Electrical problems in the home are more common than you may think and you’d be surprised what humans can live with if the issue isn’t big enough to register concern. You could very easily live with electrical problems for years and not realise. However, you’ll want to detect and sort issues as soon as they arise. The reasons for this are fairly simple and obvious.

The quicker you get it fixed, the less damage it can do. A damaged circuit or faulty wiring can cause long term damage to your electronics and appliances.
It’s a health hazard. While most electrical problems are likely to be minor in terms of health risk, this doesn’t mean they can’t develop into something bigger and keeping on top of electrical repair and maintenance can ensure that your safety is maintained from electric shocks.
It can be financially damaging long-term. Damage to circuits can lead to costly repairs and replacements to your electronics and appliances. Correcting issues quickly can keep repairs affordable and overall maintenance minimal.

What are easy ways to detect electrical problems?

Flickering or dimming lights

A circuit that is overloaded will cause lights to dim and flicker. Particularly motor-driven devices use more amps when they turn on in a circuit than when they run steadily. This is rather typical and something to pay attention to; really good wiring rarely causes dimming or flickering on a circuit that is nearly at capacity. However, dimming or brief flickering is common under some circumstances even with adequate wiring. However, if it occurs frequently, this can be an indication that a defective circuit breaker or faulty wiring needs to be changed.

Circuit breakers tripping

If there is a problem, electrical circuit breakers are made to trip. Similarly, fuses are intended to blow if a problem arises. The circuit is drawing more current than it should, which is why the circuit breaker trips or the fuse blows.

There might not be a problem if you just occasionally encounter either of these problems. It might have been a single power surge. If it occurs more frequently than extremely rarely, it can indicate that you have an electrical issue that needs to be looked into by a qualified electrician.

An electrical outlet that sparks

When you plug something in and you notice sparks shooting from the outlet, there is a problem. Despite the fact that this issue may be small and simple to address, if it is ignored, it could result in dangerous electrical shocks and possibly start a fire. If you detect sparking frequently, stop using the outlet straight away and get a certified electrician to assess the problem and offer a fix.

A loose outlet
It's time to open the outlet and straighten it up if you plug a cord into it and then discover that the interior of the outlet is shifting. Shorts, sparks, and potential fire threats result from a slack outlet's wires finally shaking loose.

Hot to the touch ceiling fixtures

Periodically feel for warmth in the vicinity of your ceiling light fixtures. A little warmth during use is to be expected but it shouldn’t be too hot. Some lights lack adequate insulation, and if you use a bulb with a higher wattage than what is advised, the fixture may overheat. A risk of fire could arise from excessive heat buildup.

One solution to this issue is to switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. The bulbs are less prone to overheat or catch fire since they don't produce as much heat as incandescent bulbs.

Electrical problems are common and should be treated with care and caution. That doesn’t mean you need to panic when they occur or your home first shows signs of a fault but you should be proactive to minimise risk and damage. This means making note of these key signs and contacting a professional to do a check as well as the necessary maintenance and repairs.