Electrical faults can seriously disrupt your home, but many common issues can be quickly resolved with basic troubleshooting. As seasoned electrical contractors serving the Snowy Mountains, we’ve become adept at diagnosing issues. Read our advice for troubleshooting common electrical problems yourself or knowing when to call the experts.
Circuit Breaker Tripping
Frequent power cuts limited to certain areas likely mean an overloaded circuit is tripping the circuit breaker. Locate your property’s circuit breaker unit and check which switch is flipped to ‘off’- this identifies the affected circuit. Reset the breaker and plug appliances into different outlets until finding the overload source. Unplug this device while using alternatives.
Flickering Lights
Random light flickering generally signals an overloaded circuit too. As above, experiment by unplugging appliances around the property one by one until lights stabilise. Ceiling fans slowing then regaining speed also indicates voltage drops from overburdened circuits. Faulty light switches or loose wiring could alternatively cause flickering requiring electrician repairs.
Power Points or Appliances Not Working
For a single non-working outlet, check the circuit breaker hasn’t tripped and toggle the outlet’s switch off/on. For widespread electrical issues, you may have an external power outage. If appliances won’t activate from any outlets, reset devices in case of temporary glitches before assuming equipment failure.
Odd Electrical Burning Smells
Catching burning plastic smells from sockets or switches suggests wires are overheating from excessive loads. This creates serious fire risks if not promptly addressed by replacing faulty wiring. For strange musty smells, water may have seeped into electrics. Any odd smells demand urgent contractor inspections.
Tingles from Switches and Appliances
Getting zapped by handles points to defective or missing safety earthing that stops electrocution risks- high priority for diagnosis and repair. Seeing appliance sparks likewise indicates loose wiring connections needing urgent professional attention for your safety.
By quickly recognising and initially troubleshooting electrical issues yourself, you can often restore functionality promptly. But exercise ample caution with electricals and contact qualified electricians if problems persist or you have safety concerns. The team at Hestra specialises in Snowy Mountains electrical issues – call us anytime!
