Electricians: Ignite a Spark and Learn About Electricy

Guaranteeing an Endless Summer! Common Summer Electrical Problems to Watch Out For

10 October 2017

Byron Holmes

With summer on the horizon, many Australian households are preparing for endless outdoor and indoor activities. However, just like every season, summer comes with a host of its own electrical problems.

With extreme heat events, none stop running of appliances such as air conditioning can be expected to help stay cool inside.  Electrical usage skyrockets and with it comes a busy season for electricians. Increased electricity usage can lead to tripping circuit breakers, flickering lights amongst other problems.

The upside is, you can prevent and prepare for these problems before they haunt you all summer. Here are frequent electrical problems that you can face in summer.

Power surges

Increased electrical consumption from appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators can lead to a spike in electrical current which in return leads to a power surge.

Faulty wiring can also increase the risk of even more power surges throughout your home.  Power surges can be dangerous enough to damage televisions, computers, and routers. In severe cases, a power surge could cause a house fire.

Power strips and surge protectors can help you avoid such a situation. Also, make sure you unplug appliances such as TV's when you leave the house or when not in use.

Overloaded circuits

Flickering lights, buzzing sounds, sparks from plugs and repeated tripped breakers are all signs of increased electrical load.

As mentioned earlier, the use of appliances increases during the summer season. Most homeowners are likely to plug in additional fans to beat the heat, so they require higher amp circuits. Once you over-amp your circuits past the amount they are designed for, you're more likely to spend most of your summer with power blackouts.

You can prevent overloaded circuits by resisting the urge to plug in your appliances all at once. If you are already facing tripping circuits, it's time to get your panels upgraded.

Brownouts and blackouts

Blackouts usually occur due to massive lightning and windy storms that are very common in summer. Blackouts are likely to leave you without power for the better part of the day since they take a decent amount of time to be corrected.

Brownouts, on the other hand, refer to a drop in the electrical power supply which means your appliances receive a lower voltage than is required. Brownouts are common in summer due to increased electrical demand.

Devices and appliances face a higher risk of damage during brownouts due to overheating. Make sure to switch off all appliances and devices until the brownout comes to an end.

A backup generator comes in handy in both cases.

It's important to keep your electrician's number on your emergency contact list in case you face these problems.

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