Common Electrical Issues In Older Homes

Electrical issues in your home can be an annoyance — and a safety hazard! We need electricity both for light and to power a variety of devices used everyday. Electricity plays an important role in helping our home’s run, so that might be one reason you want to get any problems checked, especially if you live in an older home that may be at more risk for outdated electrical equipment.

Besides electricity being essential, another reason to get issues checked is for safety. Your safety is most important, which is why when it comes to household electrical problems in older homes, it’s best not to ignore them. At Blanco AC, Electrical & Plumbing, we care about electrical safety and want to help in diagnosing electrical issues in your home. Learn more about how we can help!

Signs Your Home Is Experiencing Electrical Issues

When your home is having problems with its electrical work, you may notice a variety of signs. By knowing what to look out for, you’ll be able to address the problem quickly! Here is a list of some common electrical issues in older homes:

Flickering or Dimming Lights

This might make the atmosphere in your home a little spooky, but this could also be a sign of poor connection and can lead to eventual arcing. This is when electricity is able to jump from a gap in the circuit. Arcing is dangerous as a loose or corroded connection could result in sparking, overheating or a fire.

Frequent Light Bulb Burn Outs

It can be frustrating to keep changing out light bulbs that blowout, but this could be a sign that the problem is the electricity and not the lightbulbs you are using. You may have a loose connection in the socket or circuit, and nearby insulation could cause overheating. If that’s the case, this is the likely cause for frequently burnt out lightbulbs.

Dead Outlets

It might be easy to simply ignore and not use an outlet that isn’t working, but it’s worth investigating the cause. Dead outlets may be caused by a poor connection or tripped breaker due to heat buildup, which can melt wires or outlets.

Warm Outlets or Switches

Even if you are using an outlet or switch, it should not be warm. Warm outlets are a safety concern and should be checked by a professional immediately.

Outdated Wiring

Older homes may have electrical wiring that is outdated. In a sense, that means the electricity isn’t able to supply or keep up with the amount of devices or modern technology used inside your home.

Older homes may use cloth-covered wiring. As cheap and useful as it once was, it is actually potentially hazardous nowadays. If your home has cloth-covered wiring, it is worth considering rewiring your home. A few reasons being that this kind of wiring is easy to wear and tear, and it has poor insulation, which is a fire hazard for your home.

When you’re ready to rewire your home with updated and modern equipment, a Blanco electrician can help with this process! Just call our team to get started!

Household Electrical Problems That You Can Help Prevent

Sometimes the source of an electrical problem can be solved by making changes to our electrical habits. If you’re doing any of these in your home, it’s best to find a safer alternative.

Overlamping

Overlamping happens when a lightbulb used on a light fixture has a higher wattage than the fixture is designed for. A bulb that is too hot from overlamping can melt the socket and insulation on a fixture’s wires. This can be prevented by using the correct lightbulb wattage for a light fixture

Excessive Extension Cords and Power Strips

Sometimes older homes don’t have many sockets. This can result in you using a bunch of extension cords and power strips, which have load capacities. Pay attention to the load capacities and cut down on extension cords used if needed.

Seek Help From An Electrical Professional In Blanco

When it comes to electricity issues in your home, it’s best to seek help from an electrician. Trying to fix electrical wiring and issues for the first time with no experience could put your safety in jeopardy.

Electrical safety is important to us at Blanco AC, Electrical & Plumbing. Our electricians can help diagnose and fix any electrical issues in your home, whether your place is older or newer! Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’d like to book our services today.