4 Possible Electrical Hazards In Your Victoria Home

Unless there is an obvious problem that requires you to call an electrician in Victoria, it is easy to take electricity for granted. Unfortunately, electrical problems are not always obvious. The problem may be hidden inside your walls or behind your electrical panel, but just because it isn’t obvious doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. Electrical faults are the second leading cause of house fires. You should be aware of possible hazards in your home and get them checked out as soon as possible.

1. Overloaded Outlets

It is a simple matter to walk into a hardware store and buy a device that allows you to stack multiple plugs on one outlet. However, it isn’t a good idea. The ability to plug in more appliances to a single outlet doesn’t increase its capacity. Each outlet has a certain amount of amperes that it is designed to handle. Plugging in multiple appliances increases the demand on the outlet to a level greater than it can supply. This can start a fire due to a short circuit.

There are times when there are not enough outlets available to plug in everything you need at the same time. For example, you may need to plug in a CPU, monitor, printer, and perhaps speakers at your computer workstation, and because they all need to run at the same time, you can not unplug one to supply the other. In a situation like this, it is appropriate to use a power bar or strip. However, do not use these in every room in the house, and never “daisy chain” them by hooking them up to one another. Limit yourself to one or two power bars for the whole house and do not put them in the same room.

2. Wrong-Wattage Light Bulbs

When you need to change a light bulb, you’ll find a sticker on the fixture informing you of its maximum wattage. Pay attention to this and make sure that the replacement light bulb you choose does not exceed the maximum wattage. You can use a wattage that is less than the maximum, but never more. Otherwise, this could cause a problem similar to that of the overloaded outlet. It could overwhelm the circuit and start a fire.

3. Old Wiring

Electrical power to homes has been widely available for approximately 100 years. Since that time, more devices have been invented that require more electricity. If the wiring in your house is old, it may not be able to meet the demand placed upon it by newer appliances. This increases the risk of overloading, short circuits, or fires. It may also be that the older wiring in your home is incompatible with the newer devices you want to power with it. An electrician in Victoria can determine whether your wiring is compatible with the demands you put on it or whether it is overtaxed or otherwise incompatible. To identify future problems, you should have an annual inspection of your electrical system if you have an older house.

4. Ground Faults

A ground fault occurs when the electricity does not take the path it is supposed to take to the ground through the wiring. Instead, it travels through something else, usually a person. This is more likely to occur near water, which is highly conductible. Electrical outlets in rooms like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms have ground-fault circuit interrupters built in to protect this from happening. However, this is not a substitute for safe practices for using electricity near water.

Hire an Electrician in Victoria From Handyman Connection

Handyman Connection provides electrical repair services by well-trained and qualified professionals. Contact us for repairs or installations of electrical fixtures or outlets.