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It can be really frustrating to have electrical system faults. You may not be able to power your electrical appliances and devices. This is why you should not only know the most common electrical problems in Sydney homes.
You should also know what steps to take to prevent and fix them. This post covers the most common faults, signs, and ways to avoid or fix electrical problems in Sydney homes. Read on to learn more!
Causes of Electrical System Issues in Sydney CBD
Much like other places, homeowners in Sydney often have electrical issues. You do not need to wait until you absolutely have to invite an electrician in Sydney before knowing the causes and preempting these electrical issues before they occur.
Here are some common causes of electrical problems in Sydney:
- Faulty wiring
- Human mistakes and errors
- Natural disasters
- Outdated electrical system components
- Old appliances
Top Ten Common Electrical Issues in Sydney Homes
Knowing what electrical issues you can safely handle on your own and those requiring professional assistance is essential. Here are the top ten most common electrical problems in Sydney homes:
Issue One: Failing light switches
A typical electrical problem in Sydney homes is dimmer switches that fail to adjust to light adequately. This problem is usually caused by faulty installation or sub-standard products.
If your light switches do not come on, it may be due to power not reaching the circuit or the switches being superseded. You can confirm whether the breaker to the relevant switch is turned on in your breaker box. If yes, a licensed electrician must check your circuit or electrical wiring.
Issue Two: Frequently tripping circuit breakers
Ordinarily, you do not need to worry so much when your circuit breaker trips. It is merely protecting your home from electrical danger. However, loose wiring and running high-wattage appliances like hair dryers and fans on a single circuit can make circuit breakers trip frequently.
You may also have insufficient power points, and this may result in an electrical overload that causes the circuit breakers to trip. One way to resolve tripped circuit breakers is to reset the circuit breaker. You can also turn the breaker box power off.
Preventive measures to prevent frequent circuit breaker tips include the following:
- Avoid loading large voltages on single circuits
- Unplug your devices if you are not using them
- Upgrade your electrical system
Issue Three: Frequent electrical surges
Electrical surges occur when excess voltage fluctuations in your electric circuit can damage plugged-in appliances. They can also reduce the lifespan of your home’s electrical system components.
Common causes of electrical surges include lightning strikes, bad wiring, and faulty appliances. Take the precaution of removing cheap appliances from wall outlets, and if the issue continues, you can invite a licensed electrician to check your wiring system.
Issue Four: Electrical shocks
Electrical shocks can be very unpleasant and scary. It would be best if you did not ignore them. Common causes of electrical shocks include faulty switches, power outlets, or appliances. If the problem persists when you plug in another appliance, you have even more reason to invite a licensed electrician to check your wiring, switches, and power outlets.
Issue Five: Power outages
Power outages occur when you suddenly lose electrical power in your building or area. Common causes of power outages include:
- Failing power lines
- Severe weather conditions (like lightning strikes and floods)
- Power grid overloads
- Equipment failure
Some preventive measures against complete power outages include the following:
- Having backup power sources (such as generators) in place.
- Avoiding electrical system overloads by unplugging your appliances when not in use.
- Reducing the risk of falling tree branches by trimming those near power lines.
- Hiring a licensed electrician for regular electrical inspections of your entire electrical system. Your emergency electrician can also provide corrective maintenance services for electrical power outages.
Issue Six: Circuit overloads
Circuit overloads are both a cause of electrical problems and a common electrical issue simultaneously. They occur when an excess of electric current flows through your circuit. Circuit overloads cause circuit breakers to trip and also make your circuit overheat. Ultimately, circuit overloads may also cause house fires and damage your appliances.
Some preventive measures to take to avoid circuit overloads include the following:
- Ensuring you do not have faulty wiring.
- Avoiding the use of appliances that draw too much power.
- Make use of surge protectors and power strips that have built-in circuit breakers.
- Avoiding the plugging of an excess number of devices into a single outlet.
- Hiring a licensed electrician for regular maintenance and electrical system inspections.
