Electrical Wiring Issues: Signs to Watch For

Signs of Faulty Electrical Wiring

Faulty wiring can have detrimental consequences for households. It can lead to dangerous situations like fires, shocks, and electrocution. It can also have less severe impacts, like preventing families from using electronics, being unable to turn on the lights, and having circuit breakers trip frequently.

To avoid these problems, homeowners need to be able to spot the signs of faulty wiring quickly. Some symptoms electricians suggest watching for include frequently blown fuses, hot or scorched outlets, and burning smells or buzzing sounds. If there’s ever a problem, it’s best to ask for electrical service!

Frequently Blown Fuses or Tripped Circuit Breakers

If a home’s circuit breaker trips frequently, it can be an obvious sign of an issue with the wiring. A blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker annoys households, temporarily leaving the family without full or partial electricity. Still, it can also serve as an important warning sign for the household.

If there is a wiring issue in a house, the circuit breakers will trip to protect the house from the severe effects of the faulty wiring – including fires and the threat of electrocution. Suppose a household is dealing with frequent tripped circuit breaker issues. In that case, the homeowners need to call an electrician to schedule electrical repairs so a professional can inspect the wiring to look for a problem.

Hot or Scorched Outlets

While blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers can be warning signs of faulty wiring that entire households will likely notice, there are other more subtle symptoms – like hot or scorched outlets.

Homeowners should pay attention to the temperature of the electrical outlet when plugging in electrical devices. If the outlet or the outlet plate feels hot or warm to the touch, it can indicate a wiring issue that needs to be inspected and repaired.

Family members should also look for burn or scorch marks on the electrical outlets. These are other physical symptoms of faulty wiring.

Other signs can include discoloration around the outlet or the cover, sparks when plugging an item in or unplugging it, flickering lights when an electronic device is plugged in, burning smells, and buzzing sounds. If property owners notice any of these signs, they need to call an electrician to schedule an inspection of the home’s wiring.

Buzzing Sound or Burning Smell

Buzzing sounds or burning smells can also indicate an issue with a home’s wiring. When homeowners notice a burning odor from their electrical outlets, it can indicate numerous issues. Possible problems include an overloaded circuit, short circuit, or loose wiring connection.

Another sign property owners should watch for is buzzing sounds. If noises are noticed near outlets, it can signal various problems, including loose wiring, loose connections, faulty electrical devices, fluctuations in the voltage, and others.

When households notice these issues, they should schedule appointments with an electrical contractor as soon as possible.

About Allsource Electrical Technologies

The electricians at Allsource Electrical Technologies have over 40 years of experience serving Missouri City, TX and the surrounding areas. They provide same-day services, straightforward pricing, and the latest technology. Call them today for faulty wiring services in Missouri City, TX.

It’s National Wellness Month: Be Proactive and Stay Safe

Tips to Keep Your Home and Family Safe

Households require electrical systems to function correctly and for hazards like fire and carbon monoxide to be caught early to keep homes and families safe. These safety hazards can pose significant risks. During National Wellness Month in August, homeowners can take these steps to make their homes and families safer.

Smoke Detectors

smoke detectorEvery household needs functioning smoke detectors. Not only are these required to keep a house up to code, but it’s also essential to keep families safe by alerting them to fires. Smoke detectors provide the following safety measures to households:

  • Alert families to fires as soon as smoke is detected
  • Sounds a loud, high-pitched alarm to notify the household
  • Ability to be hardwired into the electrical system and hold backup batteries so they work during a power outage
  • Connect to other smoke detectors in the home
  • Keep families safe and reduce risks of injuries and tragedies caused by fires

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

carbon monoxide detectorCarbon monoxide can be a silent killer for families. This odorless, colorless, tasteless gas can cause significant health issues for families, including death in severe situations. It’s essential for families to install carbon monoxide detectors to avoid these risks. These will give households an early warning of the deadly gas in their homes.

It’s recommended that households install these in their homes and ensure they work correctly. Like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors should be inspected regularly and tested to ensure they are functioning and can keep residents of the house safe.

Electrical Inspections

Property owners should hire an electrician to routinely perform a complete electrical safety inspection to ensure a home’s broader electrical system is functioning and safe. During these appointments, electricians will look for any electrical problems that could put a household at risk. This includes checking the wiring system, the electrical outlets, the electrical panel, and all appliances and light bulbs to ensure the wattage is correct to see if there are any potential problems that could lead to bigger issues and possibly cause fires and other health risks.

Electricians will also ensure the system is up-to-code and check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they work correctly to protect the household. During these appointments, electricians will also determine if electrical repairs or replacements must be performed. It’s recommended to have these electrical inspections performed every 1-3 years. However, if property owners notice burning smells, flickering lights, or other signs of electrical problems, they should call an electrician immediately.

About Allsource Electrical Technologies

The electricians at Allsource Electrical Technologies have over 40 years of experience serving Missouri City, TX, and the surrounding areas. They provide same-day services, straightforward pricing, and the latest technology. Call them today for electrical services in Missouri City, TX.

panel upgrade

3 SIGNS YOUR HOME IS DUE FOR A PANEL UPGRADE

Your electrical system is easily one of the most important components of your home, and of the components that make up your electrical system, your electrical panel is the most crucial element. Identifying when your current electrical panel is in need of an upgrade is important as it not only plays a role in the overall function of your home but also its safety. To help you identify some of the signs that your home’s current electrical panel is due for an upgrade, our skilled Cypress electricians have taken the time to put together this short list highlighting just a few of the common signs you can be on the lookout for that indicate it’s time for an electrical panel upgrade.

