Use Your Senses: How to Tell If Your Wiring Needs to Be Replaced
Wiring issues are no joke. In the blink of an eye, they can cause a disaster in your home: an electric shock, a house fire, and more. So, you need to be keenly aware of the condition of your home’s wiring -- though doing so can be a bit of a challenge. After all, your wiring isn’t exposed (or, rather, shouldn’t be). So, how can you determine when it’s time to get it replaced?
Simple: by using your senses. By remaining aware of what’s going on in your Birmingham home -- specifically, what’s going on DIFFERENTLY in your home -- you can be cognizant to any wiring issues in the vicinity. Read on to learn some simple yet effective means of determining whether your electric wiring needs to get some professional work:
Look for Signs of Wiring Issues
Here’s some good news: Wiring issues often manifest themselves in visible and easy-to-notice ways. So, when sensing for wiring issues visually, you don’t need to be attuned to some minute issue. You simply need to be aware that some obvious issues you see can be linked to your wiring. Here is a short list of some of the most common things you’ll see when your wiring needs a fix-up:
- Flickering lights
- Dimming lights
- Visibly frayed wires
Smell for Unusual Odors
Now, ready for some bad news? When your wiring experiences issues, it’s bound to begin to fray, smoke, and even melt. Okay, ready for some more good news? As bad as those problems can be, they will pay off in the form of foul odors. Yes, that IS a payoff. After all, these strange (and unmistakable) odors will plainly tell you that you’ve got some wiring issues on your hands.
Listen for Strange Noises
Your wiring isn’t the only thing that can make itself known when it experiences issues. Your other electrical components are sure to give off some red flags as well, and you can catch on to these red flags by opening up your ears. By doing so, you’re likely to see (or, rather, hear) the writing on the wall in the form of some strange noises:
- Buzzing
- Strange humming
- Popping noises
Feel for Overly Hot Switches and Outlets
Finally, you can use your hands to figure out whether your wiring is being problematic. No, we don’t mean you should touch your wiring to see if it’ll give you a shock. What we mean is you should feel around your switches and outlets. If you notice that these areas are strangely warm, you need to call an electrician ASAP to determine what’s causing the overheating. Spoiler: It’s probably your wiring.
If You Sense You Have Wiring Issues, Call Our Birmingham Electricians Today
Have you detected any number of the issues detailed above? If you have, don’t delay: Call Advanced Electrical Company, LLC today. Our professional Birmingham electricians have the know-how to help locate and repair the exact issues in your wiring so that your home will be functional and, above all else, as safe as can be.