Common Electrical Problems and Fixes

No matter if you own a home or are a renter, we all have different electrical problems that drive us nuts. The worst part is how long we with live with these annoying issues until we finally fix them. This is some of the most common ones that I most regularly get calls on to fix. Some of these you can do yourself as long as you feel confident and follow some simple DIY steps. If you are ever in doubt please call a certified electrician to help you remedy these common problems.

Loose Outlets

Outlets don't last forever especially the cheaper ones. To get started turn off the breaker. Double check that voltage to the outlet is off using a volt meter or just plug in a lamp and see when it goes off. Replace the outlet with the same one that you take out, or you can upgrade it to the most current code required receptacle like the tamper resistant style. Take notice as to where the wires are connected on the receptacle. The black wire is connected to the brass-colored screw and the white wire is connected on the silver-colored screw. Lastly the bare or in some cases the green wire goes to the green screw or ground terminal on the receptacle. Also, you may have an outlet that doesn't sit flush to the wall. To fix this issue there are several sheetrock shims or plaster ring products to remedy this problem.

  

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Flickering or Dimming Lights

This could be a sign of a poor connection and can lead to eventual arcing – loose/corroded connections making intermittent contact that could result in sparking, overheating, and fire. In a case like this unless you have extensive electrical training your best bet is to call an electrical contractor.






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Light Bulbs Burn Out Frequently

If you’re experience frequent bulb blowouts, it could be cheap light bulbs that are only rated 120volt. If you are still using incandescent bulbs in your home make sure they are 130volt rated. LED bulbs are the best way to avoid bulb burn outs. Recessed can lights that frequently fail? This could be a sign that the insulation is too close to the can light housing. Overheating can occur and these fixtures are designed to shut off when they get too hot to prevent fire.




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Warm Outlets or Switches

Unless it is a dimming switch, Light switches and warm outlets are as a serious safety concern and should be addressed by a licensed electrician immediately.

Broken Light Switch

Turn off the circuit breaker (the light will go out when you choose the right one). Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the faceplate and a Phillips head to remove the light switch. Test the two wires connected to the screw for electricity. After you have verified that the power is off, remove the broken switch and install the new one.


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Tripped Breakers or GFCI

Some electrical appliances, such as hairdryers, space heaters, vacuum, or griddle can frequently trip circuits. Go to your electrical panel to see if a breaker has tripped. If there is, turn it all the way to the off position and then back on. If there are no breakers off then check to see if there is a GFCI receptacle on the circuit that may need to be reset. Sometimes there may even be a GFCI or AFCI breaker that needs to be reset in your panel. It’s the breakers with the little yellow or green reset button. Reset the breaker. If this solves your power outage great! You now know where the problem is and how to get it back on. If you still get the same problem occurring then it’s time to call an electrician to see if you have an overloaded circuit or some other issue. Tripping breakers are to protect your wiring and appliances and also let you know there could be a problem on the circuit.



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