Electrical safety is extremely important for yourself, your family, and your home. As homes age, wiring frays and connections loosen. New appliances can also strain the system. Knowing the warning signs of electrical failures and using preventative maintenance can protect your home. Here are some warning signs to be aware of.
- Burn marks on outlets. When outlets have burn marks on the cover, are hot, or energized, the wire has touched the neutral or ground wire. Corrosion over time or dust and dirt can because this problem.
- Flickering or dimming lights. If your lights are flickering or dimming more than just once in a while, your systems connections are loose somewhere. Other systems of voltage fluctuation are light blubs glowing too bright or dim, or burning out faster than they should.
- Buzzing or clicking noises. Other symptoms of trouble behind the walls are any kind of noises, like buzzing or clicks when you flip the light switch. This is caused by faulty wiring.
- The circuit breaker keeps tripping. Circuit breakers that keep tripping are another sign that you have a problem with your electrical wiring. Possible issues include an overloaded circuit, ground fault, or a short circuit.