Is Your Electrical System Dangerously Outdated? Learn Through These 3 Signs
Naturally, you might not think much about your electrical system when everything is working fine. However, given that electricity is among the top leading causes of house fires, you should pay close attention to your electrical system at all times.
The best way to go about it is by scheduling a maintenance program with your electrician. In the schedule, you will set aside some days in the year when the electrician will visit your home to check the system's condition.
But aside from a professional inspection, many signs can indicate that all is not well with your electrical system. Below are signs showing that your system is dangerously outdated.
The Circuit Breaker Trips More Than Usual
The primary function of the circuit breaker is to stop current whenever there is an overload. In that case, the breakers switch trips. When that happens, you should reset the switch at the power box to restore the circuit.
But, if your trips to and from the power box become more than usual, something is crucially wrong. Thus, hiring an electrician is necessary at this point. An excessively tripping breaker can result from an overloaded circuit. In addition, it could mean that your electrical system is too old to handle your current power needs. As such, you'll need to invest in a new system to solve the problem.
The Lights Keep Flickering, Dimming, and Buzzing
Another tell-tale sign that your system is not meeting the building's electrical needs is the dimming or flickering of the light bulbs. Moreover, you will hear some buzzing sounds from time to time. These signs mainly show when you plug in an appliance.
Failing to address the issue in time could lead to damage to the entire lighting system. Therefore, it's prudent to contact an electrician as soon as possible.
There Are Rodents in Your Home
Rodents are notorious for damaging electrical wiring. Usually, they chew the wires, leaving them exposed. As a result, you will experience excessively tripping circuit breakers, recurrent fluctuations, flickering microwaves or lights, and bite marks on the cables.
If the situation is left unchecked for too long, the naked wires can cause a fire. So if you have a rodent infestation, it is prudent to schedule an electrical inspection and rewire the home if the damage is widespread.
The systems of an old home are too fragile to be ignored, including the electrical system. So apart from calling an electrician for routine check-ups, you should take note of anything unusual and report it to your electrician right away.