Electrical problems aren’t just an inconvenience but can also result in you spending hundreds of dollars to fix the damage done. In fact, electricity is one of the most sensitive aspects of every household.

Whether you’re illuminating your home or powering appliances, you have to make sure that the electricity you’re relying on is not only running faithfully but efficiently as well, so as to avoid any potential electrical issue.

A power surge is perhaps the most common cause of electrical problems. That being said, this is not the only reason why you may incur an electrical problem in your home. However, power surges have the ability to damage vulnerable electronics and appliances.

Spotting possible signs of electrical damage or similar warning signs such as warm outlets, bad odors, and other kinds of warnings are more than likely to help prevent you from fixing expensive problems.

It’s important that homeowners have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the causes resulting in electrical problems. Now that you know that power surges aren’t the only cause of electrical problems, it’s time to learn some of the other causes.

Knowing these causes can help you in avoiding them while maintaining your electrical system. Here are four common reasons that can cause electrical problems.

Condition of Your Electrical System

This is something we rarely consider or even think about, but as your home ages, so does its wiring. Older wiring can in fact be quite problematic for one’s electrical system, and can further be outdated by most electrical code regulations.

And why is old wiring such a problem? Well, insulation wears out over time, connections loosen, and outlets eventually die, that’s why it’s vital to get an experienced electrical to inspect your electrical systems, and also help prevent bigger electrical problems, such as fires.

The majority of home fires are usually caused by electrical problems, so be sure to utilize preventative maintenance options before something unfortunate happens. The same goes for your older electronics as well.

If the wires of old electrical appliances are exposed on your plus, or if the appliance’s lifespan is over, you might want to reevaluate what you’ve been plugging into your power outlets.

Improper Installation

Just because today you can DIY, that doesn’t mean you absolutely should. Many homeowners have the habit to take on electrical wiring by themselves, despite not having the necessary experience, just so that can save costs.

However, when you’re dealing with older homes, many electrical issues can come up from improper DIY wiring fixes. We understand that Google has all the answers, but it’s not wise to take on such risks that can pose a danger to the house and yourself.

The biggest and most common wiring problem often arises from underground wires, like three vs two-prong plugs, as well as unprotected wires. If you sense something isn’t working as it’s supposed to, have it checked at the earliest possible time.

Power Surges

Due to risks associated with electricity, most homes are usually equipped with safety features that are specifically designed to cut off power at the very first sign of an electrical problem. These safety features often include outlets closing off connections, tripping of your circuit breaker, breakers or fuses “blowing” out in the main electrical panel, and more.

If you’ve ever experienced a fast, microsecond cut-off of power in your house, chances are you’ve just had a power surge. Power surges can happen by anything from lousy wiring, faulty appliances, power line over surges, tripped circuit breakers, lightning strikes, and more.

Since power surges are quick, you may miss one while it’s happening. Most homes experience small surges throughout the entire home. Most of these surges are often internally generates. In other words, they’re transient.

Power surge damage can either be major or minor, depending on the voltage of that surge. However, if they occur at a frequent rate, it’s likely to cause much more damage to electrical components, especially to devices that are plugged in during the surge.

It’s better to never plug sensitive electrical devices into an overloaded circuit. Do contact your local electrician to come to inspect your wiring, or invest in a whole-home surge protector installed in your house.

Lack of Annual Maintenance

Maintenance is often easily overlooked, because if there isn’t any active problem, then you may not give a second thought to what’s actually happening in your house, especially when it’s hidden behind the walls, like your electricity.

Therefore, to endure that your house stays up-to-date, and to prevent any kind of major damage from happening, it’s highly advisable to have routine maintenance done by a professional licensed electrician.

This can either be done annually or as frequently as you should prefer. Electrical maintenance is by far the most important type of household maintenance, after all, there are major risks involved if you don’t have your wiring and electrical system inspected.

In Summary

We’ve shared the four most common things that can cause an electrical problem in your home. We hope you’ll be more aware from now on, and take adequate steps that could lead to a major electrical issue.