10 Common Electrical Mistakes That Damage Your Appliances
There isn’t much awareness regarding how electrical mistakes ruin your appliances. Homeowners assume they did something to damage the product, or maybe the manufacturers got it wrong. This isn't often the case seeing how the wiring and other electrical errors can make your appliances malfunction. Install an efficient electrical system in your house to prevent electrical errors from occurring in the first place.
This is a complex task, which, if done wrong, can lead to more severe consequences. You can hire a local electrician for the job, but you should instead contact a professional, like an electrician North Vancouver. They're more thorough with their job, and have better training.
Electrical Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Appliances
Appliances make your life easier in plenty of ways. If your microwave, refrigerator, dryer, portable air conditioner, air fryer, etc., doesn’t work as well, you will start to notice how inconvenient things can get for you. To prevent damage to any of your household appliances, learn more about what electrical mistakes you should look out for.
Unsecure Wiring
Leaving wires without securing them with a clamp or two is one of the biggest mistakes your local electrician can make. This is a simple mistake that can lead to severe consequences. Since it’s a minor adjustment, local electricians overlook this by focusing on more significant tasks at hand. If you hire your electrician on an hourly rate, they are more likely to put out closing up wires for later.
Unsecure wires are constantly giving out an electrical current that can lead to an electric shock. If these wires come into contact with something flammable, it could lead to a fire. These open wires could also lead to someone getting electrocuted.
2. Misaligned Connections
Misaligning or faulty connections are one of the most common electrical mistakes your local electrician can make. You could even refer to a misaligned connection as a loose connection in the electric outlet. Have you heard a buzzing sound, mainly when plugging your appliances into the appliances? That buzzing sound means your electric outlet has a loose connection.
To eliminate the problem, you can tighten the loose screws within the outlet. But be careful; you can't use ordinary tape or unadvised electrical components for this. Instead, of trying something yourself, you should call a professional who can fix the misaligned connections.
3. Overuse of the Extension Cord
You usually use an extension cord to extend the circuit to connect to other appliances at the same time. However, people can sometimes go overboard. Most of these cords struggle to handle load of multiple or heavier appliances. For instance, you shouldn’t plug in your portable air conditioner or a refrigerator into an extension cord unless manufacturer explicitly says so.
You can read the back of the extension to learn about its limits and how much voltage it can handle. You should consider getting more outlets if you rely too much on your extension. Also, beware of using extension cords that use aluminum wiring.
4. Short Wire Length in Electrical Panel
If you find your wire's length is shorter than necessary, then make sure to fix it before it causes further damage. While it isn’t a complicated process, it can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper precautions. You should instead call a professional to come in and take a look.
5. Varying Wire Sizes and Grades
Having different wire grades and sizes is another problem that can ruin your appliances. If the wires you're connecting to your circuit board are of different thicknesses and sizes, it can cause electrical overloading.
Check to see if your house has outdated wiring and if so, it would be best if you replace the aluminum wiring with upgraded copper wiring. You should hire a professional electrician North Vancouver to perform this upgrade. Hiring a reliable electrician is necessary because this upgrade often indicates that you need to replace the electric panel. Older panels tend to malfunction, are more likely to melt, and won’t cut off the power when it surge.
6. No Ground Wire for Electric Sockets
Not grounding a three-slot receptacle is a mistake that can cause severe damage to your electrical appliances. If a ground wire is installed it will prevent overloading and power surges from frying your electrical appliances. Since the earth is naturally an excellent conductor of electricity, it can absorb any of the excess current.
You should use a tester to determine whether your receptacle’s ground connection is secure or not. If not, it’s due to loose wiring.
However, remember to note that you can’t install this receptacle of three-pong on an old two-prong. You should upgrade your outlet if you want to keep your appliances and other valuables safe. You will need to hire a professional electrician in North Vancouver for better results.
7. Absence of GFCI and an AFCI Outlet
These are both necessary receptacles that can significantly improve wiring throughout the house. However, it isn't common knowledge that both of them are crucial to minimizing risks of surges or electric shocks.
AFCI:
Arc-fault Circuit Interrupters, more frequently known as AFCI, outlets are especially useful for preventing electrical fires. These receptacles can switch off the power to an outlet when electrical arcing is at the risk of starting a fire. This is a specialized type of circuit breaker integrated into many panels.
It’s advised to install this in various areas of your home, preferably ones with heavier appliances. You should install it in your kitchen or bedroom since they have the most machinery.
GFCI:
Ground-fault Circuit Interrupter is quite different from AFCI. Its primary objective is to eliminate risks or electric shocks. When it finds a ground fault, it turns off the power to the circuit, ultimately reducing the risks of electric shocks in your home.
8. Trying to Fix Circuit Breaker Panel
Your breaker panel can deteriorate due to multiple factors, or maybe there was a problem in the installation process. One of the most common reasons for a damaged breaker panel is too many cables inserted in a single slot. This is usually because there isn't additional space. You should contact an electrician North Vancouver for a quick upgrade instead of putting too much load on a specific slot.
Once a panel brakes or damages, you shouldn’t attempt to fix it on your own, since it's hazardous and can cause harm to your physical wellbeing. A broken panel can also increase the risk of a fire, so your house is at risk too. Professionals have more experience in dealing with this situation, and you should hire one as soon as you can. Remember, these types of panels are not only dangerous to your appliances but also to your life.
9. Over-stuffing Electrical Panels
When you stuff electric wires inside an electrical panel, it can cause a short circuit throughout the house. Because so many wires generate heat within a confined space, the proximity of so many wires can cause overheating. Overheating can melt the casing for each wire, increasing the risks of fires.
Because of this, your appliances won’t receive the proper current and will malfunction. For instance, a portable air conditioner, dryer, refrigerator, air fryer, etc., needs more electrical power to operate than an average bulb or microwave.
If you have more requirements, try installing a larger electric panel to fit your needs. Pro tip: make sure there is additional capacity for future use. You should make sure means there's space left for you to add more wires to accommodate your usage.
10. Neglecting Signs of Electrical Problems
Neglecting signals of electrical problems is especially dangerous when it comes to mistakes that may ruin your appliances. When you start seeing symptoms for some of your valuable appliances, such as the air fryer buzzing, your portable air conditioner making strange sounds, or your refrigerator flickering in and out, check your breaker panel or immediately contact your local electrician for advice.
If your circuit is tripping more frequently, it's a sign of overloading. If you don't address this problem and continue to use your appliances the way you do, you could have an overheating issue on your hands. Too much heat can melt the insulation around the wiring. Burnt or frayed cables can also lead to a short circuit, essentially ruining your appliances while also increasing the risk of a fire.
To avoid all of these problems altogether, you should schedule regular inspections. This will help point out multiple problems before they can damage your appliances or lead to other severe consequences. Upgrade your electrical wiring system every year or so. This is a critical step in ensuring your home and appliances are safe.
Conclusion
Errors in installing panels or wiring can cause many problems that could damage your appliance. If you contact professionals such as Kato Electrical, the chances of electrical mistakes can drop significantly. So contact us if you are looking for electrician North Vancouver.