Signs of Bad Electrical Wiring

May 18, 2023

When a problem concerns electricity, you may want to take it more seriously. Most faulty wiring problems are a result of poor installation by inexperienced individuals. It’s hard to tell by looking if your house was wired poorly mainly because all the wires are hidden behind walls. Still there are some telltale signs that you can watch out for.

What is Faulty Wiring?

When your wiring is faulty, there may be damage to the wires. Either way, your house may need a rewire. Faulty wiring can cause you to spend a little more on your utility bill and ruin your house appliances as well. Not to mention, they are also likely to start a fire, and you wouldn’t want that.

Signs You Have Bad Wiring

• Blinking or Flickering Lights: This isn’t just a sign to call the ghostbusters and that your house may be haunted. When your lights start flickering, you may want to place a call to an experienced electrician.

It’s more likely you have bad wiring. If you plug in any of your household appliances and the lights dim or flicker, or you can hear buzzing from your light switches, you should call for help. There is a more realistic chance that your wiring isn’t in the best shape.

• Frequently Blown Outlets or Fuse Box: Your circuit breaker is designed to trip to avoid electrical damage that can be done to your appliances in instances where the current is too much. However, if you’re repeatedly having blown outlets or fuses, your circuit breaker could be overloaded. Also, if your circuit breaker is tripping far too often when you plug in any appliance, you should get that checked as well.

• Warm Spots or Hot Electrical Outlets: Your outlets shouldn’t be too hot to handle. If you notice them heating up, unplug any appliances plugged into them. If it’s still heating up, you may have a wiring problem. If the outlet looks burned, there could be an energy leak heating them.

• Frayed Wiring and Sparks: Chances are you have a rodent problem, and you need to get that checked out. Nevertheless, exposed wiring is also not as pleasant. It could cause shocks and can start fires as well so make sure to get that checked. Don’t forget to be on the lookout for sparks that come from the outlet, breaker panel, or fuse box. Those are more serious signs and should be addressed accordingly.

• Burning or Funny Odors: The first sign of fire is smoke. If you smell any funny odors, it means that there has already been fire damage. If it’s coming from any of your outlets, unplug all the appliances there and proceed to switch it off. Keep it that way till you can call for professional help. If the smell is coming from your fuse box or breaker, disconnect everything from the breaker and trip it off manually. Call for an experienced electrician immediately. Chances are you stopped a fire from starting. 

Contact Yes! today to schedule an electrical inspection 844-216-9300.