Top 5 Electrical Problem In Your Home

Top 5 Electrical Problem In Your Home

Top 5 Electrical Problem In Your Home

Inefficient wiring, outdated connections, circuit overload, and defective circuit breakers can lead to a lot of home electrical problems which can be both annoying and dangerous. When it comes to household electric appliances, safety is the most crucial thing.

Flickering lights, damaged appliances, frequent circuit-breaker tripping, and high bills are all the signs of Poor Electrical connections in your household. Here are the top 5 Home electrical problems which are ceasing the efficient working of your home circuit.

1. Inoperative Electrical outlets in Kitchen and bathroom

Nowadays, all the bathroom and kitchen are equipped with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupts (GFCIs) which are capable to detect the flow of changes in the current flowing through the outlets. These specialized device senses a mismatch of as less as 4 milliamps and can shut off the current as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.

When the flow of current changes because of excess moisture, GFCI senses and shuts down the current instantly saving you from devastating consequences. National Electrical Code(NEC) or NFPA 70 have listed the distance requirement from sink or tap for the installation of GFCI.

A normal electric outlet should be within 3 feet from the sink and in case of GFCIs, it should be installed within 6 feet. However, these electric outlets can malfunction. There are two main reasons for a non-functional GFCI Electrical outlets in your kitchen and bathroom.


GFCI sensed a change in current and shut off

If this is the case, you must ensure that the GFCI is not in contact with moisture anymore. For example, if your electric mixer is in contact with the water from the sink, GFCI would turn off the current instantly. An old switch or previously damaged switch can also cause the GFCI to turn off.As soon as you are aware of the problem, remove the source from the water contact and press the “reset” button on the receptacle.

If you are unsure of the cause of the problem, call a licensed electrician as GFCI turning off is a sign of something wrong.

GFCI shutting down automatically

GFCI can turn off accidentally or because of some major issue. If pressing reset button doesn’t help, you must contact an experienced electrician. They are trained to examine the problem and repair it.

If the Electrical outlets in Kitchen and Bathroom are not GFCI, make sure to replace your Non-GFCI outlets with GFCI to safeguard you and your family for any hazardous electrical risk.

2. Other defective Electrical outlets

There could be several reasons but probably it would be improper wiring. If your outdoor outlets are GFCI, make sure to check if moisture caused them to shut down.

Problems like loose wire, tripping or electric surge can cause this problem. If it is tripped, you can reset it. IF there is any other problem, it is strongly recommended to hire a professional to do the work for you. Contact with an exposed wire can electrocute you.

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3. Frequent tripping of circuit breaker

Circuit breaker are an ultra-fast safety switch which shuts off the electric flow as soon as there is any problem. Circuit breaker helps to prevent the overloading of the circuit from any faulty wiring or appliances which can lead to fires. The reason for the frequent tripping can be due to faulty appliances.

There are different breakers for different areas of your house and you can examine the problem by checking which breaker was tripped off. If there is any problem in an appliance, it would trip off as soon as you switch the faulty device on. If you are not certain of the problem, call an electrician as there could be something serious going on.

4. Light fixtures not working properly

If there is frequent burning of light bulbs, it can be attributed to high wattage, Poor circuit or mains wiring, Higher wattage on a dimmer switch and near-light insulation. Also, you should make sure the bulb is properly screwed in. If there is any problem in the light fixtures, turn everything off in your home and light the bulb alone.

If the circuit breaks in your electrical panel, it means there is some problem in light fixture wiring circuit. Do not try to fix the wiring by yourself, and ask a professional for it.

5. Zinsco or Federal Pacific (FPE) electrical panel

Know the danger of these two brands- Zinsco and FPE Electrical panel. These panels were very popular in the late 1970s but these circuits regularly failed to trip off current in case of overload or short-circuit.

Thus, the chances of electrocution are very high. Replace your old electrical panel from Zinsco or Federal Pacific as it fails to interrupt the electrical current in case of an emergency.


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