Every year, American homes rely more and more on electronics and appliances. Older homes or homes with faults in their electrical wiring may not be able to tolerate the amount of electricity being used. Overloaded electrical wiring can damage your devices and raise the risk of fire and electrocution. If your home shows any of these signs of faulty wiring, call an electrician to inspect and potentially replace it.

How to Tell If Your Electrical Wiring Is Bad

1. Frequently Tripped Breakers

Your breakers exist to cut off the supply of electricity when they detect your circuits are drawing too much current. This prevents damage to your wiring, minimizing the risk of fire and shocks. If the breakers flip occasionally, you can fix the problem by moving your devices to other outlets on a different circuit, then going to your breaker box to reset the switch. 

However, if the breakers flip often, it means you’re regularly drawing too much power for your circuits, which means they’re either damaged or need an upgrade. Your electrician will inspect your existing wiring and either repair any damage or recommend an upgrade to a higher capacity circuit. 

If you need an upgrade, your provider will replace both the wires and the breakers. This is usually recommended for homes built before the 1960s, which may have a capacity as low as 60 amps. Modern homes require at least 100 or ideally 200 amps to support your appliances.

2. Flickering Power

When electrical contacts aren’t meeting properly or when the current is escaping your circuit, the flow of electricity is unsteady. This can happen when switches and fixtures aren't installed correctly, or when wires have been damaged by pests, overheating, electrical shorts, moisture, or other issues. 

Depending on the location of the damage, you may notice a single light bulb flickering, or problems with multiple fixtures. If tightening or replacing the affected bulb doesn’t help, it’s a wiring issue and needs a professional to locate the loose connection and repair it.

3. Evidence of Burning

When electricity escapes an exposed wire and runs through flammable material, or when a powerful current overheats your electrical wiring, it can start a fire. Before a full-scale electrical fire, there are often warning signs that something is starting to burn. 

You may notice the smell of smoke or burnt plastic in your home. Sometimes, the outlet or fixture itself will have dark, singed marks. If this happens, turn off the breaker to the area and call an electrician immediately to replace the damaged component. A fixture at this stage could start a fire at any time.

For electrical wiring inspections, repairs, and replacements, choose Gutridge Electric, Inc in Newark, OH. Serving Licking County for 38 years, this family-owned and -operated company is fully licensed and insured and has an A+ rating with the BBB. To schedule a visit, call (740) 349-7624 or get in touch online.