Home Electrical Problems You Didn't Know Existed (And How To Fix Them)

As a homeowner, I've dealt with my fair share of electrical issues over the years. Some common, and some not so common. In this article, I'll walk through some of the home electrical problems that often go undiagnosed, along with tips on how to fix them.

1. Flickering Lights

Flickering lights are one of the most common electrical issues in a home. Often, the cause is a loose lightbulb or faulty wiring.

• Loose lightbulb: If I notice a light flickering in my home, the first thing I do is check that the lightbulb is screwed in fully and making a solid connection. Over time, lightbulbs can loosen due to vibrations and temperature changes. Simply screwing the lightbulb in tighter often fixes a flickering issue.

• Faulty wiring: If the lightbulb is secure, then the issue may be faulty wiring. Signs of faulty wiring include:

• Lights flickering when other appliances turn on (like a vacuum)

• Light switches feeling warm or buzzing

• Frequently tripped circuit breakers

I had an issue where lights would dim throughout my house when the AC turned on. An electrician diagnosed the problem as outdated wiring that couldn't handle the voltage. Upgrading the electrical panel and wiring resolved the issue.

2. Odd Circuit Trips

Circuit breakers tripping can signal an overloaded circuit or ground fault. But sometimes a circuit trip doesn't seem to make sense.

For example, I once had my bathroom outlet circuit trip when turning on my kitchen garbage disposal. Or my bedroom lights would trip when turning on the coffee maker in a completely different room. Odd circuit trips like these can signal a bigger issue:

• Shared neutral wires: Outdated wiring often branches multiple circuits off of one neutral wire. When one circuit pulls power, it overloads the neutral causing a trip. An electrician can identify shared neutrals and re-wire individual circuits.

• Mislabeled breakers: Another possibility is that breaker labels don't match actual circuit wiring. I mapped each outlet and light to the right breaker to uncover and fix mislabeled breakers.

Getting to the root cause of odd circuit trips takes some trial and error testing. But it prevents nuisance trips down the road.

3. Buzzing Electrical Panels

A buzzing noise coming from your electrical panel is never a good sign. Potential causes include:

• Loose wire connections: High resistance connections can cause vibrations and buzzing. I check for any loose wiring inside the panel and at outlets. Retightening wires stops the buzzing.

• Failing breaker: If a circuit breaker is failing, it may buzz or even feel hot to the touch. I replace any questionable breakers right away before a potential fire risk develops.

• Overloaded neutral: Just like shared neutrals cause odd trips, an overloaded neutral can buzz and overheat. Having an electrician separate shared neutral lines fixes this safety issue.

I always turn off the main breaker when investigating a buzzing panel. Live wires exposed in the panel pose a serious shock risk.

4. Dimming Lights

Lights dimming throughout the house is not normal. Potential causes include:

• Bad connections: Loose, corroded, or damaged wire connections can cause voltage drops. Check the electrical panel and outlets for any iffy connections in need of cleaning or tightening.

• Overloaded circuits: Adding high-wattage appliances like a hot tub on a small circuit causes insufficient power to other lights and outlets tied to that circuit. See if any major appliances were recently added and distribute the load.

• Failing transformer: Dimming when major appliances turn on can mean the transformer supplying your home is failing. This requires a utility company repair.

Keep in mind, dimming that impacts the whole house points to an issue on the incoming electrical supply, rather than one circuit.

5. Frequent Power Outages

Frequent and localized power outages most likely indicate a wiring problem within your home. However, if the whole house abruptly loses power there are a few potential causes:

• Tripped main breaker: Large power draws from multiple big appliances can overload and trip the main breaker. I check for a tripped main as the first step.

• Weather related outage: Damage to power lines from storms, trees, etc. causes grid outages. Check with your utility company for reported outages in your area.

• Faulty service panel: If the main breaker repeatedly trips when under heavy load, the service panel may need an upgrade to a higher amperage. 200 amps is ideal for most homes now.

• Overloaded transformer: Persistent outages isolated to your home may come from a transformer overload. The utility provider needs to assess and upgrade the transformer if required.

Frequent, but short power losses mean there’s an overload issue. Consistent extended outages likely indicate external grid or weather damage.

In Closing

Unexplained electrical issues can be frustrating and even dangerous if left unchecked. Home electrical problems often have simple solutions once the root cause is identified. Being observant and doing some diligent troubleshooting helps zero in on the issue. Safety is always paramount working around electrical systems, so call in a professional anytime you have doubts.