Outlet Issues
If any of your home’s outlets are unusually behaving, you might have a wiring issue in your house. Your outlets always should be cold to the touch. If any of the outlets feel warm or feel as if they’re vibrating or buzzing, immediately contact an electrician. Other warning indications that might be a sign of faulty wiring in your house include char marks on or sparks that emit from the outlets.
Buzzing Lights or Appliances
As you flip a switch, turn on a lamp, or plug an appliance in, listen very carefully. If you hear a humming or buzzing sound, or if you notice an electric shock or vibration, something isn’t right. Anything which vibrates or buzzes while plugged in might be an indication of a severe electrical hazard inside your house. If there are any buzzing appliances or lights, turn the circuit breaker off to that room or outlet then unplug the item(s) in question.
Burning Odor
If you can’t identify the burning smell source in your house, it might be stemming from the wires inside the walls. Burning wires emit an acrid odour, like burnt vinyl or plastic. Wires may heat up and burn gradually, undetected, for a lengthy period of time before igniting nearby material. In order to avoid an electrical fire, call for instant help from a qualified Winnipeg electrician if you smell burning plastic in the house.
Tripped Breakers
The majority of houses have a circuit breaker box that is located someplace inside the residence. Usually, the circuit breakers just trip if that particular circuit becomes overloaded with too much electrical usage during one time. At times, that’s a safe and normal reaction to too many objects drawing power at one time in your house. But, if tripped breakers occur in your house on a consistent basis, it might indicate that something isn’t right. Constantly tripped breakers might be an indication that the wiring in the house isn’t effectively dealing with the electricity level your property is drawing, and overloaded wires may become more likely to burn over a period of time. If you’re regularly handling tripped circuit breakers, it’s better to contact a professional for an evaluation of your electrical system in order to make sure that your house is safe.
Dimming or Flickering Lights
If you have lighting inside your residence which flickers erratically or abruptly becomes dimmer or brighter for no particular reason, it might be an indication that there is a bigger issue with the wiring inside your property. If there is a problem with just one light, it’s possible that the issue is the light itself; not the home wiring. But, just to be on the safe side, it might be better to have the circumstances assessed by a qualified electrician.