Troubleshooting 3 Common Home Electrical Problems

Electrical problems, such as flickering lights, surges and dips in power, are all fairly common problems. As commonplace as they are, these problems are not something you should ignore or take lightly. In this post, Handyman Connection® of Boise troubleshoots three of the most common home electrical problems.

Electrical Surges

Electrical surges are a common electrical problem caused by many things, the most common being lightning strikes, faulty appliances and damage to the power lines. The surge itself only lasts a microsecond, but it becomes harmful when it becomes a frequent occurrence. 

When this happens, you can narrow the culprit down to a problematic electrical device or an appliance that’s connected to the home grid or wiring itself. You can solve this by removing old powerboards or cheaply made devices.

Overlamping

This problem happens when the lighting fixture has a higher wattage than the fixture for which it’s actually designed. It’s a code violation, and the danger level is pretty high as the intense heat from the bulb can melt the socket and the wires, increasing the risk of arcing and electrical fires.

It’s pretty easy to tell if a lighting fixture is overlamping as you can feel increased heat emanate from it. The solution to it is fairly simple. You just need to be mindful of the wattage limit on the light fixtures and stick to 60-watt bulbs or smaller.

Circuit Overload

Overloading powerboards are the most common cause of circuit breakers tripping. Even newer homes and apartments suffer from this, and it usually happens when there aren’t enough power points. There are several ways you can prevent this. It can be as simple as removing devices that aren’t in use and avoiding daisy-chaining powerboards.

It’s also a good idea to spread your electrical needs around and avoid overburdening a single circuit. Not only do you avoid overloading the circuit, but you also reduce the risk of electrical fires.

For electrical surges and other problems that can’t be solved with a quick fix, turn to our team at Handyman Connection of Boise. We can help you with all of your home electrical problems. Fill out our form, or give us a call at (208) 268-0088 to get an estimate on our home improvement services.