Unexpected electrical surges can be concerning in any home, but older homes often require some extra care and investigation to pinpoint the root cause. As a homeowner, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot electrical issues and protect your home's wiring and appliances.
Common Causes of Electrical Surges
Electrical surges or spikes are brief overvoltage events. There are a few common causes of surges in older homes:
-
Faulty wiring - Outdated wiring that has degraded over time can cause surges when contacts arc. Frayed insulation and exposed wires may allow surges to jump from one circuit to another.
-
Overloaded circuits - Circuits that are maxed out with too many devices or appliances can cause voltage spikes and drops as demand fluctuates. This is especially common with only one or two dedicated circuits in the home.
-
Lightning strikes - Nearby lightning can induce surges that travel through lines into your home. Older homes often lack modern surge protectors to defend against this.
-
Electrical grid fluctuations - Issues with your utility company's equipment or grid can cause surges to ripple through to your home. These are usually infrequent and brief.
-
Bad electrical devices - Malfunctioning appliances, electronics, or lamps may leak excess voltage back down the line. Any device with a motor can be problematic.
Inspecting Your Electrical Panel
Your home's main electrical panel is ground zero for diagnosing surge issues. Here's what to look for:
-
Overheating - Feel along the breakers and wiring inside the panel for hot spots, which can indicate overload issues.
-
Corrosion - Check for green copper oxide, rust, and other corrosion on breakers or bus bars. This can increase resistance.
-
Noise - Listen for buzzing, sizzling, or humming coming from the panel, which may signal arcing wires or overload.
-
Odors - Smell for burning plastic or other odors, a sign wiring may be overheating.
-
Loose wires - Ensure wires are securely attached to breakers and components without visible gaps or loosening.
-
Blackening - Look for black or browned wires, breakers, and outlets - a symptom of excess heat exposure.
Tracking Down the Source
If your panel inspection uncovers any issues, it's time to narrow down the root cause. Here are some next steps:
-
Check individual circuits - Turn off circuits one at a time and monitor if surges continue. This can isolate the problem circuit.
-
** elim boltPlug devices into different outlets - Move devices and appliances to different outlets circuit by circuit to pinpoint bad outlets or wires.
-
Test with a multimeter - Use a voltmeter to check for voltage spikes on outlets and wires. The readings can identify problem spots.
-
Examine all junctions - Visually inspect junction boxes, outlets, switches, and wire connections for damage, loose wires, or degradation.
-
Call an electrician for assessment - If the source remains unclear, have a qualified electrician conduct a thorough evaluation and recommend repairs.
Preventing Future Electrical Surges
Once you've addressed the root cause, there are improvements you can make to help protect your home's electrical system:
-
Install surge protectors - Add surge suppressors at your main panel, and individual surge protector power strips for sensitive electronics. This is the first line of defense.
-
Update wiring - If wiring is very outdated or damaged, consider rewiring some sections to bring things up to modern safety codes.
-
Service panel upgrades - Update an outdated fuse panel to a modern circuit breaker panel to handle higher loads safely.
-
Whole house surge protector - Electricians can install a whole house surge protector for broader protection across your electrical system.
-
Lightning arrestor - A lightning arrestor attached to the meter base or panel can provide defense by diverting strikes.
Electrical surges in an older home can often be mysterious at first. But methodically inspecting your panel, circuits, and wiring can help you get to bottom of things. Addressing the root causes and adding modern surge protectors can help keep your home's electrical system running safely for years to come.