YOUR BREAKERS ARE FREQUENTLY TRIPPING

The circuit breakers of your electrical panel are designed to trip when they become overloaded in order to stop the flow of electricity to prevent overheating and other forms of damage to your box, your wiring, and your home. This tripping is usually caused because the energy being used in your home exceeds the capacity of what your electrical panel can safely distribute, and the breaker trips to protect itself. While your breakers are designed to function this way, if you notice that your breakers seem like they’re constantly tripping, it could be an indicator that it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel to something better able to cope with your home’s energy needs.

BREAKERS WON’T REMAIN RESET

Typically, when your circuit breaker trips, all you have to do is flip the breaker back on, and the flow of power will be restored. If you notice that any of your breakers won’t stay open once you’ve reset them, however, it could be a sign that there’s a bigger issue you need to deal with. Breakers that won’t reset or won’t stay reset after you have done so are usually an indicator of a problem with your electrical panel as a whole. If that’s the case, the best thing you can do is invest in a panel upgrade that will enhance the capacity of your electrical system.

YOUR SYSTEM USES FUSES INSTEAD OF BREAKERS

If your home is a bit older, there’s a chance that your electrical system uses a fuse system instead of the more modern circuit breaker system. While fuses aren’t inherently dangerous, they are extremely outdated and, therefore, riskier. Most systems that still use fuses were designed when the electrical needs of most homes were much less than they are today, which makes them more unreliable and more of a hazard than they were in the past. If your home’s electrical panel still uses fuses, the best thing you can do is call in a professional electrician and have them provide you with a panel upgrade.

professional electrical repairs

3 SIGNS YOUR HOME NEEDS PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL REPAIRS

Your electrical system is easily one of the most important components of your Cypress home, and whether you realize it or not, you and your family rely on your electrical system to continue functioning safely and effectively in order to enjoy all of the comfort, safety, and convenience that your home has to offer. Electrical issues of any kind can pose a major threat to the safety of your home, as well as that of you and your family, and because of this, it’s important to know the signs that indicate one or more problems exist within your system. To aid you in this, our team of skilled Cypress electricians has taken the time to put together this short list highlighting a few of those signs so you can get the fast and effective electrical repairs you need to protect your home.

TRIPPING BREAKERS

While it’s true that your circuit breakers are designed to trip in the event that any particular circuit gets overloaded, if you notice that this is happening somewhat frequently, it could be a symptom of a larger problem. If your breakers are tripping somewhat frequently, it could indicate that there’s a wiring issue or a problem with your electrical panel that’s causing these overloads. If your breakers won’t stay on once you reset them, call an electrician immediately, and don’t try to force them to switch to stay on, as this could only increase the risk of electrical fires.

SPARKING APPLIANCES

If you have appliances in your home that seem to spark every time you go to plug them in, it could be an indicator of a very serious problem. Any kind of sparking is dangerous since it can lead to electrical fires, but even if this sparking never leads to any kind of fire in your home, it can also cause a great deal of damage to your expensive appliances and other electronic equipment. If you suspect the issue might lie with the appliance and not the outlet, you can test it by plugging in another appliance that you know works. Just be sure the appliance you use in this test is somewhat inexpensive and not something you’re going to miss if it gets damaged.

OUTLETS OR SWITCHES THAT DON’T WORK

It’s somewhat common for an outlet or switch to go bad over time due to the natural aging process, but it’s not an issue you should ever try to correct on your own. If you notice the outlet or switch in question is smoking or making a buzzing noise, you’ll want to call in a professional electrician right away to address the issue and ensure there isn’t a much larger wiring issue that needs to be addressed.

New Lighting In Your Home

5 Excellent Reasons To Install New Lighting In Your Home

If you’re one of the many Cypress homeowners out there who are looking for the perfect project to help you enhance and transform your home, installing new lighting might be just the project you’ve been looking for. New lighting can have a marked effect on the interior of your home, whether you’re installing new lighting in your living room, your bedroom, or even around your outdoor patio area. To highlight just a few of the many reasons that Cypress homeowners choose to invest in new lighting installation for their homes, our team of skilled electricians has taken the time to put together this short list for your reading pleasure. We invite you to read through and give us a call so we can show you the many possibilities for your home’s lighting.

ADD VALUE

For many homeowners, the decision to upgrade their lighting comes from a desire to increase the overall value of their home. While it might seem like a relatively small upgrade, you might be surprised at the effect a simple lighting upgrade can have in terms of adding value to your home.

ENHANCE SECURITY

These days you can never be too careful with your home. With more and more homeowners seeing the value in home security, many are choosing lighting upgrades that can help them to that effect. The right outdoor lighting can greatly improve the security of your property, and there is a wide range of different options available to fit your specific needs.

CREATE AMBIANCE

Upgrading your home’s lighting can be a perfect way to create the kind of ambiance you’ve always wanted for the interior of your home. Thanks to the wide array of different lighting options out there, you have a virtually limitless array of options to help you create the specific kind of ambiance you’re looking for in your home.

REDUCE YOUR ENERGY COSTS

Thanks to advances in technology, modern lighting is more cost and energy efficient than ever before. If you’re ready to save money on your monthly electric bills, give our team of skilled electricians a call and let us show you some of the high-efficiency lighting solutions that can help you make your home more energy efficient.

IMPROVE VISIBILITY

If you’re like most homeowners, there are rooms in your home that you just can’t keep as bright as you would like. Whether this is due to poor lighting placement or outdated lighting fixtures, a lighting upgrade can be the solution you need to correct the issue and improve the visibility in these various rooms of your home.