Tips for Figuring Out If Your Home Has Bad Wiring

December 21, 2017 4:37 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

If you live in an older home, you’re likely well acquainted with the irregularities of its electrical system. Lights may dim when you run the vacuum cleaner, for example. In other cases, you might trip a breaker just by plugging a hair dryer into a certain outlet. Over time you become acclimated to these oddities, but that doesn’t make them any less important to pay attention to.

But when do these inconveniences go from innocuous to dangerous? How do you know if your home electrical wiring in Louisa, VA is up to modern standards or safe for modern electrical appliances? Take a look below at a few tips for figuring out if your home has bad wiring that could put you or your electrical system in danger:

  • For breaker trips, make sure you know what caused the trip and why. For example, plugging in power tools may trip a breaker, but this isn’t irregular. These tools can often draw a lot of power, and if your circuit is already loaded up, that might be the last straw. If your breakers are tripping for no reason or with very little draw, it’s a sign of poor wiring.
  • Have an electrician take a look at how many 15amp breakers you have as opposed to 20amp breakers, and what’s on these circuits. Overloading the wrong circuit or not supporting major appliances on a circuit can cause your wiring to suffer. This breaker confusion is often prevalent in old homes that have been modernized by past DIY-enthusiast homeowners.
  • Can you smell burning when you plug in lamps or light appliances? Are your outlets hot to the touch? These are very serious signs that your wiring is faulty! Stop using these outlets immediately and call an emergency electrician for repairs.
  • Do you hear a humming or buzzing from your lamps? Do your lights flicker for seemingly no reason at all? Do your lightbulbs seem to pop and burn out faster than they should? These are all signs of unsupported wiring.
  • Is there exposed wiring in your home? Basements and utility closets in particular are a good place to check. If you have exposed wiring, check to make sure that it’s properly strung and supported and not hanging loose. Moreover, check to see that it’s not aluminum wiring. This was popular in the 1970s and has since been phased out for copper wiring—the modern standard.

If you’ve never given your old home electrical wiring in Louisa, VA much thought, now might be the time to start. Keep the tips above in mind when it comes to recognizing problems, or schedule an appointment with an electrician today to have your home’s wiring inspected for faults or developing issues.

Those flickering lights and humming sockets are trying to tell you something—just make sure you’re listening closely to what they’re communicating. The sooner you take steps to modernize your wiring, the safer you, your family and your home will be. Contact Diamond Electric to learn more.

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