Electrical Problems to Watch for When Buying a New Home| Tips from Your Shallotte, NC Electricians

10/24/2019

Photo By goodluz at Shutterstock

With buying a new home in the Shallotte, NC area comes a checklist of things a new homeowner must do, but they usually forget one very important aspect. Namely, calling electricians for a home inspection before buying the house.

There are many problems electricians in the Shallotte, NC area seem to come across while inspecting houses for new homeowners, which most people don’t even think of. Here is a concise list of commonly reported electrical issues seen during home inspections:

Missing Smoke Alarms

By law you are required to, and for your own safety, it is imperative that you have smoke alarms installed on every floor of your house. You should have smoke alarms installed outside of bedrooms for the simple reason that is most likely to be where you are – and it is there for your safety. If you need smoke alarms installed, you can call electricians.

Lack of Outlets

If there are very few sockets in a home, people are likely to turn to extension cords. There is no problem in using power strips on a temporary basis. However, once they come into permanent use in the same socket, an issue arises. Using extension cords as permanent fixtures is more likely seen in older homes because they weren’t equipped to handle the energy demand of today. This could be an easily rectified, but is hazardous, so call your electrical service so they can install some breakers and outlets for all your electricity needs.

Ungrounded Outlets

Usually seen in older homes, ungrounded receptacles can pose a threat of electric shocks or possible fires. If there are any damaged wires or a broken electric pathway, no grounding could lead to a short circuit. Call your electrical service to help you identify and replace ungrounded receptacles before moving into your new house.

Lugged Breakers

Most circuit breakers are designed for single wires, but multiple wires being attached to a single breaker has been observed in multiple home inspections. This is extremely dangerous. It can cause loose wires which can lead to an electrical fire. This is an easily fixable problem; just have electricians add more breakers.

Missing Covers

Covers over switches, electrical boxes and outlets are not just there to protect the wires; they also protect you from electric shocks. It is especially important to see if all wires are covered if you have small children or pets. To avoid any harmful accidents, call your electrical service to place covers safely on all wires.

Old/Out-dated Wiring

Older houses require a little more work. Where old and damaged wires can be easily replaced by electricians the problem comes when the house has outdated wiring.

Aluminum wires can easily oxidize, making them bad conductors. This can cause an electric surge and a fire. They also expand and contract a lot more drastically than traditional copper wires. This can cause them to become loose and once again, they become a fire hazard.

Knob and tube wiring can be dangerous as well. If the ceramic insulation gets damaged, it cannot be replaced. This means the entire wiring system will have to be changed while you are already living in the house.

In these two cases, since the entire wiring of the house needs to be changed, have electricians change this wiring before you move into your new house to avoid any future inconvenience.

Trees Leaning on Wires

It is often seen in houses that have been around for a long time that the trees in the front or back yards have grown tall and leaned here and there. Though large trees can make your backyard feel like your own personal forest, when they start leaning on electrical wires, that’s when the problem comes in. If the tree falls or puts enough pressure on a wire and it snaps, it could break the connection point. This will not only cause a power outage, it is also a fire and shock risk.

DIY Fails

Over the years of living in a house, people get familiar with its problems and often try to rectify them on their own without the help of a professional. This can cause many problems, especially if things are wired incorrectly, causing shocks and short circuits. Always call professional for any electrical problems instead of attempting to fix them on your own.

Contact Us!

The plumbers at Mister Sparky Electric will be more than happy to assist you with your electrical emergencies and problems and perform electrical repair, installation and emergency services at reasonable prices.

If you are recently moving into or building a house in the area, you should contact us for installation, repair and maintenance services and consultations.

Dealing with the sparks, fires and wiring issues yourself can be a very dangerous endeavor. Fires can erupt from sparks and can cause bodily harm and need to be handled by professionals who are trained to handle emergencies. Call electricians in the Shallotte, NC area.

So, if you need to repair appliances or wires, you should call us. We employ efficient and well-trained professionals to examine and correct electrical issues you require. Our staff can swap out your bad thermostats, fix your water heaters, reinstall your microwave connections and update your water heaters and reverse the effects of a wiring problem.

You should give us a call if you need normal or emergency electricians in the Shallotte, NC area or maintenance for your home electrical appliances. We are available for services at all times and can be contacted through this number: 843-213-6610.