Common Electrical Problems in Your Home & How To Avoid Them

May 4, 2021

Due to unavoidable problems with national power grids, out of date domestic wiring and a nation with an increasing amount of power-hungry electrical appliances, electrical problems are inevitable in your home, and most are not uncommon. If you have noticed your lights flickering, appliances becoming damaged or abnormally high electricity bills, there is a chance you may be experiencing electrical problems. Read on to see the most common ones and how to avoid them.

Frequent circuit breaker tripping

Circuit breakers tripping isn't necessarily something going wrong, it's your electrical system doing what it was designed to do and that is protecting your home from serious electrical faults. These usually happen when high wattage items are in use, and especially so when these items all use electricity from the same source.

Solution: Identify which item it is that seems to be tripping the circuit breakers. Either use this item on its own, on a low power setting, in a different plug, or avoid using it altogether if possible.

Regularly occurring surges

Surges are brief disruptions to the flow of electricity in your home. Surges can be caused by something relatively small like a fridge or hairdryer, or something much bigger like a strike of lightning. Power surges aren't dangerous, but if they happen frequently, you will need your electrical connections seen to.

Solution: Remove cheaply made appliances from the outlets in your home. You can also upgrade your wiring systems to something more modern. You will want to eliminate overloaded circuits, too.

Light switches not working

This problem could either be with a dimmer switch not adjusting properly, or a light switch that doesn't work at all when activated. If your dimmer switch isn't altering light levels the way it should, then this could be due to a low standard product, or poor workmanship on behalf of whoever installed it.

If a light switch doesn't work at all, this is likely to be caused by a fault in the circuit, wiring or outlet. It could also be an indication that the fixtures have been removed.

Solution: To avoid this problem, always hire trustworthy, experienced and reliable electricians to fit any new switches in your home.

Lights that are too dim or too bright

Lights that are too dim or too bright might be because the different bulbs in your home all require varying power wattages. If they are too dim it could also be because of a loose wire connection, the age of your house or an electrical appliance that is plugged in and faulty!

Overly bright or dim switches may be a problem with the power provider and not necessarily an issue with your home or electrical system specifically.

Solution: Ensure all the bulbs you use are of the same wattage. Avoid using electrical items that cause the lighting in your home to change. Call an electrician out for the other issues so they can accurately diagnose the issue and fix it accordingly.

If you find yourself unable to avoid these electrical issues, and they are happening frequently, then get in touch with DTE Electrical & Data today. We offer 24-hour electrical services from a team of friendly and experienced electricians in Dubbo, NSW.

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