There are plenty of common electrical issues that Australian homes experience. However, just because they’re common, it doesn’t mean that they should be ignored.
Many home electrical problems require professional assistance. That being said, here are the 5 top home electrical problems to look out for in your home so that you know when to call O'Brien Electrical Castle Hill for specialist help.
1. Light switches not working properly
Is your dimmer switch failing to adjust your light properly? This is a common home electrical problem and can often be attributed to sub-standard products or faulty installation.
This issue commonly occurs for new homeowners, where light switches fail to work at all. This means that there is no power to the circuit and fixtures have been removed, or the switches may have been superseded.
If everything seems ok in the breaker box (the breaker to the affected switch should be turned on), then this is a sign of a bigger electrical fault in the circuit, outlet, or wiring. Professional assistance is required in this instance to diagnose the problem.
2. Circuit breaker tripping frequently
A circuit breaker that trips is quite common, and it is in fact healthy in some instances. A circuit breaker usually trips when high wattage items, such as hairdryers and fans, are used on the same circuit and cause an electrical overload. Most homes don’t have sufficient power points to deal with large electrical setups.
A good way to know whether your circuit breaker trip was justified is to look at what item you were using when it happened. Was it an iron, hairdryer, or extension cord? Going forward, try to limit large voltages on a single circuit.
There are many other ways to prevent certain breaker trips, including:
- Unplug devices that aren’t in use
- Spread high voltage electricals around
- Never daisy-chain power boards.
- Consider adding another circuit or upgrading your electrical system
3. Frequent electrical surges
Electrical surges are defined as overvoltage disturbances in an electric circuit that can damage or destroy plugged-in equipment. They are often caused by lightning strikes, faulty appliances, or bad wiring systems in your home.
Although electrical surges last milliseconds, they can have long-term effects – such as degrading the life expectancy of your home’s electrical components.
Before calling a professional, remove any cheap items from your power outlets. If the problem persists, the issue probably lies within your actual home wiring system.
4. Electrical shocks
Electrical shocks can be very scary and should not be ignored. They typically occur when you turn a device on or off, and it is difficult to know where the problem lies.
It could be that your switch, appliance, or power outlet is faulty. If you plug in another appliance and the problem persists, this is not a one-off occurrence and your switch, wiring, and power outlet need to be professionally examined.
5. Lightbulbs burning out often
There are many reasons why your lightbulb might burn out quickly, including bad circuit wiring, insulation that causes overheating, your light wattage is too high or a poor connection on the circuit.
It can be hard to identify the correct problem if you are unknowledgeable on the subject. You must hire an electrician to identify the root cause and prevent problems that come with lightbulb burnout, such as high energy bills.
Are you experiencing any of these electrical problems in your home? Contact O'Brien Electrical Castle Hill for electrical services in the Hills District of Sydney. Call (02) 9894 4843 or email [email protected] today.
