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When it comes to solving common electrical issues, keep in mind that sometimes things go wrong, break, aren’t at their best, or simply need an upgrade.
Most of us have experienced some form of electric ‘shock’, where electricity courses our body to experience pain or trauma. If we are fortunate, the extent of that experience is limited to tingles or jolts of pain from static electricity buildup from items like putting on a shirt fresh out of the clothes dryer, discharging through our bodies.
For large scale build ups or direct exposure, electric shock becomes a much more serious issue and has the potential for catastrophic and life threatening results. Although Australia is a very much a world leader in electrical safety, the simple fact of the matter is that nobody’s home is immune to good old fashioned wear and tear. As such, prioritising safety means tackling any electrical issues as they arise.
While many of us expect to change our lightbulbs from time to time, what happens when other more complex parts of our home’s electrical functions start to misbehave? While some electrical issues are certainly more common than others, it’s important to be aware of the signs that something isn’t quite right.
Excessive Electrical Loads – Excess wiring load can happen when the wiring and circuit breakers of a residential property don’t have the capacity to handle the electrical draw of the equipment plugged into their circuit. The first symptom of this problem is usually circuit breakers that constantly trip on detecting abnormalities in the current, so if this happens regularly, chat to a residential electrician about upgrading your system.
Overloaded Power Circuits – Are you guilty of plugging in way too many charging ports into a power board? Double adapters, power boards, extension cords and voltage converters all plugged together in a mass of mixed-up power, and the resulting electricity draw can easily exceed the circuit’s rated amperage. While circuit breakers can catch overloaded circuits before they turn into a house fire, it’s best to prevent the issue altogether.
Power Surges – Electrical surges can be caused by lightning strikes, damage to power poles, power lines or grid transformers. While weathering a storm can be at times scary in itself, lighting strikes that are associated with them can also damage your sensitive electrical equipment, with computers, TVs, sound systems, fridges and other kitchen appliances being especially vulnerable, so be sure to have a surge protector present to avoid potential damage.
Unprotected Cables – Even when they are installed in areas away from any foot traffic, cables that are sheathed in plastic are notorious for being easily damaged. One tiny knock from a tradesperson in your ceiling is enough to damage their insulation and potentially expose live wires, which can have catastrophic results like electrocutions and even house fires. To prevent this, always get a licensed electrician to handle these types of materials.
Dodgy Light Switches – Dimmer switches that don’t adjust light properly can often be attributed to shoddy workmanship or sub-standard products. If you have just moved into a new abode and find switches that don’t seem to activate anything at all, this might be a sign the switches have been superseded and fixtures removed, or it could be a fault in the outlet, circuit or wiring. Consult with an electrician if you’re experiencing issues with switches in your house.
Overcrowded Junction Boxes – For the unfamiliar, a junction box is a metal or plastic enclosure that protects a connection of two or more electrical wires. When properly deployed, they help to prevent fires and ensure that connections stay reliable. However, issues can arise when junction boxes get overfilled with too many wires, circuits or other components, resulting in short circuiting and overheating.
Faulty Appliances – The damage from a rogue appliance isn’t always the startling scorch marks and melted plastic that you sometimes see on light switches and powerpoints. You can get cumulative damage to sensitive electrical components from continual smaller power surges as well. The best answer to this problem is a localised surge protector for valuable electrical appliances such as computers and home entertainment systems.
If you’re on the hunt for a decent sparky to help illuminate your home, finding a reputable and local electrician to bring your vision to life or fix an electrical issue can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, the team at Shield Electrical offer a solution.
Here at Shield Electrical, we are a Brisbane based electrical contracting company, and pride ourselves on being shockingly good at watt we do. For us, friendly and reliable customer service isn’t just a nice add on – it’s how we do business. Don’t take our word for it though, just ask our clients.
Established in 2015, Shield Electrical is lighting the way when it comes to providing electrical work with world class customer service. With our headquarters based in the central suburban pocket of Coorparoo, our team of qualified industry professionals are readily available to deliver quality workmanship, fast quotes, and affordable pricing.
Whether you’re on the hunt for an electrician for domestic services, residential, commercial and industrial construction, security systems or even just further energy saving tips, get in touch with us at Shield today to source practical solutions that don’t break the bank.
