A damaged electric circuit can cause problems ranging from flickering lights to a fire. Taking care of a damaged circuit is very important. Homeowners often wonder what dealing with a damaged electrical circuit entails. Here is what you can expect.
Is the Circuit Damaged?
Signs of Damage
Your first question is whether the circuit is damaged. Fortunately, homeowners can look for many common signs of trouble before calling an electrician.
- Dimming or flickering lights may occur because a wire is damaged. There could also be a problem with the circuit breaker or the junction box. Conversely, the issue may be as simple as a loose bulb. If you see several lights dim or flicker when a high-draw appliance comes on, then there could be some circuit damage.
- Burnt smells happen because electricity heats materials in your home’s electrical wiring. If the insulation has melted from the wire, the electricity could also heat wood or other materials in your home’s walls. This is a major fire risk.
- Hot outlets or switches indicate that damaged wiring is causing heat somewhere in the circuit. You may feel this heat when you plug something in or turn a switch on or off.
- Buzzing, snapping, or crackling sounds happen when electricity is arcing. If you hear these sounds when anything electrical is running, it may be a sign of circuit damage.
- Sparking is arcing out in the open. Any sparking is a bad sign.
- Circuit breaker trips may prevent other issues. However, they are a sign that something is wrong, especially if they repeatedly happen. If you’re regularly resetting circuit breakers, the time to call us is now.
- Partial power outage in your home could mean there is a fault somewhere.
Some appliances may also struggle to operate on a damaged electrical circuit. You might notice that your washing machine takes longer than usual to start cycles. Some appliances may also automatically shut off to protect themselves from electrical damage. HVAC systems and window-mounted air conditioners can have operational issues, particularly because they draw a lot of electricity when they begin a cycle.
Home Age
Wiring will degrade inside the walls of an aging house. Likewise, older houses are more likely to have inferior forms of wiring. For example, aluminum wiring was a more common cost-cutting option several decades ago. Today, the preference is strongly for using copper wiring with good insulation.
Pests, especially rodents, can damage electrical circuits, too. The older a house is, the more likely it is that a mouse has gnawed on some wiring.
You should also strongly consider wiring and circuit work if you don’t know the history of a house’s electrical system. If you’re planning to buy a house, an inspection is a good idea. While damaged circuits shouldn’t keep you from buying, the cost of immediately fixing them needs to factor into your bid.
Physical Damage
Although not necessarily proof of circuit damage, physical damage to the walls does increase the risk. Even something as simple as a previous homeowner putting a lot of nails into a wall to hang pictures increases the odds that they hit a wire at some point. Damage close to an electrical circuit should be a source of concern, especially with more people mounting TVs on walls near outlets.
Dangers of Electrical Circuit Damage
Circuit damage endangers people and property. Electrical shocks can hurt people or damage devices and appliances. Fire is a notable risk, especially if there are exposed wires or overloaded circuits. Arc flashes can also injure people or harm property.
What to Do
Step one is to turn off the affected circuit. If you have a well-labeled circuit panel and know exactly where the problems are, you can flip off the breaker at the panel. When there’s widespread trouble, particularly electrical fires or problems on multiple circuits, you should consider turning off the main breaker to the electrical panel.
Contact us at Mister Sparky. We are licensed electricians with the experience needed to quickly track down and fix circuit damage.
What to Expect
Testing
Our electricians have testing equipment that allows us to quickly isolate each circuit and verify its condition. We can test everything from the electrical panel to each outlet and light socket.
Replacing Damaged Components
After isolating the problem, we will replace all affected components. Depending on the situation, this might include replacing:
- Wiring
- Junction boxes
- Circuit breakers
- Outlets
- Sockets
- The electrical panel
We also make sure the components on each circuit match its use case. For example, a circuit with a 50-amp breaker for a central air conditioning unit shouldn’t connect to wiring that isn’t rated for the heat that comes with 50 amps of electricity. Lots of circuit damage comes from high-draw systems running on wiring or even breakers that aren’t rated high enough. The wiring and the breaker need to match the use.
Some situations may also call for rewiring. For example, many households now use more power in their living rooms and bedrooms than in the past. Something like an electric fireplace connected to a standard circuit for a living room can easily overload and damage the circuit. When necessary to support new systems, we will run new wiring and may even add a new circuit or junction boxes to support it. Our goal is always to leave each home as safe as possible when we’re done.
Turn to Mister Sparky Gainesville for Help Now
Don’t put up with any malarkey, call Mister Sparky. Our electricians serve Gainesville, FL, and other nearby communities. We would be happy to check your home for electric circuit problems and implement any necessary repairs or upgrades.
Never take chances with a damaged electrical circuit. Contact Mister Spark Gainesville today and schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable electricians.
