As your home gets older, you may be finding yourself needing more maintenance than usual. It’s only normal that electrical problems arise in older homes as the electrical wiring begins to wear over time.
If you’re noticing any electrical issues in your home, don’t worry! Our team at Arnold Electrical Services wants to help new and returning clients detect electrical issues they may have so that they can be repaired safely. Here are some common electrical issues we’ve found in old homes.
Outdated Wiring
If you’re having problems with your wiring, this may be because it is outdated. Outdated wiring, like cloth-covered wiring, tends to be flakey and brittle. Over time, the under-wiring will become exposed. Older homes usually have cloth-covered wiring installed, which makes these kinds of problems more common.
Other kinds of wiring can also experience wear and tear over time. Aluminum wiring can expand and contract from heat. This causes the wire to overheat from corrosion and oxidation. If left unchecked, these kinds of wiring problems can lead to house fires.
Outdated wiring is a serious issue that can come with older homes. If you think that your home needs updated wiring, contact a professional electrician.
Flickering Lights
Electrical connections can become loose, flimsy and weak over time. When these damaged connections aren’t properly closed, they can take in oxygen and humidity. This leads to corrosion in your wires, which will slowly break the connection further until you have an open circuit. Corroded wiring could look like flickering lights and tripped switches in your home.
However, there are other reasons why you may have a flickering light. One reason your lights may be flickering include:
- The bulb is loose or not tightened correctly
- The bulb is the incorrect size for the light
- Your light has a dimming function that the bulb you have doesn’t support
Check for these problems to see if correcting them can solve your flickering light problem first. If none of these solutions work, contact a professional. To save your electrical wiring from further problems and avoid electrical fires, schedule electrical repairs with your local electricians.
Bad Outlets
If your outlets go out, your first instinct may be to reset your breaker. Outlets usually go out from a tripped breaker, and restarting it usually solves that problem. However, in older homes, this trick might not always work. Outlets can burn out or become loose over time. You can find out if your outlets have burnt out because they will usually have scorch or burn marks.
For electrical safety, do not plug in anything to these dead outlets. Doing so could lead to an electrocution or a house fire. If you find these markings on your outlets, immediately contact an electrician.
Tripped Breakers
If your breakers trip too frequently, your boards may be overloaded. Overloading is common with older homes, but the quality and safety of your boards can be checked with maintenance. Call an electrician to have your circuit inspected.
Get Your Electrical Repairs With Your Local Chicago Electrician!
If you need electrical repairs or rewiring services, contact Arnold Electrical Services! We can help resolve any issues you have with your wiring, outlets and breakers before they become hazardous to your home. Contact us for a consultation today!
