Your home’s electrical system is what keeps everything running smoothly – literally. We generally notice oddities with our electrical system when they happen because they’re pretty rare. We notice, for example, when we plug something into an outlet and hear a buzzing noise or see a spark, because we know that isn’t supposed to happen. Here are 5 warning signs that your wiring may need to be replaced.

1. Burning Odor – We aren’t talking about burning food smell, but more like an electrical burning odor. The odor may come and go for several days before you track it to a specific room or outlet. The most likely cause of a burning odor is a short in an outlet. The short may be inside the wall, which makes it very dangerous because it could ignite surrounding materials.
2. Discolored Outlets – A buzzing noise, charred marks around the outlet, and discolored outlets or switches are a sign that the wiring has already arced and created a flame at some point.
3. Lights Dimming or Flickering – This is a sign of an overloaded circuit. The dimming or flickering occurs when a device is turned on, pulling current from all other devices that use the same circuit. Sometimes it’s nothing, and sometimes it’s an issue that needs attention.
4. Shocks – Any switch or outlet that shocks you when you use it needs to be replaced. Your outlets and switches should never cause electric shock to the people who use them. This can be a direct result of a wire that has lost its protective insulation.
5. Regularly Flipped Breakers – Circuit Breakers are designed to break current in case something goes wrong with the electrical system. If a circuit has too much load on it, it can trip the breaker, or turn itself off to prevent electric shock or fire. Make sure you don’t overload circuits because the more a circuit breaker trips the more worn it becomes. Sometimes they wear out and will trip for no reason whatsoever. If your circuit breakers are constantly tripping but there’s no known reason, they may need to be replaced.

The electrical system is one of the things that homeowners shouldn’t deal with on their own. We understand the desire to fix things and just make them work again, but dealing with the electrical system is potentially dangerous; even deadly. Always keep your personal safety and that of your family in mind when you discover electrical problems in your home.

Call Authorized Construction Group, LLC, at 443-579-5701 if you’re an Essex area homeowner in need of electrical advice or assistance. We’ll schedule an appointment for a consultation or discuss your electrical needs with you as much as possible on the phone.