The flow of electricity in your home is not just a utility but a must. As a homeowner, you should be aware of a few tips and details to help you figure out what has happened to your electrical appliances when an emergency occurs or something goes wrong. It could be quite confusing to see a maze of different wires and electrical works in your home when you don’t really know what is wrong and where the problem really came from.
It could be that a light bulb has stopped working completely, or it is flickering or perhaps the electrical switch is damaged. But do not fear the unknown, millions of other households experience similar problems every day and almost all of them make it to the next day. For that purpose, we have prepared a few points that you should know before calling electricians near Barnet.
It is often an error in maintenance that causes such accidents, although sometimes it is purely bad luck. To prevent such issues, it is recommended to contact certified electricians to check and repair your household electrical appliances. Here are a few warning signs and dangers when dealing with electrical issues and consumer appliances.
Warning Signs with Electrical Appliances
Aluminum wiring
Aluminum has been used as a more cost-friendly option in the wiring in comparison to copper, and while the price is lowered, the structural integrity of aluminum makes it more unstable than copper. In addition, any contact between aluminum and copper leads to sparks and possible electrical fires in the appliance or concealed wiring.
To accommodate this problem, you should use a special nut for securing the connection between copper and aluminum. To double down on your efforts, use some grease to account for any possible corrosion.
Electricity Surges, Sags, or Dips
While their descriptions may be different, surges are recognized closely with electrical or sags or dips. Fluctuations in the power grid often cause spikes in the electrical current, which will in turn increase the possibility of an overload in your electrical circuits. These surges can often cause flickering and disturbances in more sensitive appliances like TVs and radios.
If these fluctuations continue, they could cause serious damage to your properties or appliances. In some cases, you cannot help these surges as they are caused by lightning strikes or errors by the Power Company, or incidents with the power grid or power lines. For protection in such events, you can use certain guards or surge protectors that will stabilize the current. If you still experience surges or spikes in your current regularly, it is time to contact electricians near Barnet to inspect it and find the cause behind the issue.
Sags and dips are similar to such surges, but there are slight semantic differences between them. They because what is described by the term “brown-out”, which lowers the electrical current momentarily, causing the lights to go dimmer.
What you experience is momentary darkness, which is often mistaken with involuntary blinking. Don’t be mistaken, this is what we call a brown-out. The reason could be a heavy-duty appliance that draws out too much power from a possibly outdated fuse panel or a faulty outlet.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) not working
GFCI is a device that monitors the input power current and measures it against the power coming back through another wire. If there is a discrepancy between the two, it will trigger to protect the circuitry and appliances. There is a tiny TEST button that disengages to let you know GFCI has triggered. When you press it again, it should pop back in, otherwise, you should change the GFCI as it no longer works.
Electrical regulations for buildings dictate that GFCI should be installed within four meters of any room with running water such as bathrooms and kitchen, they should also be installed near exterior walls. Any certified electrician will easily determine where to install these devices. Electricians near Barnet who are approved by NICEIC must be aware of such codes and must comply with them when they are rendering your required service. Electric Works London is never too far away to attend to your electrical needs, so call our electricians now to get a timely repair.
Light fixtures are not working
Light fixtures are rather delicate electrical appliances and many things could go wrong with them. In the event of a malfunction, always find out first whether the problem is with the bulb or LED. Figure out if the bulb is properly installed. If you’re in luck, that will be an easy fix.
If the bulb seems fine, try and see if the socket is still in proper condition. If that isn’t the problem, check the circuit fuse panel. If one has been flipped off, turn it back on. At that point, if the light still doesn’t work, it’s wiser to contact electricians near Barnet. The problem could be old sockets or wiring or anything else, you never know unless you call a certified expert to find out what’s wrong with your lights.
Loose Connections
Faulty wiring connections, especially those closest to each other run a high risk of electrical fires or accidents. Any expert in electrical works in London knows how to tight-fit the connections in all their electrical works, so if you have been your own electrician this is the downside of lacking professional training.
Just Call an Electrician in Barnet
These electrical errors and issues are all too common in houses today since we use them quite often and are rather ignorant of how to properly use our electrical appliances. What has been described in this article so far covers only a few of the most common problems that households experience so if you don’t find your issue here, worry not.
Finding a certified electrician in Barnet might seem like a lot of trouble at first, but if you contact us, we can provide an electrician round the clock, anywhere in Barnet and London.
