Electrical Faults: How to Spot Electrical Problems Around Your Home

Electrical faults can go unnoticed for a long time, and although they may not seem like a major issue, they can pose a serious threat to your family and home. While most electrical faults will simply damage some of your appliances, the risks also include electrical shocks and fires, which could lead to a serious disaster.

When you have an electrical problem in your home, in most cases, the circuit breaker for the faulty circuit will usually activate and turn off the power to that specific circuit, while sometimes, the main circuit breaker will be the one tripping and will turn off the power in your entire home. However, this does not mean it’s ok not to fix the problems.

Prevention is always the best solution and regular inspections conducted by a qualified electrician will give you peace of mind that your home is safe and free of unpleasant surprises. If you have already identified an issue with your electrical system, it is better to solve it when it is still in the early stages before it becomes a serious problem.

Major signs of an electrical fault

The electricity in your home is, without a doubt, a vital part of your everyday life. If your outlets or lights stop working for a longer period, you can imagine how problematic that would be. Sometimes fuses and circuit breakers just need to be replaced. However, other times larger problems are going on with the wiring of your house. 

Some of the major signs of electrical faults are the following:

• Fuses and circuit breakers constantly blow 
• Light switches are hot to touch 
• The light dims or flickers suddenly or unexpectedly. 
• Decolourization around light switches or power points. 
• Strange buzzing noises in the light switches or behind the power outlets. 
• Electrical appliances are working inefficiently. 
• Feeling a tingling sensation upon touching the outside of a power outlet.

What causes electrical faults?

A wide range of factors can cause an electrical fault in a home. Some are human errors and can be easily fixed, while others might be more systemic. 

Electrical faults may occur due to a variety of reasons. Here is a list of the most common ones: 

• An overloaded circuit: an electrical system that has too many appliances or equipment connected to it, causing the electrical demand to exceed the maximum supply available. 
• Short-circuit: an electrical circuit that allows current to flow through an unintended direction, resulting in an excessive current flowing through the circuit.
• Loose connections in the main panel.

How to deal with an electrical fault

The first step is to troubleshoot and identify the faulty circuit. Electrical fault finding can be dangerous, so once you’ve identified the problematic circuit, it’s time to contact a certified electrician who can now determine the source of the problem and carry out the necessary repairs.

So, if your main circuit trips and your entire home loses power, follow the instructions below to identify the faulty circuit:  

Step # 1 – Turn your circuit breakers off 

You are likely wondering what causes your entire house to lose power. This can be caused by tripping the main switch, but the circuit breakers are still ON. For this reason, you must turn off all the circuit breakers for extra safety. 

Step # 2 – Turn on your main switch 

Once you’ve turned off all the circuit breakers, it’s time to turn on your main switch. After doing this, the main switch has an electrical supply. But your home or electrical appliances will not work because the circuit breakers are still off. 

Step # 3 – Turn on circuit breakers (one by one)

After turning off the main circuit breaker, you must turn ON each one of the circuit breakers. Doing so makes it easier to identify the problem area in your electrical system.  

Step # 4 – Identify the fault 

If you are at home, you can try to identify the fault by turning on each circuit breaker one by one. This will help you isolate which circuit is causing the problem. In the case when some of the circuit breakers are tripping in specific areas of your house, they will be identified as faulty and need repair. However, if you turn on all the circuit breakers and one or more trips again and again, then there can be multiple issues that are contributing to this. You may want to call an electrician for further help. 

Step # 5 – Turn off switches 

In the previous step, you identified the faulty circuit by turning circuit breakers ON individually. Now you need to turn all the circuit breakers OFF again. 

Step # 6 – Restore the power except for the faulty one 

If you want to restore the electricity in your home, you can turn on the main switch and circuit breakers again. You should not switch on the faulty circuit breaker. As a result, you can restore the power supply to your home except for the faulty circuit. 

Step # 7 – Call an experienced electrician 

If your electrical appliances keep tripping your circuit breakers, then you need to have a qualified electrician come out and find the cause of the issue. If this is caught early enough then it can save you from a lot of stress, money and time.

Electrical fault finding electrician

At Need a Sparky, we understand the risks an electrical fault puts your home and family in. That’s why we focus on delivering high-end services that never compromise in terms of safety or quality.

Failing to address potential problems with your electrical system can lead to severe damage and even serious injuries. However, regular inspections conducted by a qualified electrician will give you peace of mind that your home is safe and free of unpleasant surprises.

If you have already identified an issue with your electrical system, it is better to get professional help to have that peace of mind and nothing to worry about.

Our team of qualified professionals are trained in all aspects of electrical work, including installation, maintenance, and repairs to ensure you get the best possible service at all times. Our electricians are equipped with the knowledge, expertise and experience to handle any electrical project.

Whether you want to fix an electrical fault or upgrade your home’s entire electrical system, Need A Sparky is committed to providing only the best electrical services across the Sunshine Coast.

To book a service or request a quote, call 07 5314 1046