What Are Some Common Domestic Electrical Issues And How To Fix Them?

If your house is experiencing frequent electrical problems, it’s natural to be scared. After all, many electrical problems often lead to fires too. It has been seen that home electrical damage can lead to $1.3 billion in property damage.

However, simple electrical issues can be easily fixed if you know how to figure out the problem and its solution.

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In this article, you’ll find some common domestic electrical issues and a guide on fixing them without injuring yourself or damaging the power inlets and outlets.

1. Light Or Fan Switches Not Working

This is one of the most common issues, especially if you move into a new house. You constantly turn the switch on and off, and the light or the fan connected to it doesn’t work. This is probably due to defective installation or the age of the switch.

If the light bulb is small, you can try unhooking it and then attaching it to a different power outlet. Ensure the circuit breaker is on and see if the electrical power is going to the light switch.

However, if nothing happens, you should call your local electrician.

2. Electrical Surges

Electrical surges occur mostly due to poor wiring in the house. This is why electrical surges can be seen mostly in old houses. Another reason for this is damaged power lines caused by lightning strikes.

Surges mostly last for a microsecond. But if you experience them frequently, it’s time to check the devices attached to the home grid system.

Disconnect the poorly-functioning wires and appliances from the board and check again.

3. Overloading Of Appliances

Overloading is such a common domestic electrical problem; most people ignore it. However, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Sometimes, your fixtures might be attached to an appliance that consumes more watts than the regulated number of watts.

The high heat from the light bulbs can even melt the sockets or damage your insulation, leading to electrical fires.

Therefore, make sure that whatever electrical appliance you fit in the socket stays within the power limit.

Otherwise, you’ll have to contact your emergency electrician Melbourne for a quick inspection.

4. Warm Switches

If you touch the outlet switches and they seem unnaturally warm, it is a sign of some serious electrical problem. If switched on, hot switches can break out into major fires. You can also detect it by a fishy smell near the switch.

If you take quick action, you won’t have to go through any major accidents. Call an electrician to turn off the circuit breaker connected to the outlet. You might be tempted to solve this problem on your own, but since the danger level is high, it’s best to wait for a professional.

5. Frequent Electric Shocks

If you live in an old house, the chances of experiencing electric shocks are more since the wires and electrical fittings will probably be outdated.

When you switch on or off a device, an electric shock will happen, so be careful. It might feel like a tiny sting the first couple of times. But if left unchecked, it can result in a massive shock.

To check the issue, test the wiring with another device. If you don’t get any shock after that, it means that the device fitted is faulty.

6. Lightbulbs Burning Out Quickly

Light bulbs burn out in a couple of years. But if the bulbs in your house die within just a few weeks or months, it indicates a major electrical problem. It can be due to a loose connection in the circuit or a fault in the socket, which causes frequent blowouts.

The danger level here is mildly high, so you must attend to the problem as soon as possible. Firstly, ensure that the bulbs fitted in the sockets have the correct wattage. For instance, it can happen if you fit a 100W bulb in a 60W socket.

Otherwise, take a look at the socket for underlying faults.

Over To You

These are a few domestic issues that anyone can face in their power outlets. Even though you can repair the problems independently, it’s still a good idea to contact your local electrician.