An overloaded circuit can cause big problems in your home. Whether it’s frying your devices, cutting power to an important area of the home, or causing a fire, an overload is something you want to avoid whenever possible.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways that you can prevent electrical circuit overloads in your home. Keep reading to learn more about overloads, discover tips on how to prevent them, and find out how hardware upgrades can help too.
What is a Circuit Overload and What Causes Them?
A circuit overload is what happens when too much current flow is running through your wiring. Typically, it is caused by an excessive demand for electricity along a single circuit. For example, if you’re working in the kitchen and use multiple appliances with heating elements at once, such as a microwave, electric kettle, and a toaster oven, you stand a strong chance of overloading your circuit.
Tips for Preventing Circuit Overloads
Unless you have a hardware issue that needs to be addressed, preventing circuit overloads takes very little effort. Here are some tips that will help you avoid circuit overloads in your home:
- Distribute your devices: In our example of how to cause a circuit overload, you probably noticed that it involved putting a lot of devices on a single circuit and running them at once. A good way to reduce the chances of an overload is to distribute your devices across multiple circuits. This way, if you need to use a few devices at once, they won’t cause an overload by putting too much demand on a single circuit.
- Get an electrical safety evaluation: If you’ve had a lot of electrical circuit overloads and have done your best to avoid them, it may not be your fault. In this scenario, call a professional electrician to come and evaluate the safety of your wiring.
Hardware Upgrade Solutions for Overloaded Electrical Circuits
The wiring in some houses isn’t up to snuff for what modern devices require. If this is the case with your home, then it’s time to call a professional. Here are some solutions that an electrician can carry out to make your house safer and more overload-proof:
- Use dedicated circuits: Dedicated circuits are used to support high power consumption devices. Generally, you’d use dedicated circuits for large appliances like air conditioners, electric ranges, washers, dryers, hot tubs, dishwashers, and other similar appliances. This helps prevent overload by keeping those devices on their own circuit where their power draw won’t interfere with other appliances.
- Upgrade your circuit breaker: Your circuit breakers, which are found in your electrical panel, are more than just the place you go to turn overloaded circuits back on. The panel itself supplies power to all your circuits, and new models can provide better power and do it more safely. Upgrading your electrical panel may be just what you need to prevent an overload.
Prevent Circuit Overloads with an Upgrade from Mr. Electric
No one wants to put up with frequent circuit overloads. And with the risks that they present, it’s important to address the root cause quickly. Continued overloading of electrical circuits can cause damage to your electrical system. If you’ve been dealing with overloads and haven’t been able to prevent them using the typical methods, then you need to call an electrician.
At Mr. Electric, our professional electricians have the experience needed to take care of your issues. Whether you need a safety evaluation, a new panel, or brand-new wiring, we can handle it. Call us or schedule an appointment online today!
