Electric News

Most Common Electrical Wiring Problems in our Homes

       By Alfred Hudson Master Electrician in Ontario California

NOTE:  Electrictricity can be very dangerous.  If you do not have knowledge in electrical please call or consult your local electrical contractor.  

     Our homes today are full of huge collections of power-hungry electronics, appliances and gadgets. They make our lives easier and enjoyable hence, we want to keep using them and even adding more to the long list we already have. But one thing we need to bear in mind is that these pieces of equipment put a lot of strain on the antiquated wiring systems in our houses. They consume quite a lot of power and demand sophisticated electric wiring systems. We rarely think of upgrading the wiring systems and standards in our houses hence, we experience a lot of home electrical problems, some of which are not only inconveniences but hazards as well.  

In this article, let us get an insight of some of the most common electrical hiccups we experience in our homes and how we can solve them. We have problems that involve electrical installations such as fuse boxes and circuit breaker panels; problems that arise from using or connecting too much power than the system can handle such as over-lamping and over-wired panels; and other electrical problems like uncovered junction box, flickering lights during windy seasons, too few outlets, and the use of obsolete aluminum wiring.  You can find information on electrical safety for Ontario California on their website.  

FUSE BOXES AND ELECTRICAL PANEL PROBLEMS

   Fuse boxes are not very common these days, especially in modern our houses. Nevertheless, wherever they are found, they work just fine. In an attempt to upgrade the capacity of fuse boxes, most homeowners are tempted to install fuses with higher amperage than the installed cables can handle. This can be the beginning of electrical hiccups that eventually lead to serious problems. In such a scenario, the wires will overheat hence, damaging their insulation which in turn increasing the risk of electrical fire. At this stage, even if you correct the problem at the boxes, the damaged wires will still continue to cause problems. The best solution here is to rewire the whole circuit system.

Great Video on Electrical Panel Inspections...

OVER-LAMPING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

   This happens when a light fixture is fitted with a bulb that has a higher wattage than they are designed for. This constitutes the violation of the electrical code of standards. Since the intense heat produced by the bulb may melt the socket and the insulation on the fixture, the risk of arcing - sparks is very high. This problem is one of the notorious causes of electrical fires. Consider that even if you remove or replace the bulb, the damage to the socket and wires still remains. To safely correct this error, it is advisable that you replace all damaged fixtures and stay within the wattage limits of  all the light fixtures. For older fixtures it is even safer if you use bulbs of not more than 60-watts.

 OVER-WIRED ELECTRICAL PANELS

When an electrical panel contains more circuits than it is rated to handle, we say that the panel is over wired. This usually happens when too many single circuits have been replaced with double circuits in one slot. Usually, a label is put on each panel to indicate the number of circuits the panel can safely handle. An over wired panel is an error that constitutes the violation of the electrical code of standards. Although the danger may be minimal, it will definitely be an issue when you try to sell the house and it is being inspected. Correct this mistake by adding a sub-panel which has some extra slots.

UNCOVERED JUNCTION BOXES

   Junction boxes are the electrical fittings which house the splices where wires from different directions of the house are connected to one another. They are primarily covered to avoid accidental tampering of the wires that may lead to electrocution. If these junction boxes are not covered in your house, it constitutes the violation of the electrical code of standards. As long  as the wires are not within easy reach, the danger is minimal. However, it is a good idea and a sound electrical practice to spend a few dollars to get these boxes covered.

FLICKERING LIGHTS WITH HIGH WINDS

   During the windy season, you may experience mild or serious flickering of the lights. This is usually caused by frayed wiring in the weather head (an outdoor fitting that taps power from the main power line) When the wind moves the frayed wires, it causes a short hence, flickers the lights. This problem can easily cause an electrical fire. Therefore, it is important that you contact a qualified and licensed electrical technician to replace the weather head.

FEW ELECTRICAL OUTLETS

   These days we tend to rely heavily on extension cables and power strips due to the accumulation of electronics, electrical appliances and gadgets. The electrical code of standards today requires receptacles to be within 4 feet from the door and 12 feet from each other in either direction. To minimize the danger levels you should use heavy duty extension cords like a gauge 14 or thicker. Smaller gauges can overheat and ignite a fire when the loads are very high.

It is a good idea to add more electrical outlets to minimize the use of too many extension cords. This is a kind of job that has to be done by a qualified electrical technician who will cut holes in the walls and ceilings to do some extra wiring. After the work is complete, the holes should be neatly patched.

ALUMINUM WIRING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

   Aluminum wiring is a kind of obsolete wiring that was used in the 1960s and 1970s. It is a cheap means of wiring but is not considered safe. Today's wiring systems use copper wiring. Aluminum usually corrodes when it comes to contact with copper. Therefore, if these two wiring are connected, the terminals will gradually loosen leading to arcing and electrical fires.

The best solution for this problem is to redo the whole wiring system, replacing the aluminum wires with approved standard electrical wires. You may also consider to retrofit a dielectric wire nut that is approved for aluminum wires. These nuts are specially greased in a way that stops the corrosion and maintains high conductivity at the same time.  If you want to buy a house, especially if the house is more than 50 years old, or your house has never been inspected. It is advisable that you get a licensed electrician to thoroughly inspect your house and look out for problems such as overloaded fuse boxes, over-lamping, over wired panels, uncovered junction boxes, flickering lights in the windy season, few outlets, and aluminum wiring. These wiring problems are the sources of electrical inconveniences. In addition, they are a great electric hazard in your house.

   It is imperative that you look for an experienced and licensed electrician. They are the only one who have the relevant skills to detect fuse boxes that are overloaded with high amperage, light fixture that are fitted with high wattage bulbs than they are designed for. They are able to effectively rectify the problem of over wired panels, they can cover the uncovered junction boxes adequately, replace the whether head to correct the flickering lights problem, add more electrical outlets in a professional style and come up with the best solution for obsolete aluminum wiring depending on how your house is wired.  Thank you for reading, for more information check out the wiki page on electrical safety.  Please feel free to leave us your questions and or comments below.

Live Wire Electric & Construction

301 9th St Suite 400

Redlands CA 92374

(909)528-4444

www.lwelectrical.com

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