Homes that "Leak" Electricity

You know what to do when you discover a water leak, shut off the valve and, if necessary the supply. You can then fix the issue or call a plumber to do it for you.

But, if your home is leaking electricity do you know what to do? You can’t just shut off a valve and you probably don’t want to turn off the power to your home. Your best course of action is to contact a good local electrician and get the issue sorted properly.

What Is Electrical Leakage

The wiring in your house carries electricity to your sockets, allowing your appliances to draw the current when they need it. The principle is that the supply is delivered via the live cable, the current is then returned to your min grid via the neutral wire. This doesn’t just stop an overflow of electricity at any given point, it ensures the power supply is regulated, protecting your appliances form issues.

In addition, there will be an earth cable. This removes excess current and sends it into the ground, via an earthing rod. This protects the house from electrical spikes and you from electric shocks.

However, if your house is constantly sending electricity to the earth then you’ll find that you’re leaking electricity. In effect, the electricity isn’t being used, it’s being sent straight into the earth.

The good news about this sequence is that it is protecting you from being electrocuted, the bad news is that it’s leaking electricity which is costing you money.

Checking For Electrical Leakage

Electrical leakage is not as easy to spot as a dripping valve. You’ll need to shut off your power supply and then turn off all the breakers in your home.

You can then turn the power supply back on, there should be nothing drawing any power. It’s worth noting that the power being off for a short while will not be detrimental to the food in your fridge or freezer. Just make sure you keep the doors shut.

Once you’ve turned the main switch back on check your meter, if it’s moving or the digital readout is changing, you’re using electricity.

At this point you’ll need to verify if you have anything on by accident, if the answer is no then you have an electrical leakage.

Dealing With the Issue

The likely cause of electrical leakage is bad wiring. When the protective sheath covering your wires wears away the metal is exposed, this can connect directly with the earth causing the power to go straight into the ground, instead of completing the circuit.

It’s worth noting that if you have no earth this current can remain in the sockets or walls of your home, potentially causing you an electrical shock.

You’re going to need a professional to assess the situation and then take the remedial action. This is likely to mean replacing the wiring. If the wiring has been chewed you have a pest problem, but, if it has just deteriorated then you may have a problem with all the wiring in your home, that means a complete electrical rewire.