Tips to Avoid Power Overloading

Coping with technological advancement in Sydney is effortless when you have a smooth day without any circuit breaker tripping due to overloading. But once you know how to deal with the electrical concern of overloading, it'll be more than the high price of building a new house.

There are more than 10 appliances in the average home, not counting smart devices. In an older home, the access points to electricity may not be enough to plug in all the gadgets you have. That is why homeowners resort to using extension cords or even daisy-chain power strips in an effort to fit other appliances.

Your electrical wiring and the demands of electrical sockets to plug in equipment are the things you really don’t care about. With overloading, it destroys electronic devices, causes power outages and even sets your home on fire if not addressed. To avoid overloading of the circuits here is some information and tips you can use to prevent further damage.

How Overload Threatens Your Safety?

Overload happens when you have so many appliances to plug, but you lack electrical sockets. This usually happens in the kitchen where multiple appliances are plugged in like crock pots, toasters, coffee makers, deep fryers, etc. 

With the lack of power points in the desired place, you may attempt to use power strips, extension cords or multi-tap outlets. As the electricity demand increases than what the circuit was meant to carry, you may trigger the circuit breaker to flip, and you’ll lose electricity. When that happens, electrical services may be needed to fix the problem and ensure your safety.

Tips to Prevent Power Overload

The common causes of overloading are when using more equipment with a limited outlet, faulty wiring, an old electrical system that needs upgrading or without enough knowledge about the required power wattage in the circuit. With all these, the danger arises and negligence should not be tolerated. We’ve outlined some tips below to prevent your circuit from overloading, keep your home safe from any electrical or fire hazards.

Wiring Inspection

In testing the wires of any device plugged in to electrical sockets, be sure that the insulator does not have any crack and exposed wires. To ensure that all wires are in good condition, have an electrician to review your home if necessary and make any improvements that are required.

Wattage Awareness

Are you experiencing dimming of lights when the fridge or the vacuum cleaner is operating? To know that an appliance uses a lot of electricity, you don’t need to be an electrician. It’s good to have a general understanding of how much power is used by each appliance in your home. For precise specifications, refer to your equipment manuals. A general knowledge of how much electricity your machines consume will help you prevent overloading your circuits.

Circuit Breaker: Getting to Know

A circuit breaker is a panel of switches that can cut off electricity when the electrical current is too high, typically in your basement or utility room. Multiple switches make it possible to cut one circuit off while the others stay on. 

When there is a malfunction, turning off the electricity stops the cables and equipment from catching on fire. You don’t necessarily need to know the exact details of each circuit, just which circuit operated to a certain part of your home. Marking the breakers will be the easiest way to remember it.

Conclusion

Electrical overloading is life-threatening to your home and also to the community. Overloading produces hazards that destroy appliances, wiring, and electrical equipment; that’s why it must be ignored. If you are not patient enough, there can be fire risks. Always remember that you need to fix the overloading problems immediately to avoid further damage.

Sydney Eastern Suburb Electrician can keep your electrical system checked to prevent electrical overloads in your home or your business. With more than ten years of experience, we can also help in complex power needs and electrical emergencies in your home.

Call us at (02) 8378 2827 with our expert level 2 electricians for a free quote today.