DIY Solutions for Common Electrical Problems in American Homes
If you own your own home, you know that upkeep tasks never seem to stop. One common job you’ll have to do at some point is fix electrical problems. Even though they might seem scary at first, learning more about common electrical problems can help you keep your home safe and avoid dangers like fires or injuries caused by electricity. Hiring a professional to fix electricity problems in your home can be pricey, but it’s better than ignoring or putting off problems that could cause a fire or hurt you or someone else. Home electrical problems are very bad, but if you do the right upkeep, you can avoid bigger problems.
Just a Short Circuit
Hair dryers and other tools often have short circuits. Most hair dryers have a restart button, but if you have one that short circuits all the time, it’s not the wire that’s broken; it’s the device itself. If several items are short-circuiting, the wiring is bad. If the wire is broken, an electrician should fix it.
Light Switch Broken
Light switches that don’t work right can be fixed by yourself. First, turn off the house’s electric breaker. After that, take off the cover and light switch. A digital voltmeter should be used to make sure there is no current flowing through the two wires that are attached to the screw. If it’s safe to do so, take the wires off of the new light switch and then put them back on. If the plug in an outlet is loose, turn off the circuit switch and use a voltage meter to carefully check the outlet. Take off the cover plate and put the outlet shims in its place. This might help the plug fit flush against the wall.
Outlets that don’t work
A tripped breaker or a bad link (which could arc) can cause plugs to be dead. Too much heat can cause a circuit breaker to trip, which can melt wires or plugs. You can try to change the plug, but if you find melted wires, you should have an expert look at your electrical system right away. A wire or plug that isn’t tight enough can cause light bulbs to burn out quickly. If your lighting keeps going out, it might be because of insulation close that is too hot. There are safety measures on a lot of light sources that make them turn off if they get too hot. Get an electrician to check the plugs.
Switches and plugs that are hot
It is always a safety risk to use outlets or switches that let heat out. If you find a warm switch or plug that isn’t a dimmer, you need to quickly disconnect the power and call an electrician. In general, dimmer switches will feel hot to the touch. If you’re worried, though, call a plumber and ask them to check the switch for overloading. Your equipment isn’t able to handle the load of electricity if your circuit breakers trip a lot. You could add another line or improve your current electricity service. Get help from a plumber if you’re having power problems.
Junction boxes that were hidden
People or pets can get dangerous electric shocks from wires that are exposed in an open junction box. Sometimes the cover on a junction box needs to be changed. It’s important to put on a new junction box cover no matter what. Junction box covers are luckily not too expensive. When a light device has a bulb that is rated for more wattage than the lamp can hold, this is called overlamping. Overlapping parts can get too hot and start a fire. It’s easy to fix this problem, even though it’s dangerous. Just change the light with one of the right wattages, or 60-watt bulbs for outlets made before 1985.
Not enough stores
There probably aren’t enough plugs in a room because there are so many extension cords and power strips hooked up to them. If you need extra plugs quickly, you can use extension cords that are 14 gauge or stronger until you can call an electrician. Cords that are too thin can get too hot and catch fire. Most of the time, hiring an electrician to add more outlets will cost around $100 per outlet. If the new outlets need to be put on the second floor or higher, the price will double. GFIs, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, are safety features built into plugs. You need GFCIs to keep people safe in or near wet places like bathrooms and kitchens because they cut off circuits in 4 milliseconds or less. Most places where outlets are less than six feet from sinks are required by city or state building rules to have GFCIs.
Many people update their older plugs with GFCIs, which can be bought at home supply stores for about $12, to make their homes safer. If you do a quick search in your browser, you can find movies that will show you how to do this job.
