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Many electrical issues in Tyler, TX, homes are attributed to improper or damaged wiring. Perhaps, you could have inherited the problem from the previous homeowner, your electrical contractor did sub-par work, or it may be due to that repair you took by yourself. Sometimes, it may be no one’s fault, as the wires could be the problem. Wires are subjected to constant expansion and contraction cycles, which weakens them.
Your home’s electrical unit has various safety features, including ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), circuit breakers, grounding systems, and arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI)to protect you and your family against the effects of a bad wire connection. Even with all this protection, there’s still danger from sparking and arcing, especially if there is a loose wire connection in your system.
Even though you might be tempted to fix some wiring problems, you should leave the work to professional electricians. It’s crucial to hire a skilled and qualified electrician in Tyler, TX. The biggest reason why DIY projects aren’t advisable is that electricity is deadly if mishandled. And statistics have confirmed it. So contact the experts whenever you notice the following six wire connection problems.
Loose Wire Connections at Outlets and Switches
This is common when the screw terminal connections at your outlets or wall switches become loose. Since these fixtures are the most used within your electrical system, they’re the places you should check first if you suspect cable connection problems.
A crackling or buzzing sound or a flickering light bulb usually indicates loose wire connections at a switch, light fixture, or outlet.
In some cases, you may find that the wiring was done through push-in fittings on the back of the outlet or switch. Connecting wires this way increases their chance of failure, which is why most professional electricians use this method sparingly. Instead, they connect wires with the screw terminal connections on the sides of switches and outlets.
If you discover that your device has push-in fittings, you can ask a licensed electrician in Tyler to help you reconnect the wires to the screw terminals on the equipment. The electrician in the area may also tighten pass-through connections inside the box, which may be made with wire nuts or some other type of connector.
Two or More Wires Under One Screw Terminal
Two or more wires connected to a single screw terminal on a switch or outlet is an obvious sign of amateur work and presents an increased risk of an electrical fire hazard.
Of course, a single wire under each side of a switch or outlet’s screw connector is allowed. However, to wedge two or three wires under one screw will be a code violation.
An experienced electrician near me in Tyler, TX, can tell you’ve got a connection problem if the bare copper grounding wires are found under the grounding screw on the outlet or switch. Though not a common occurrence, the technician may also find neutral or hot wires wedged to a single screw terminal.
Loose Connections on Circuit Breaker Terminals
Another less common problem that a licensed electrician should attend to near me in the locality is when the hot wires on your breakers in the main electrical panel are loosely fastened to the circuit breaker. When such occurs, you may see your lights flicker or notice fixtures all along the circuit misbehave.
Rectifying the error requires an electrician near me in the city to first turn off the breaker and unclip it from the hot bus bar of your main service panel.
The expert will check the hot wire connected to the circuit breaker to ascertain that the screw is tight and that there’s no insulation under the terminal or excess bare copper wire exposed. Once the repair is safely done, the tech will return the breaker into position on the hot bus bar and then turn it on.
Exposed Wires
With incompetent electricians or DIY newbies taking on electrical projects, it’s very common to see a wire nut or screw terminal connection with excess or a little copper wire showing.
Enough bare copper wiring should be used so that the screw terminal is wrapped entirely but not so much that excess wire protrudes from the sides of the screw terminal.
The essence is to have a fine balance; when tightened, too little exposed copper wire will cause the screw to lie on the insulation rather than the wire itself. On the other hand, too much-exposed wires may short out when they come into contact with a metal box or other wires.
Your hired electrician will also fix any exposed copper wire that may be appearing at the bottom of a wire nut.
Faulty Neutral Wire Connections at the Circuit Breaker Panel
Although a rare case, a faulty neutral wire connection happens when the circuit wire isn’t properly attached to the neutral bus bar in the main electrical panel.
The warning signs of such a wire connection may be similar to those of hot wire. A certified electrician in your area will check to ensure the neutral wire is adequately stripped and attached to the neutral bus bar the right way.
Wire Connections Made with Electrical Tape
Joining wires together using electrical tape rather than a wall nut or any other approved connector is a wire connection mistake made by inexperienced folks.
Thus, it would help if you contracted with a skilled and qualified electrician near me in the city to analyze and solve the problem.
Troubleshoot Your Wiring Problems with Mister Sparky of East Texas
Electrical problems are too expensive to entrust to anyone. Looking for a certified, trained, and insured electrician near me in the city? Contact Mister Sparky of East Texas today for help. Our electricians adhere to the code and are versed with the latest wiring rules. So you know you’re safe when working with us!
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