Issue Seven: Faulty wiring
This is a common electrical fault that can cause many electrical issues. Such issues include circuit overloads and power outages. These electrical problems at home can be hazardous and frustrating.
In fact, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that over 10,000 residential fires resulted from faulty wiring in 2017.
You can get local electricians to identify and fix lousy wiring quickly.
Issue Eight: Improperly grounded circuits
Circuits without properly grounded switches and plugs are more prone to cause electrical shocks and ground faults. The same thing applies if your outlets are not grounded or are improperly grounded. A solution is to get your electrical system inspected and necessary replacements made.
Issue Nine: Power dips
Sometimes, a dip in power can cause your appliances to malfunction. In these cases, the voltage drop may result from an undersized main power supply to your home. You can invite a qualified local electrician to resolve the issue.
Issue Ten: Loose wiring
It is best to call an electrician if you have loose wiring. This common electrical problem can cause electrical shocks.
Signs of Electrical Problems in Sydney Homes
- Spiking electric bills can be a sign of electrical faults.
- Excessive heat from your power points, switches or appliances may indicate a forthcoming bigger electrical problem.
- Faulty wiring, loose connections, and faulty electrical equipment can result in flickering lights.
- Beeping smoke alarms may indicate a defective installation or one not in service.
Tips to Avoid Common Electrical Problems
You can use the tips below to avoid common electrical problems.
Conceal cable junction wiring
Ensure cable junctions where electrical wirings meet are well concealed to prevent electric shocks.
Install safety switches and dimmer switches
Safety switches are beneficial in two significant ways. First, they protect you from possible electrical shocks by tripping off when you have power leakages. Second, they switch off power flow to circuits and protect electrical equipment. Meanwhile, installing dimmer switches can help stop voltage spikes so they do not affect your lights.
Run electrical safety inspections
License electricians can do an overall electrical system inspection. For instance, they can check your safety switches, security, and alarms. You may even have your strata manager include regular checks on safety switches in strata.
During such overall checks, they can detect potential electric faults, and you can get help from them. Alternatively, you can consult Fair Trading NSW to ensure all regulations are being met, and if not, you may need to schedule electrical repairs.
Use expert help for electrical installations and wiring
You can avoid electrical damage and discomfort if you get expert help for electrical installations such as LED lighting and wiring.
Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GCFIs)
GCFIs act as electrical safety devices that sense electrical surges and trip circuits. In this way, it helps prevent electrical shocks.
How to Fix Common Electrical Faults
Inviting a professional electrician is your best bet for fixing common electrical faults. You can also take the following measures: You can perform switchboard upgrades and upgrade single-phase power to 3-phase power to reduce electrical overloads.
Reasons to Call on Local Electricians in Sydney
There are many reasons to invite local electricians in Sydney when you have common electrical issues. Here are some great reasons to invite them.
Familiarity with local codes, regulations, and challenges
Local electricians typically have the expertise to handle unique electrical challenges in your area. Furthermore, they can provide solutions that bring your electrical system up to code. They can also present copies of Certificates of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW) to NSW Fair Trading or the electricity network operator.
Quick response times for emergency electrician services
You will not have reasons for regret after the fact if your emergency electrician arrives on time for your emergency electrical issue. A significant advantage of using local emergency electricians is their timely emergency response. This can be important when you are at risk of electrical hazards.
Competitive Pricing
Local electricians usually have lower overhead costs as compared to larger out-of-state companies. As such, they can often provide more competitive pricing and cost-effective solutions. For example, they can fix electrical faults through a systematic electrical fault-finding process and perform electrical installations that won’t break the bank.
Experts Can Fix Common Electrical Problems
This post has covered the top ten most common electric faults in Sydney homes. Qualified electricians can help fix faults such as tripped circuits.
They can even go so far as to take care of your electric vehicle charging problems, data cabling power needs, and common electrical panel faults. In addition, you can feel free to pose electrical questions to them. Professional electrical contractors are more than happy to answer.
