Electrical problems can be a nuisance but they can also be dangerous. You may be walking past serious electrical concerns in your home without a second thought – but it’s important that you recognise them and rectify any issues before they jeopardise the safety of your family.
You probably feel very capable of replacing a light bulb or flipping a switch on your circuit breaker, but sometimes it’s best to take a step back and let a qualified electrician handle it. Attempting to repair common household electrical problems yourself can pose a risk to your safety.
Not sure if the problem is something you can fix or better left to the electrical experts? If you’re unsure, its best to give us a call and we can discuss it with you.
Below are a few of the common household electrical problems we see around the home all too often:
Light switches not working properly
Dimmer switches could be the problem here attributed to sub-par work carried out in the past or there may be a fault in the circuit line. The other reason for home switches not activating anything could be that they may be disconnected or the fitting removed completely.
Circuit breaker tripping often
Is your breaker constantly tripping and you can’t figure out why? Firstly, it’s important to realise that your circuit breaker is a safety device. Its job is to prevent fires and keep you and your house safe. When your circuit breaker gets tripped, that’s usually a clue that something isn’t working right. Of course, the breaker could be faulty, but it’s best to assume there’s a real problem and to check for it. One issue why this could be happening is too many high wattage items like microwaves and hairdryers using the same source, this can trip the circuit to protect you.
Circuit overload
If you’re running multiple high-wattage appliances on the same circuit, it could be overloading and tripping. To fix this, you can either switch certain items to a different outlet or a different room. Another solution is to ask your electrical professional to set up a separate circuit for the appliances causing the problem. It also helps to turn off appliances when you’re not using them.
Lights too bright or too dim
If some lights around the house seem excessively bright but others are too dim, then there’s two probable causes:
- Different types of lights with different wattage: Check that all the globes are identical.
- Bad main neutral connection: This will continue to cause problems for the home until it is fixed by an electrical expert.
Electrical shocks
Electrical shocks are a nasty experience and tend to remind us all of the real danger electricity can pose. It’s never a good idea to diagnose the issue yourself as you’re just putting yourself at risk of another shock. Contact your local electrical professional to fix this problem and defuse the danger to you and your family.
High electricity bill
There are a few ways to help reduce your electricity bill:
- Switching to a more cost-effective provider
- Changing to LED lighting throughout your home
- Identifying electrical devices that may be causing power surges
- Patching leaks in the hot water system
- Unplugging appliances and chargers when not in use
- Repairing damaged wiring or circuits
Light bulbs burning out too often
This is a common problem around the home and could be the result of a number of things but isolating the exact issue can be tricky for a non-professional. Below are some causes:
- Wattage is too high
- Insulation is too close to the light
- Bad wiring on the circuit
- Bad wiring on the mains
- On a dimmer switch, too much total wattage on one switch
- If flickering there is probably a poor connection on the circuit.
- Fittings ie. Halogen/Downlights have done there dash
Recessed light goes out and comes back on
Recessed lighting (like downlights) are equipped with safety devices that cut out power to the light when it gets too hot. You’re either using too high wattage on the bulb, or insulation in the ceiling is too close to the bulb.
Check overhead lights every so often:
- Are they producing excessive heat?
- Are they insulated around the light properly?
- LED lamps that aren’t compatible with the driver
Overheated lighting can be a fire risk, so be sure test regularly.
Frequent electrical surges or sags and dips in power
These can be caused by a wide range of things from weather to faulty appliances. If you are experiencing electrical surges or sages and dips in power frequently then it is time to contact an electrical expert so they can diagnose the problem and rectify it for you.
Understanding these common electrical problems will help you with diagnosing the issue and isolating the problem. Give our expert team of Christchurch electricians a call today and we can help rectify all of your electrical faults. While we're there we'll even do a free electrical safety check!