How To Troubleshoot Electrical Issues In Your Home

As a homeowner, maintaining the electrical system of your household is an important requisite. At some point in time, you could face flickering lights, high bills, and damaged appliances, which are all signs of electrical problems related to your home’s circuits or wiring. Knowing how to identify these problems can help prevent damage or degradation of electrical components connected to your home.

At Badlands Electric LTD, we are aware of the dangers of electrical issues and how complex the network of wires is. Therefore, we want to share with you some basic knowledge that can help you identify and rectify them as soon as possible. In this blog, we have highlighted some of the common electrical problems you could encounter and their solutions. Read through the blog to see how you can keep your home safe and protect yourself and your home from electrical damage.

1. Your electrical outlets stop working
If you believe you have an outlet not working, the first step would be to verify that it is, in fact, faulty. Grab an appliance you can plug into the outlet, such as a hairdryer. If the working appliance does not switch on when plugged into the socket, it is not receiving an electrical supply. If this is the case, check your breaker panel and ensure all breakers are in the on position. If there is a breaker in the tripped position, be sure to cycle the breaker handle to the off position, then on again. If the breaker trips immediately, call an electrician. If this is an exterior receptacle or near a basin, you should check the GFCI receptacle. There is a reset button on the receptacle. If it does not reset, consider replacing it with another GFCI or calling an electrician.

2. Your lights flicker when your AC or fridge is turned on
This happens because of the large current draw of these appliances. One cause could be a weak starting capacitor on your condenser motor. Consult an electrician to get this component repaired. Another cause for this problem could be the result of improper wiring of your home. Older homes could be the victim of this as branch circuits were often shared by lighting and receptacles. If your fridge is on the same circuit, this could cause your lights to dim.

3. Strange smells coming from your switch or receptacle
Arcing or sparking in a device can cause the aroma of burnt electricals to arise. Carefully remove the device from the box after power has been disconnected. Visually inspect for any burnt marks or loose wires and tighten terminations. If the problem does not subside, have it replaced immediately by calling an electrician. Faulty equipment can cause fires, so ensure that you speak to a professional about this problem.

For more solutions to any electrical issues around your home, reach out to our experts at Badlands Electric LTD. We are a family-run business, and we excel in providing electrical services for residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial establishments in Brooks, Alberta. We are committed journeyman electricians in our craft, and it shows our meticulous work and attention to detail. We serve Tilley, Brooks, Taber, Bow Island, Medicine Hat, Rolling Hills, Hays, Scandia, Duchess, Bassano, and the surrounding areas.

If you’d like to learn all about our services, please click here or get in touch with us by clicking here.