Feeling Electric?
Do you have an electrical issue you’re looking to fix?
What to Look for:
Protecting the Fuse Box: Fuse boxes are less common these days than circuit breaker panels, but they work just fine — unless someone installs fuses with a higher amperage than the wires can safely handle. That can cause the wires to overheat, damaging their protective insulation and increasing the risk of fire.Once the insulation has been damaged, the danger remains even if the offending fuse is replaced with one that’s the proper amperage. To fix it, the old circuit must be rewired.
Hire a Pro & Avoid Fire Hazards: Some wiring problems are just inconveniences. But others can pose serious fire or electrocution hazards. If you’re buying a house (especially one that’s more than 50 years old), or if you’ve never had your wiring inspected, it’s a good idea to hire a licensed electrician to give your home a thorough going-over. An electrician will look at the insulation on the wires to see if it’s dried out and fraying, he’ll look for corrosion in the service panel, and he’ll look to see if a previous owner did anything unsafe. Don’t be alarmed if the inspection turns up code violations. Each time the electrical code is revised, old wiring is “grandfathered,” on the assumption it was installed correctly. Code only requires you to update wiring in rooms being gut-renovated.
***Remember: Anytime you work with wiring, be sure to turn off the circuit at the main breaker panel***
Common Electrical Problems:
1. Overlamping-What it means: A fixture has a light bulb with a higher wattage than the fixture is designed for.C ode violation? Yes. Danger level: High. The bulb’s intense heat can scorch or melt the socket and insulation on the fixture’s wires, which increases the risk of arcing — sparks that jump through the air from one wire to another — a chief cause of electrical fires. The damage to socket and wires remains even after the bulb has been removed. Solution: Stay within the wattage limit listed on all light fixtures made since 1985. For older, unmarked fixtures, use only 60-watt bulbs or smaller.
2. Uncovered Junction Boxes-What it means: Because a junction box houses the splices where wires are connected to one another, a person could inadvertently damage the wires or get a shock.Code violation? Yes. Danger level: Minimal, as long as wires aren’t within reach. Solution: Spend a few cents to buy a new cover and install it with the screws provided.
3. Flickering Lights When It’s Windy-What it means: Frayed wiring in the weatherhead (the outdoor fitting where overhead cables from the power line come into the house) is causing a short whenever the cables move. Code violation? No. Danger level: High. Aside from the annoyance, the frayed wiring can arc and start a fire. Solution: Contact the electric utility, which may replace the weatherhead at no charge
.4. Too Few Outlets-What it means: Heavy reliance on extension cords and power strips. Code violation? No; grandfathered in. Danger level: Minimal, as long as you use heavy-duty extension cords, 14-gauge or thicker. Solution: Add more outlets. Expect to pay an electrician for this.
5. No GFCIsIllustration-What it means: risk of electrocution in wet areas, such as baths and kitchens. GFCIs (ground-fault circuit interrupters) shut down circuits in 4 milliseconds, before a current can cause a deadly shock. Code violation? No; grandfathered in. Danger level: High. Solution: Replace old receptacles with GFCIs.
6. Overwired Panel-What it means: The panel contains more circuits than it’s rated to handle because too many single-pole breakers (one circuit) have been replaced with tandem breakers (two circuits) in one slot. (Tandem breakers aren’t the same as high-amp double-pole breakers, which take up two slots with one circuit.) A label on each panel specifies how many circuits the panel can accommodate.Code violation? Yes. Danger level: Minimal. It may become an issue when the house is being sold and an inspector looks inside the panel. Solution: Add a subpanel with a few extra slots or, if you’re planning major home improvements, replace the existing panel with a larger model.
.7. Aluminum Wiring-What it means: You have a type of wiring, used in the 1960s and ‘70s as a cheap substitute for copper, that is no longer considered safe. Code violation? No; grandfathered in. Danger level: High. Aluminum corrodes when in contact with copper, so connections loosen, which can lead to arcing and fires. Solution: Retrofit a dielectric wire nut approved for aluminum wire onto each copper/aluminum connection in light fixtures. These nuts have a special grease that stops corrosion while maintaining conductivity. Make sure any replacement switches and receptacles are labeled AL-compatible.
8. Backstabbed Wires-What it means: On newer switches and receptacles, wires pushed in the back are more likely to come loose than those anchored around screw terminals. Code violation? No. The practice is allowed, even for new construction. Danger level: It depends. At a minimum, loose wires can cause a receptacle or switch to stop working. In the worst case, they can start a fire. Solution: Check for backstabbed connections by removing a switch or receptacle from its outlet box. If one is backstabbed, there are likely to be more. Release the wires and attach them to the appropriate screw terminals on the receptacle.
9. Ungrounded (2-prong) Receptacles-What it means: Your house’s wiring has no way to safely conduct any stray current that escapes the confines of the wires. Code violation? No; grandfathered in. (Today’s code requires grounded circuits and receptacles.) Danger level: Minimal, as long as you don’t use an adapter to fit a three-prong plug into a two-prong receptacle. Doing so could destroy the device you’re plugging in, and increase the chance of electrocution. Solution: Replace two-prong receptacles with properly grounded three-prong ones, if wiring allows it . Also, test all existing three-prong receptacles with a GFCI circuit tester to make sure they’re grounded. Rewire any that aren’t.
10. Plug Falls Out of Receptacle-What it means: Worn contacts in receptacle no longer grip the prongs firmly. Code violation? No. Danger level: High. Loose contacts can cause arcing, which can ignite dry wood and dust. Solution: Replace the old receptacles as soon as possible.
I you need a referral for a Licensed Electrician, please do not hesitate to call or text me at (401) 378-3000.
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