Never Ignore These Electrical Warning Signs

You might know some of the more obvious signs of having electrical problems in your home, such as lights that flicker or sparks that occur after plugging something into an outlet. However, there are some other signs that are often more subtle, but still might point to needing an electrician. Make sure you don't ignore the following electrical warning signs.

The Lights Keep Dimming

While flickering lights is a very common sign that you have faulty wiring, don't forget to pay attention to how bright those lights are. You might find that even after replacing the light bulb, the light simply seems dimmer and darker than it used to, no matter what you do. This may also occur gradually, where, when you first turn on the light switch, the light is bright, but then it begins to slowly dim over minutes or hours. This is a sign that the wire is faulty and it isn't able to handle the amount of power needed to give you proper light from that fixture.

Devices Are Not Staying Charged

This is another problem that is often associated with other things. If you plug in a mobile device, such as a cell phone or tablet, into a charger, you might think it is taking long because the device is getting older or you need a new charger. However, if it occurs even after replacing the charging cord with a new one, it is probably due to your electrical wiring. When you have old wiring in your home, it can't handle as much power for each circuit. It might be that the power needed to charge devices completely is simply too much, so it either never quite reaches full charge, or it takes a lot longer than it used to.

You Are Experiencing Frequent Blown Fuses

The occasional blown fuse might seem like no big deal, but when this keeps happening, it is definitely a good reason to call an electrician. It is not normal to blow fuses simply from having more than one appliance plugged in and in use at one time. This is probably occurring because you have old wiring that doesn't currently have the capacity to handle all of the appliances or electrical equipment. You can remedy this by having an electrical contractor rewire your home so it can handle a larger capacity.

Also make sure you look at other odd signs, such as smelling a weird odour when plugging something in or feeling an outlet or light switch that is hot to the touch.


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