lightbulb, or damaged fixture. However, if the problem occurs throughout your home, the issue could be hiding deeper within your home’s electrical system. Once the obvious sources of flickering or buzzing lights have been eliminated, it’s time to have a residential electric services provider troubleshoot the problem.

Hot Outlets

Light switch cover plates and outlets should never feel warm to the touch. If they do, it could be a sign of faulty installation, bad wiring, or that your switch is hooked up to a high amp circuit than it was designed to handle. The only exception is dimmer switches which store and release electricity and may produce a small amount of heat.

A traditional switch plate or outlet producing heat could eventually begin breaking wiring insulation, presenting a danger of short-circuiting or even fire. Warm switch plates or outlets need to be investigated by an electrical professional.

Burning Smell

Under no circumstances should your home’s electrical produce any burning smell. Several potential issues could be causing your wiring to give off a burning smell, and none of them should be ignored. Burnt wiring can stem from minor, easy-to-fix issues like faulty switches or fixtures to significant problems like faulty wiring or an overloaded breaker box. But regardless of the source, if your wiring is heating up to the point where it’s melting wire casing, you are at an elevated risk of an electrical fire.

If you can identify the problem circuit, close it immediately and contact a residential electric services provider who will be able to diagnose and repair the source of overheated wiring.

Electric Shock

It’s probably not shocking to hear that getting a shock from an outlet is cause for concern. If you get even a minor electrical shock after plugging something into an outlet, it could indicate an overloaded circuit or a problem with grounding.

Grounding is a prevalent problem in older homes where two-prong plugs were incorrectly upgraded to three-prong plugs without the proper wiring. Updating two-prong outlets to three-prong is a job best left to residential electric services professionals.

Loose Outlets

Loose outlets are more than just a nuisance or visual annoyance; loose outlets present a major hazard, especially for families with small children. Age or poor installation can cause outlets to become loose or shift around, exposing dangerous wiring and disrupting the flow of electricity, which can trigger shorts, sparks, or even fire.

Fortunately, this dangerous situation is relatively easy to fix with plastic electrical spacers as long as there is no damage to the wiring. If you plan on going the DIY route, remember to always turn off the breaker before beginning any electrical work.

Talk to us today as your trusted electrical company to help you with all your home’s electrical needs!