Every year, close to 45,000 homes have fire damage caused by an electrical fire, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be your home. Electrical fires can be prevented if you know what to look for.
Your circuit breaker keeps tripping
This is the first sign your wiring is in danger. A circuit breaker’s sole responsibility is to cut off the flow of electricity to your home to prevent overheating a circuit. If a circuit breaker keeps tripping, it’s trying to tell you something is wrong. It means:
- Your appliances are pulling too much electricity on one circuit, causing an overload.
- There is a short somewhere in the appliance or the wiring
- The circuit has gone bad
Whatever the case, it’s important to call in an electrician and deal with the problem as quickly as possible.
There’s a burnt smell without a source
Have you walked into a room and smelled a persistent burning smell without a known cause? If you can’t tell where it’s coming from, it might be from behind the walls. It could be from a short circuit, possibly caused by a loose connection or old wiring. Short circuits are the main cause of home electrical fires.
Your outlets discolor
While some of the burning may start behind your walls, in some cases it makes its way to your outlets. Faulty wiring in your home causes arcing and sparking, which can result in small fires that discolor your outlets.
Your wiring is outdated
Like everything in your home, wiring will only last for so long. If your home is over 50 years old and the wiring has never been replaced, now may be the time.
Wiring installed more than 50 years ago wasn’t up to code for our modern day practices. Wiring can’t handle the amperage needed for today’s technology and appliances. This overload causes wiring to overheat, then sparks a fire onto the surrounding materials.
If you suspect a problem with your wiring, call immediately. Don’t wait for a fire to put your home and family at risk.