It is sometimes hard to tell when your wiring is old and faulty, to where a major incident occurs before you call an electrician. However, your house might be giving you some subtle signs that now is the time to call an electrician and have your wiring inspected.
Unstable Lights
Pay attention to what your lights do when you turn on the switch. If they don't remain steady with the same illumination while the switch is turned on, you might have a problem. For example, some lights will be fine when you first turn on the switch, but then gradually start to get dimmer and dimmer. This is a common sign of having faulty wiring. Your wiring might also need to be replaced if the lights tend to flicker, regardless of how often this occurs. Healthy wiring should not cause lights to flicker unless outside disturbances are occurring.
Overloading the Circuits
Another thing that should not happen often is overloading the circuits. If you find that the fuse often blows if you have the microwave, toaster, and coffee maker all running at the same time, it is probably an issue with your wiring. Old wiring was not made to hold a lot of electrical appliances at the same time. They were not built for multiple appliances in a single space or to hold power bars where you plug in your laptop, cell phone charger, computer, and other device. When you are dealing with frequent overloading of the circuits, it is time to call an electrician.
The Outlets Feel Hot
You should never touch an outlet and have it feel hot to the touch. If this happens when you plug in any type of appliance or electronic device, then you need to turn it off, unplug it, and call an electrician. Even if an appliance is plugged in and in use for a long time, the appliance might get hot, but the outlet never should. The same goes for your light switches. If you flip on a light switch, and after a few minutes, that switch plate feels hot to the touch, you need to call a professional and have your wiring inspected.
Make sure you do not attempt to fix wiring problems on your own. You could electrocute yourself, or at the very least, do permanent damage to your home's wiring. It is best to call an electrical contractor for inspections and re-wiring.
Share17 March 2016
If you are working on a big project for your home, your business or an investment property, you may need to do some electrical work or hire an electrician during that process. If so, I want to help you with my blog full of tips and ideas. Hi, my name is Katie, and I was briefly an electrician before I left to start a design company. However, I still harbour an interest in electrical work, and because of that, I was inspired to create this blog. If you have questions about electricity, please explore my blog posts. If they help you, share them with your friends. Thank you!
