3 Common Home Electrical Issues and How to Fix Them

3 Common Home Electrical Issues and How to Fix Them

Turning on a light or using an electrical outlet is something most homeowners do on a daily basis. Over time, various electrical components in a home will begin to show signs of wear. This is why a homeowner will need to keep an eye peeled for any warning signs that electrical repair issues are present.

The faster a homeowner can catch these issues and hire an electrical contractor to fix them, the less damage they will ultimately cause. While there are some smaller electrical repairs a homeowner can handle on their own, it is usually best to hire an experienced professional for this work.

Here are some of the most common home electrical issues you may be faced with and how to fix them.

1. Problems With the Outlets in the Kitchen and Bathroom

Most people spend about 1 percent of their home’s value on maintenance and repair costs annually. While hiring electricians to diagnose and fix the issues your home has is costly, it is a great investment.

Are you experiencing issues that involve the electrical outlets in your kitchen or bathroom not working? If so, the first thing you should check is the ground fault circuit interrupts (GFCI) button on these outlets. Most electrical outlets installed in rooms with a water source will have a GFCI built-in to them. If moisture is detected, this feature will shut off the power to the outlet.

If the GFCI feature has not been engaged, you may be dealing with loose wiring in the outlet itself. Instead of trying to handle this complicated repair alone, you need to call in an electrician.

2. Issues Involving Constantly Tripping Breakers

One of the most important parts of a home’s electrical system is the breaker box. This box is where all of the electrical wires in a home go. Each of the wires will be tied into breakers. These breakers will shut down the flow of electricity to a circuit if a surge or other issues are detected.

If a homeowner is dealing with the breakers in their residence tripping on a regular basis, chances are there is an electrical problem that needs to be fixed. Often times, this issue will be caused by the circuit in question being overloaded.

Start by unplugging a few items from the outlet to see if this irons out the issue with the breaker. If the issue persists, then professional help is needed. Allowing this problem to persist may lead to an electrical fire or other damage occurring.

Unreliable Light Fixtures

3. Unreliable Light Fixtures Can Be Problematic

If you are like most people, turning on the light is the first thing you do when getting home. Most people take the functionality of their lighting fixtures for granted. There may come a time when these fixtures cease to work for a host of different issues.

Often times, you will notice a number of warning signs when there are lighting fixture issues present. The most common sign you will notice is the lights flickering on and off. In most cases, hiring an electrician to replace the defective lighting fixture will fix this issue. The electrician will troubleshoot this problem to uncover the root cause and address it properly.

Avoid DIY Electrical Repair

One of the worst things you can do as a homeowner is to try to fix complicated electrical issues alone. Typically, this will result in even more damage being done. This is why working with a reputable and experienced is a must.