Poor electrical wiring can cause many problems. Because a connection runs all the way from the panel to the outlet and lighting, it’s safe to say that poor wiring is not only an annoyance, but also very dangerous. Other electrical wiring problems range from improper installation of wires to damaged or worn panels.

Loose Electrical Panel Connections

Problems caused by loose connections in the panel include: lights being unable to switch on or only light up a little, loss of power in outlets, and a rise in power bills.

Loose Electrical Box Connections

Unlike the above electrical problem, loose connections in electrical boxes is a problem that’s harder to fix. Every electrical box has a device installed in it that can hinder you from taking a look at the interior of the box to find loose connections. You can only know of a loose connection when a problem manifests itself in the system. One good example is if a light, once switched on, just flickers on and off. The problem can be pointed back to any of these three sources: a switch box, the electrical panel, or the fixture box. A loose connection will lead to heat, which causes fires.

Insufficient Antioxidant on Aluminum Wires

Antioxidant can be applied to all connections with aluminum wires. While not required, there are inspectors who look for this. If there is no antioxidant or only little is used, the wire connection will eventually corrode. Oxidation happens when different metals are connected together. Oxidation is often seen on both terminals of the connections of a car battery in the form of white-green powder. That same thing happens to any aluminum wire connections that do not have any antioxidants.

Damaged Electrical Panels

An electrical panel, after several years of use, can wear out. Eventually, the primary breaker will lose grip on all fuses of the panel where the breaker makes contact. When this happens, arcing will be needed for completion of the circuit. Arcing heats up both breaker and fuses, and eventually, will burn the fuse and make the breaker lose connection with the supply line.

The best thing to do if you hear fizzing or arcing sounds from the panel is to call an electrician, who will then investigate this further.

Ground Faults

Ground faults are a good example of a stray current, which is defined as current taking on an unintended path. Hot or neutral wires that get in contact with the conductive material or the ground wire is a ground fault. Such an electrical mishap can happen in an electrical box or anywhere along the run from the panel.

If there is a wire in your home that was set up without taking proper routing into consideration (among trusses or across a nail plate), both insulation and wire can get damaged.