Faulty Wiring: What to Look For

4/12/2021 (Permalink)

We’ve all heard the horror stories of a house catching fire due to faulty wiring. They can make even the least electronically-inclined person want to become an electrician and rewire their whole house. Please don’t do that, though, as home wiring should be left to the pros.

Before you go and hire an electrician to rewire your house, or even check the wiring, here are some tips and indicators of potential faulty wiring in your home. If you see or smell any of these, you should have a trusted electrician take a look before a house fire occurs with post-fire damage: 

• A burning smell, electronic burning odor, or odd odor near your outlets. This is one of the primary warning signals of faulty wiring. If you smell a pungent burning aroma, turn off the power immediately and call an electrician. The electricity may have arced inside the panel, causing a scorched electrical outlet. 
• Flickering or dimming lights. Yes, according to pop culture, that’s a sure sign of a ghost inhabiting your house. But in reality, that can be an indicator of faulty wiring and an overloaded electrical circuit. 
• Chewed wiring. If you have a new puppy that’s in chewing mode, or have had mice or squirrels in your walls or attics, you might have frayed or chewed wires that are easily viewable (if it’s a puppy gnawing on the lamp’s electrical cord) or unseen if mice are crawling around and chewing on things in your walls. Either are an indicator that you should have a trusted electrician check out your wiring around the areas. 
• An outlet that’s hot to the touch. Your electrical outlet and light switch should never be hot when you touch it. 

If you had a fire in your home from faulty wiring and you need help with your home fire damage restoration, take a look at the steps of our fire damage restoration process. Contact us here at SERVPRO of Haverhill / Newburyport for an assessment of your fire damage in Massachusetts caused by faulty wiring along with a plan for remediation and clean up.